ElMorabba3, a Jordanian Arab indie-pop, post-rock band, first rose to fame in 2012 when it released its hit single "Ma Indak Khabar." The perfect medley of electric guitar, percussion, and vocals bring about an experimental genre that has its roots in old Oriental music and poetry.
The Jordanian band, which is made up of trio Muhammad Abdullah (bass and vocals), Odai Shawagfeh (electric guitar and keys/synth) and Dirar Shawagfeh (drums), is trippy, new, and not as underground as you might think. Their debut self-titled album, released in 2012, merged old sounds with new, to the delight of an ever growing fan base.
Now, three years later, ElMorabba3 is ready to introduce new material, but it needs help. Following the steps of Lebanese band Mashrou3 Leila, the trio have turned to fans to help finance the release of their second album, "Men Nafs El Nas," a continued effort to prove that independent Arabic music can thrive in a sea of autotuned, oftentimes talentless and mostly sensationalist acts.
The Zoomaal campaign, launched July 30, has reached a little over a fifth of its $40,000 goal, which the band will use for development, recording, and production costs in the hopes of releasing their album by the end of 2015. With 21 days to spare, ElMorabba3, who boasts being a "Do It Yourself type of band through and through," has been busy promoting its campaign. According to their campaign description, "continuing to be empowered by fans and supporters" was the path that the trio had intended on since the inception of ElMorabba3 in 2009, leading to their decision to crowdfund their second album.
Watch their campaign video below: