The Power Of Music
Singer Noha Fekry shares her journey to stardom, from growing up in a musical household to discovering Jazz and finding her own, unique voice.
On a diverse and cultural music scene, Noha Fekry has managed to find the sweet spot between Egyptian tunes, Jazz elements, and contemporary sounds, making her unique flavor of music stand out and connect people in a meaningful way.
Hailing from the heart of Cairo, Fekry grew up with a deep-seated passion for music. Raised in a musical family, she was exposed to a melange of genres that allowed her to experiment and discover her own voice. Her taste is influenced by the music played in her household growing up, from Fairouz to the Rahbani brothers to the classical Arabic songs from black-and-white films. She also developed an ear for classical music, rock, hymns, and choral works.
It was then as a teenager that she was introduced to pop music, the powerful voice of Whitney Houston, and the sounds of Nat King Cole– her first connection with the Jazz world. “Jazz is a very rich kind of music, and the way it embraces Arabic music—when they fit as a match—is really magical,” says Fekry. “They both add something to the other. More spices if you will.”
All these influences resulted in Fekry developing a sound that is both novel to the Egyptian music scene and that carries an air of familiarity that connects her with her roots, all the while appealing to diverse audiences around the world.
Building on her widespread appeal, Fekry’s debut duo album, ‘A Conversation,’ with pianist Rami Attallah, made a ripple on the music scene on its release. She then followed her initial success with ‘Live in Cairo’ in 2022, an album of live recordings with her Jazz group. In 2024, Fekry now plans on releasing a brand-new take on her own songs; an entire program of original tunes that combine into a storytelling journey with a twist.
Fekry is deeply committed to her craft and actively engages with the music community, often collaborating with other artists and participating in music workshops and festivals, both nationally and internationally. She has performed alongside Ziad Rahbani, Kirk McDonald, Fathi Salama, and Hany Shenouda in Egypt, Elvis Stanic in Croatia, and many other renowned singers and musicians. She was a member of the band Riff from 2008 to 2016, before forming her own Jazz group.
But Fekry’s vocal versatility does not stop at singing; she is also a voice actress with Disney and Netflix. To date, she has taken lead roles in notable productions such as Arlo, Over the Moon, Encanto, Lion King, Trolls, Ferdinand, Raya, Once Upon a Studio, and most recently, Disney’s newest release, Wish.
“My aim is to make good music that really satisfies me, since I am my first audience,” says Fekry. “When I am in that place, I can be a conduit of that to others around me. Simply put, the goal is to create a musical adventure that I enjoy and that I can share–and it really is magical.”