Taraddud by Youssra El Hawary
Wailing sirens, banging metal, squeaking bicycle wheels, and the voices of passerby and street hawkers make up a key part of the musical language on Taraddud, Youssra El Hawary’s new EP. In her first release since her 2017 debut No’oum Nasyeen, the Cairo songwriter and sound designer layers in field recordings of her home city alongside intricate arrangements of jazz, folk, and ambient music, creating a unique sound that captures the Egyptian capital’s maddening and transfixing draw.
Hawary wrote the music that became Taraddud over an extended period of learning and creative growth, and her lyrics strike a heavier, more reflective tone compared to her previous efforts. “If today will be just like yesterday, then don’t wake me up” she sighs in the opening lines of “Metronome,” a ballad whose cascading piano chords and ascending phrasings on violin and guitar create a sense of unstoppable momentum.
The album’s title carries double meanings in Arabic, referring to the hesitation of her finding the right way to express herself musically, but also to the frequencies of the urban noise that comes in through her window and permeates the rest of her environment. Guided by the irresistible pull of Egyptian rhythms, folklore, and city life, the songs on Taraddud avoid easy categorization or simple structure, taking unexpected turns as Hawary explores the tension between the beautiful and the chaotic.
Credits
Taraddud (EP)
Written, composed, arranged & produced by Youssra El Hawary
Co-arranged by Tarek Abdelkawi (Track 2,3)
Co-arranged by Amr Ismael (Track 2)
Recorded by Peter Ayman at ALL Saints Studio & Blu Productions, Cairo, Nov 2024
Studio technical manager: Micheal Abd-elmalek
Home Studio Recordings by Ahmed Mostafa X & Mohab Ezz
Lead Vocals recorded at Cimatheque, Cairo, March 2025
Edited by Peter Ayman & Youssra El Hawary
Mixed & Mastered by Fahed Al Riachi
Performed by:
Youssra El Hawary (vocals, sound-design, accordion in track 2, finger cymbals in track 1)
Andrew Milad (piano)
Tarek Abdelkawi (guitars)
Islam Ghallab (synth)
Lucas: Loai Gamal (percussion)
Mohamed Ahmed (cello)
Youssef Hassan (electric bass, track 2,3)
Nadia Safwat (trumpet, track 1)
Rasta: Andrew Safwat (electric bass, track 1)
Nancy Mounir (theremin, track 1)
Amir El-Saidi (drums, track 2)
Yasmine Samy (violin, track 2)
Amr Ismael (buzuq, track 3)
Amin Shaheen (arghul, kawala, track 3)
Guest musicians:
Amir Hedaya (guitar, track 2)
Mohamed Adel (guitar, track 2)
Backing vocals:
Shadi El-Hosseiny
Lucas: Loai Gamal
Moheyeldin Yehia (track 3)
Project Manager: Youssra El Hawary
Recording Manager: Samaa Nour
Social Media & Release Manager: Zeina Amr
Consultant: May Mostafa
Cover photo: Ahmed El Saaty
Art work: Amr Hosny
Lyrics translation: Farah Barqawi
Copywriting: Peter Holslin
Production: Youssra El Hawary
With the support of The Arab Fund For Arts & Culture AFAC 2022
Released Sep22, 2025 by Hesitant Freqs
License
All rights reserved.
Composer, singer-songwriter, accordionist and sound-designer. Creates music from the echoes, chaos and stillness of her city, Cairo.