Ahmed Adaweyah

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Ahmed Adaweyah (Arabic: احمد عدوية) is an Egyptian singer and he was the first big star of sha'abi music during its first wave of popularity in the 1970s. He has starred in many Egyptian films. Adaweyah started his career as a cafe waiter but in 1971, he began performing songs using the language of the streets of Cairo, full of working class slang and double entendres. Like many shaabi (meaning of the 'people', or working class) singers Adaweyah specializes in mawal (vocal improvisation). He performed in English clubs as well as in Egypt and despite his now-considerable wealth, remains a critic of the middle class. His use of drum machine and synthesizer in the 1990's was the subject of some criticism. He is also subject to censorship due to his oppositional stance.

His son Mohammed Adaweyah is a classical singer, who made an album called el-tayyeb a7san in 2000.