Hani Shnouda: Departure of the Voice of Cinema and One of the Pioneers of Contemporary Music in Egypt

Image caption, The late musician surrounded by members of the band 'Al-Masryeen' which he revived with new members in 2024

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Egyptian musician Hani Shnouda died on Monday at the age of 83, after an artistic career spanning more than six decades, during which his name was associated with the development of modern music in Egypt and with a number of the most prominent vocal and musical works in the Arab world.

Sameh Abdel Hamid, the late musician's manager, told BBC that Shnouda died on Monday morning in a hospital following a sudden health crisis.

Shnouda was born in the city of Tanta in Gharbia Governorate in 1943, and graduated from the College of Music Education in 1966, before continuing his artistic career which made him one of the most prominent composers and music arrangers in Egypt.

His name was associated with the soundtracks of a number of Egyptian films, and he was among the musicians who introduced musical styles different from the prevailing ones at the time, and contributed to introducing new methods and musical arrangements to Egyptian song.

In the late 1960s, Shnouda participated in founding the band 'Les Petits Chats' (The Little Cats) alongside Ezzat Abu Ouf, Omar Khairat, and others. The band is considered one of the first to introduce rock music and other Western musical styles in Egypt, and gained wide popularity among young people.

In 1977, he founded the band 'Al-Masryeen', which became one of the most famous modern musical bands in Egypt, creating a musical style different from the prevailing one at the time, and contributed to introducing several artists to the singing scene.

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With Abdel Halim, Mohamed Mounir, Amr Diab, and Najat Al Saghira

Hani Shnouda was a skilled organ player, in addition to his work as a composer and music arranger. During his early artistic career, he met singer Abdel Halim Hafez at the Palestine Hotel in Alexandria, where a professional and personal relationship developed between them. Shnouda recounted in media interviews that Hafez was keen to listen to his playing.

After returning to Cairo, he received a call from Abdel Halim Hafez who expressed a desire to cooperate with him. Shnouda said that Hafez gave him a modern organ at that time, and agreed with him to form a small musical band to accompany him in his external concerts instead of the large band that accompanied him on his tours.

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Shnouda actually participated in one of Abdel Halim Hafez's concerts at the Gezira Club, but the project did not continue due to the deteriorating health of the late Egyptian singer and his subsequent death.

Shnouda's name was also associated with supporting a number of young talents in their early artistic careers, as he collaborated with artists who later became among the most prominent singing stars in the Arab world.

Among these names are Mohamed Mounir, with whom Shnouda collaborated in his early artistic career, and was a participant in his first album 'Allamouni Ayniki'. He also collaborated with Amr Diab in his early artistic career, and composed a number of songs for him.

Among the works associated with Shnouda's name and that remained present for successive generations is the song 'Ana Ba'ashq El Bahr', whose lyrics were written by Abdel Rahim Mansour and sung by Najat Al Saghira, before Mohamed Mounir later reprised it.

Image caption, Musician Hani Shnouda during a concert he performed in Riyadh in 2024

In the field of film scoring, Shnouda composed music for a number of prominent films in Egyptian cinema, most notably 'Al-Mashbouh' and 'Al-Hareef'. His name was also associated with other films starring Adel Imam, including 'Asabat Hamada wa Tutu', 'Al-Awkat', 'Al-Mawlid', and 'Musajjal Khatar'.

Shnouda remained present in the artistic scene until the last years of his life, continuing to present new musical works and participating in various concerts and artistic projects.

In 2025, he revived the band 'Al-Masryeen' with a group of young voices, and performed a number of concerts with them in Egypt.

Among his latest works is the re-release of the song 'Bahlam Ma'ak' by Najat Al Saghira with a new arrangement, featuring Egyptian rapper Ziad Zaza and singer Tina. The song was released in July 2026.

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