Charif Megarbane details new album Hawalat on Habibi Funk
Charif Megarbane
New album ‘Hawalat’ released 11th April 2025 via Habibi Funk Listen to 'Hanadi' https://habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/track/hanadi EU/UK April/May tour dates with Rogér Fakhr
Lebanese composer and multi-instrumentalist Charif Megarbane returns with Hawalat, a new album that seamlessly blends together a mix of global influences of sounds and collaborations. Set for release with Habibi Funk, Hawalat builds on Megarbane’s distinct ability to merge Mediterranean psychedelia, jazz, hip-hop, and orchestral elements into an evocative listening experience. Taking inspiration from hawala, a system of informal money transfers made to certain countries impacted by a lack of currency or unstable contexts. Megarbane spins this concept on its head, reimagining it as an artistic exchange spanning cultures, generations, and geographies. This spirit of creative movement is embodied in the album’s amalgamative nature, featuring contributions from an international lineup of artists, including London-based jazz vocalist Sahra Gure, Italian-Tunisian singer LNDFK, Neapolitan pianist Dario Bassolino, Berlin beatmaker and violinist FloFilz, and an 18-piece orchestral arrangement by Swedish composer Sven Wunder. Recorded across multiple locations, from Beirut to Brooklyn, Stockholm to a rural French commune, the album’s sonic journey mirrors its thematic premise.
Musically, the track list of Hawalat travels through a varied journey of textures and temperaments. The album’s opener and first single, Hanadi, is a percussive, Somali-inspired groove with wordless vocals and soaring saxophone lines. Throughout Hawalat, Megarbane reaffirms his place as a global musical storyteller, allowing influences and traditions to cross borders and meet fluidity and spontaneity. Following Marzipan (2023), which took a look inwards at the heart of Lebanon, Hawalat expands further outwards, exploring themes of diaspora, exile, and artistic migration. “As much as Marzipan was a portrait of Lebanon from the inside, Hawalat picks up where it left off,” Megarbane explains.
The album avoids nostalgic recreations of the past, instead situating itself comfortably in the present with a sound that is both timeless and contemporary. Known for his prolific output—having released over 100 projects under various monikers—Megarbane continues to defy categorisation, crafting what he calls “Lebrary music”: a borderless, Mediterranean-rooted fusion of library music, Afrobeat, hip-hop, and jazz. His ethos of spontaneity extends to his live performances, where he and his band reinterpret songs anew with each show. In 2024, he toured extensively, often sharing the stage with fellow Habibi Funk collaborator and Lebonese musical pioneer Rogér Fakhr, with more performances planned for 2025. The April and May tour dates will see Rogér Fakhr as a co-headliner, Rogér's set will be backed by Charif Megarbane and his band Papié Maché.
EU/UK Tour Dates with Rogér Fakhr 24.04.2025: Turkey, Istanbul, Frankhan 28.04.2025: Germany, Berlin, Gretchen 30.04.2025: Norway, Oslo, Blå 02.05.2025: Denmark, Copenhagen, Vega 03.05.2025: Sweden, Gothenburg, Nefertiti 05.05.2025: Belgium, Brussels, AB Club 07.05.2025: France, Paris, La Bellevilloise 08.05.2025: UK, London, 100 Club (Sold Out) 09.05.2025: UK, Edinburgh, Mash House 10.05.2025: UK, Bristol, Jam Jar 11.05.2025: UK, Manchester, Band On The Wall 12.05.2025: UK, London, 100 Club (Sold Out)
Track List
1.Hanadi
2.Dreams of an Insomniac
3.Al Dollarji
4.Les Vents Dominants
5.Al Bahriye
6.Miramar
7.The Invisible Cut
8.Helia feat. Sven Wunder
9.East of What
10.La Calypso
11.Hawalat
12.Sfiha
13.La Virgule Suspendue
14.Preamble to the Conclusion
15.Chou Ostak
16.What Happened Next
17.Jana
18.Bil Fey (Bonus Track)
19.Ni Vu Ni Inconnu (Bonus Track)
Track List
1.Hanadi
2.Dreams of an Insomniac
3.Al Dollarji
4.Les Vents Dominants
5.Al Bahriye
6.Miramar
7.The Invisible Cut
8.Helia feat. Sven Wunder
9.East of What
10.La Calypso
11.Hawalat
12.Sfiha
13.La Virgule Suspendue
14.Preamble to the Conclusion
15.Chou Ostak
16.What Happened Next
17.Jana
18.Bil Fey (Bonus Track)
19.Ni Vu Ni Inconnu (Bonus Track)
