Saint Levant Lets His Arab Roots Shine in Studio Album “AFANDI”
On August 21, Marwan Abdelhamid, best known by his stage name Saint Levant, released his third album AFANDI, leaning fully into his Arabic roots and his love for the music that raised him. The album’s title comes from the Arabic term for an expensive, suave gentleman, which is exactly the aura Abdelhamid is exuding on his album cover. An ode to ‘90s Arab R&B and pop, AFANDI consists of 12 tracks that are transformative and powerful with their unwavering use of traditional instrumentals. The production is equally as purposeful, with Souhail “Ratchopper” Guesmi having produced and engineered every song and Abdelhamid having writing credits on almost every track.
The Beginning, The Dawn
While previously, Abdelhamid has been known for his trilingual songs spanning Arabic, French, and English, AFANDI is nearly exclusively dedicated to the Arabic language, starting with the track “SABAH EL WARD.” Bidding the listener “good morning,” Saint Levant opens his album as he narrates his dawn, or rather, the one of the woman he is watching.
With a smile on her face, he describes her bettering the day of all those she passes and interacts with. She gets her mint and lemon from Uncle Yassin and her olive oil from Uncle Shafiq. As her day goes on, “She brightens the mornings of vendors / With a smile and a heart full of joy.” In the end, he introduces who she is to the listener — “free woman.”
“SABAH EL WARD” was the first glimpse of AFANDI that fans received on May 22 earlier this year. Then in July, Abdelhamid collaborated with Haifa Wehbe, a multi-talented Lebanese artist, on “MITSUBISHI.”
This song landed fourth on the album, though it has already made its mark on listeners everywhere with over 18 million views on the duo’s video promo. As the pair sing back and forth, with Wehbe proclaiming her dominance in the relationship, they’re backed by a sexy percussion-led beat. The song stands out from others and is reminiscent of previous Abdelhamid songs that position him as a man fully devoted and mesmerized by the woman in front of him.
“MITSUBISHI”’s high energy soon fades with a record scratch before switching into the album’s only other collaboration, “MASKARA (feat. Mohammed Assaf).” One of the most electric songs on the album, “MASKARA” enthusiastically starts with a voice track of two women speaking about older times. When one asks, “Did you used to wear makeup back in your day?” the other responds, “Hah! You think you only wear makeup? We used to wear makeup and mascara and nail polish!”
It’s then that Abdelhamid yells out about how beautiful his girl is, both “With mascara and without”— the motif of the adoring fifth song. “MASKARA” is easy to both clap and fully dance to while accepting the praise of Saint Levant’s gaze.
The Ballads of AFANDI
Above the sound of shimmering metals repeatedly colliding rises Abdelhamid’s voice as he yearns for his lover in “LEIL EL SAHRANEEN.” As he describes his sad, unfortunate life away from her, he laments that it’s as if “the moon’s disappeared and left [him] alone.” He sings with pure determination and his eyes set on the one sole goal of seeing his lover again. And when “LEIL EL SAHRANEEN” slips into “CINDERELLA,” it is proven that even longing can be done loudly and fervently.
“CINDERELLA” begins in the same cadence as “LEIL EL SAHRANEEN.” However, halfway through the three-minute song as he sings, “Slowly, slowly, darling,” the track suddenly switches to a club beat as his pleading becomes more ardent as well. “CINDERELLA” consists of apologies and pleas of forgiveness after the one he loves has become jealous of his interactions with another woman.
The order of the songs suggests that this is the reason his love went away in “LEIL EL SAHRANEEN,” and that it is the same woman that he proudly adores in “SABAH EL WARD.” Because of this, the listener can understand the words of devotion pouring out of him now. Questioning her viewpoint, he asks, “Are you really jealous of her? My heart [only] calls out to you / Why are you worrying about her when my heart is in your hands?”
If this is really all the same woman, listeners are bound to ask an important question: are the final two tracks on the album about this woman as well? Consisting of the same subject matter, the songs “HAWA” and “RAYIH WEIN?” both talk about Abdelhamid suffering through separation from the one he loves. While “HAWA” questions whether she will return to him if he asks her to, “RAYIH WEIN?” acts as his monologue as he confronts and chases her, his heart on the table.
“HAWA” starts with a strong string instrumental, setting the scene for a contemplative Saint Levant before he starts singing 30 seconds in. Ballads are not common to the Saint Levant discography, though with the addition of this one, it will surely have listeners asking for more.
“RAYIH WEIN?” however, does include a signature note from Abdelhamid’s music — the playing of saxophones. First heard earlier in the sixth track, “SO WHAT?”, the striking instrument ends up being one of the last things listeners hear before the album closes.
The Push and Pull Of Levant’s Love
Having taken a lot of inspiration from ‘90s Arabic R&B artists, Saint Levant dips, or perhaps dives, into this genre with his tracks that stand in the middle of AFANDI: “SO WHAT?” and “MONAYA.”
In “SO WHAT?” Saint Levant challenges his lover about her insecurities by questioning their relevance to her beauty and his feelings. It is here that he introduces English to the album for the first time with the repetitive use of the title phrase. Over a sultry beat, he then reassures her that even without makeup or her hair done, he is “so in love.”
The track then transforms into “MONAYA,” the longest song on the album, which has a similar seductive tone and lyrics that hold the same meaning. After wishing for “the whole world to see me while I am with her,” he directs his focus to the one he is speaking of, asking for her to come close to him.
A slow tempo means something completely different in the world of Saint Levant — since his songs are typically more energetic dance tracks — but “SO WHAT?” and “MONAYA” are as slow as it gets for the artist’s discography. This moment doesn’t last very long, however, before he slips into tracks eight through ten.
Wishing For Love, Not Loneliness
While similar in tempo, the subject matter of “MASLA7JIYA,” “SAHRAN W NASI,” and “WARDEH” couldn’t be more different. All three songs have a transformative beat, flowing between slow and fast while placing themselves at a velvety speakeasy one second and a dance club the next.
“MASLA7JIYA” is told from the perspective of Abdelhamid as he faces a gold digger but finds himself under her spell regardless. Juxtaposing itself with the tone of the prior songs, it begins slowly but encourages dancing immediately once the chorus hits. The track also features intricate orchestral instruments behind his words.
To keep the flow going and to ensure the dancing doesn’t stop, “MASLA7JIYA” is followed by “SAHRAN W NASI” and “WARDEH.” In “SAHRAN W NASI,” the singer shares his loneliness over a drink with the man who gave it to him. During this, he acknowledges his painful memories and the fact that they are keeping him company on lonely nights.
In track ten, “WARDEH,” his worried thoughts continue to trail in. But instead of worrying about himself, he worries for the one who has his heart — his “rose.” Though the song keeps a steady, upbeat tempo, the solemn lyrics can still be clearly felt. From start to finish, Abdelhamid questions, “Who’s taken my place? / Who takes care of you? / Who looks into your eyes instead of me?” The song continues in this tone until, ultimately, he questions himself, asking, “Why didn’t I give you a rose every day?”
Saint Levant has sung songs of sadness, happiness, and new beginnings, but throughout all of them, he has come back to the one woman that has his heart. After “WARDEH,” Abdelhamid’s questions linger in the air, and the last question that remains is this: will he get his rose back?
AFANDI and More on Tour
Through and through, AFANDI is an album that celebrates Saint Levant’s Arab culture and the love that he has experienced for those around him. With plenty of dance tracks and even the occasional ballad, AFANDI has been welcomed into Abdelhamid’s discography by listeners around the globe. Saint Levant will soon be celebrating this release and all his previous ones on his upcoming “AFANDI Nights World Tour.”
AFANDI can be listened to now on Spotify and Apple Music. To keep up with Saint Levant and his tour, follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
Looking for more music to add to your playlists? Check out EnVi’s spotlight on hongjoin’s debut album!
