Reservoir Media, Inc. (NASDAQ: RSVR), an award-winning independent music company, in conjunction with PopArabia, the leading music publisher and independent music company in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), today announced the acquisition of the catalog of Egyptian star Omar Kamal. The deal includes both publishing and master rights to his catalog.

Over the past decade, Egyptian artist Omar Kamal has risen to prominence across the MENA region. He is credited with helping bring mahraganat, a genre of music mixing Egyptian rhythms, electronic music, and rap lyrics, to listeners outside of Egypt. Kamal is best known for his hit 2020 song “Mahragan Bent El Geran” with Hassan Shakosh, which featured controversial yet captivating lyrics that resonated with audiences throughout the Arab world and earned the song and Kamal widespread international attention. The song became a cultural sensation, particularly with youth across MENA. Named one of Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Arabic Pop Songs of the 21^st Century, “Mahragan Bent El Geran” also has garnered over 700 million views on YouTube to date.

Kamal has released a steady stream of singles in recent years, many in collaboration with Hassan Shakosh, and hits like “Oud Al batal” and “LGHBTITA” have continued to perform well on YouTube, generating over 500 million and 300 million views, respectively. His vocal range and stage presence have contributed to his status as a star across Egypt. In addition, in 2021 he expanded into acting, making his debut on the television series Bayn El-Samaa Wa El-Ard, further solidifying his prominence in the country.

On the new deal, Kamal commented, “I’m excited to strike this deal with Reservoir and PopArabia, a company built for artists and run by artists. I know this partnership will be a strong motivation for us to do great work together.”

PopArabia Vice President of A&R and Acquisitions Wissam Khodur also commented, “Omar is one of the hottest Shaabi artists in Egypt and throughout MENA and was able to pivot into mahraganat with his own unique twist. We’re thrilled to bring his music to PopArabia and look forward to helping him reach new international heights with his catalog.”

Reservoir Founder and Chief Executive Officer Golnar Khosrowshahi added, “Acquiring Omar’s influential catalog is another key growth moment for Reservoir and PopArabia’s market share in Egypt, the dominant Arabic music market. This deal builds upon our other recent strategic acquisitions and further supports our efforts to become a major tastemaker in the region.”