Very often, we hear songs in the voices of different singers, whether as covers reimagined through new arrangements, or tracks we simply assume belong to someone else. When a singer re-records a song, it can be an attempt to build on its original success, or to present it through a personal artistic vision. There are also many artists who specialize in reviving older songs and giving them contemporary arrangements. But can a cover truly overshadow the original? And can a song live on in the public imagination through the voice of another singer?
In tracing the history of covers, we find many songs that ended up being associated with the artists who revived them, and even songs we spent years believing belonged to completely different singers. Here is a list of tracks we long thought were credited to someone else.
1. Oyoun – Mohamed Mounir
“Oyoun” originally belongs to singer Maher El Attar, who released it in the 1990s. It was written by poet Sayed Hegab and composed by the great Ammar El Sherei. But because of the volatility of the cassette market at the time, the song did not achieve major success despite the strength of the names behind it. Mohamed Mounir later revived the track with a new arrangement by Tarek Madkour on the album Ahl El Arab Wel Tarab, and it went on to become a major hit.
2. Kolak Agabny – Abdel Basset Hamouda
Abdel Basset Hamouda is one of the most important shaabi singers in Egyptian music history, and “Kolak Agabny” is considered one of his best-known and most successful songs. But the original version actually belongs to the folk singer Samir Koko, who released it in the 1970s. Abdel Basset re-recorded the song in 2000 on an album that carried the same title.
3. El Hekaya Ma Btentehish – Hany Adel
“El Hekaya Ma Btentehish” is one of the songs from the film Tito, and in the film’s original version it was performed by the late singer Yasser Shaaban. The song was written by Montaser Hegazy and composed by Hesham Nazih. Yet it came to be widely attributed to Hany Adel, largely because a recorded version in his voice exists on streaming platforms. It is worth noting that Hany Adel does have another song in the same film, titled “Medy Eed”.
4. Lahzet Tafahom – Mostafa Amar
One of the audience’s most beloved Mostafa Amar songs, “Lahzet Tafahom” was performed by him in the film Hareem Kareem. Since the film’s release in 2005, many people have not realized that the original version actually belongs to singer Zeinab. “Lahzet Tafahom” was first released in 1985 as part of the album Bahebak, produced by Sawt El Delta. Zeinab released two albums, Bahebak and El Zekra, before disappearing from the scene, though her music remains available on streaming platforms.
5. Mathelmash – Medhat Saleh
The song “Mathelmash” from the film Zaky Chan was long attributed to the great singer Medhat Saleh, whether on many streaming platforms or in the minds of listeners. But in reality, and unlike the other songs on this list, Medhat Saleh never performed the song at all, not even as a cover. “Mathelmash” is actually sung by Moody Gamal. Despite the obvious difference between their voices, the song still ended up being credited to Medhat Saleh.
