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Rock like an Egyptian

Posted: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 3:00 AM by Rob Neill
Filed Under:

As if there needed to be more proof that despite the internet, the world is actually a pretty big place with a lot going on you’ve never even thought about, much less heard about, seems Egypt has its own English-language music video channel.

 

(Seem to remember the U.S. did too at one time. Wonder what happened to them? We guess there are these guys, but only if John Mayer is your idea of “out there”.)

 

The network is “Melody Tunes” and, for all we know, may even be a hoax. Really all we have to go on is a bunch of Weblog entries and a listing here (yes, we were distressed to finally find something that could not just be lazily Googled or Wikipediaed).


Melody Tunes

 

The ads have been bouncing all over the Web. Basically they begin with a “average” Egyptian (well, that's what we think anyhow since we really have very little idea what life in Egypt is normally like) singing a western pop song in English before cutting to the actual clip, then a quick tag reminding that, this can not be repeated enough, Egypt has an English language music video channel.

 

Our personal fave … these group of women rock out to “Don’t Cha”  and are far more entertaining than the Pussycat Dolls (and no, that has nothing to do with a postfeminist discourse on the power of er whatever … the song just sucks).

 

Next up, a beggar runs a scam using Britney (hey wasn’t that an actual story this month?).

 

And this is pretty good too. Though after hearing these songs together we’re starting to question our undeniable love of America.

 

Nice work to all involved. We will be calling our cable company.

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Comments

With all due respect this is a poorly written blogpost -- and we can't review the ads if you don't link them to this article.

???

Kirk Littell (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 9:01 PM)

The promos are real and can be found the network website
http://www.melodyhits.tv/docs/artist_albums.asp?aid=3054&tid=3531

mosho (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:19 PM)

now everyone knows what they sound like when they sing with headphones on....

bwick, portland, oregon (Sent Tuesday, October 16, 2007 11:14 PM)

I am from Egypt, and there IS a melody channel, it's like a conglamorate of channels (one of which is the "English Songs" Channel) and ya...these ads are hits in Egypt :) so no hoaxes involved...and by the way, the people depicted in the ads are of the struggling-to-make-ends-meet middle class....not all of Egypt is like this...I'm not saying they're bad though :)

Rami Zachari, Cairo, Egypt (Sent Wednesday, October 17, 2007 5:04 AM)

Wow.  That is one of the oddest, funniest things I have seen in a long time.  Kind of makes you wonder what they must think of America.

Amy, Upland, IN (Sent Wednesday, October 17, 2007 7:57 AM)

by the way i am an Egyptian 29 year old female and the tv channel does in fact exist but it is not the first english music-video channel mind you we have tens if not hundreds of them that are very similar to MTV! what is unique about this channel is their ad campaign as you obviously noticed since it is pretty funny and tries to relate to the lower classes of Egypt in an attempt to make the channel appealing to them not just the english speaking upper classes.

Samah Tawfik, Cairo, Egypt (Sent Wednesday, October 17, 2007 10:34 AM)

The network is for real: http://www.melodyhits.tv/
The ads present a humorous take on Egyptians in typical everday situations (yes the beggar scam happens all the time!) and then tie them with English songs that relate to the situations. Along with the tagline voice over, the Egyptians in the ad sing the songs in an exaggerated Egyptian accent which adds to the humor of it all. These ads are all the rage in Egypt at the moment along with other melody channels campaigns found on their website.

Mimi, Cairo, Egypt (Sent Wednesday, October 17, 2007 10:38 AM)

Melody Tunes is real. I emailed my cousin that lives in Egypt and she said they always use bizarre ads and they're a huge hit there. And the average Egyptian doesn't look like the people in the ads. :) Well, for the most part, anyhow.

jennifer, columbus, ohio (Sent Wednesday, October 17, 2007 2:45 PM)

Samah Tawfik; take it easy. it's funny. let's enjoy it and not provide a scientific explanation on upper and lower, middel , campaigne how many channels we have.

Shokraa ya Samah hanem

Said Elnagar, mitradi, Banha, Egypt (Sent Monday, October 22, 2007 3:08 PM)

Hey, I'm an American who lived in the Middle East for many years, these ads are totally great!! There's a bit of humor but also it shows how music can reach across the cultural barriers and we can all have fun with it!! I think the ads are a  blast!

Jean (Sent Wednesday, October 24, 2007 7:52 AM)



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