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Shaabi is the music of the working class. Often sung using slang words or imagery.It can be about love or politics even about current affairs and as such although it is very often good to dance to it is a bit of a minefield for the foreign dancer with no knowlege of the language.Even songs that may translate ok may be about something else entirely on another level. So always know what the song means-do your homework.On this page is some information about popular shaabi singers and their songs- what to avoid and where to find out more. Shaabi began to take shape in the 1970s as a working class reaction to the classical music.To be a classical singer takes years of training and study.The route to becoming a successful shaabi singer is a bit different.You start singing at local weddings and work your way up hopefully to singing at one of the clubs on Pyramid Road. If you capture the publics fancy then you could become very famous and then you get the opportunity to sing at better class places and even society weddings and ,in vogue at the moment, maybe star in films. Like being a dancer, being a shaabi singer is not something that will give you a pass into respectable middle class society. if you need any clarification of that just read the comments on Youtube about any song posted sung by any of the shaabi singers mentioned on this page. What helped the surge in popularity of this music was the invention of the music cassette-easy to produce and cheap to copy.This music was not played on the radio but go down the street to the local music kiosks and the popular songs would be playing. The authorities pretended it did not exist. Here are some of the most famous shaabi singers past and present.
A lot of his original songs would be difficult to dance to-mainly because the words don't mean anything to a western audience but there are a few versions of songs that he made famous arranged for dancers that would work because they are great music. Because the words in shaabi are important I've included only sung versions not instrumentals. Instrumental version of shaabi to me are a bit like hearing “Anarchy in the UK” by the Sex Pistols done as lift music!! but thats my personal opinion.
A very interesting interview with the man himself can be found at http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/520/profile.htm Article on the Gilded Serpent website
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/DESIGN-YOUR-WORLD Hear and see him Ahmed Adeweya in a film singing Kolo ala Kolo Bint el Sultan with Soheir Zaki Bint el Sultan with Fifi Abdo Great clip from a fiim with him singing and Fifi dancing
Be on the safe side and avoid his songs especially Ana Bakrah Israel (I hate Israel). read this article about the song. It includes the English translation of the lyrics www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/05/07/MN6076.DTL Khalasna el Sabr Kolo (we've lost all patience)-about the controversy of someone doing a cartoon of Mohammed in Denmark translation www.arabicmusictranslation.com Interesting interview with the man himself http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2001/517/ti.htm Another article http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/745235.html For more info on Shaaban and shaabi follow the link to the article on Adeweia above and click on the links to the two articles at the bottom of the page "The money mawal" and "Man on the Street" 2 of his CDs including the infamous "I hate Isreal" song available from ebay store http://stores.ebay.co.uk/DESIGN-YOUR-WORLD Hear and see him Shaaban Abdel Rehim sings a new song about President Obama and exPresident Bush No video but subtitles in English Heres the man in action singing Al farb fel Iraq (don't bomb Iraq)
Not considered a shaabi singer by some because of his middle class roots, but he is a very well known singer of the shaabi style and has done a lot to promote it
Hear and see him Hakim singing Asaalamu Alekum There is the English translation in the video information notes. Hobouso which means I'll kiss him
Both CDS available from www.aladdinscave.com
Some of Saads hits and translations
El Enab with Dina El Hantour with female singer Amina Mabrouk-fun song for a wedding (email me for translation)
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The king of Shaabi is unquestionably Ahmed Adeweia. He was the first singer to make it big in the 1970s. His songs have become almost standards for other singers and for dancers to dance to.As early as 1971 Ahmed Adeweia was singing using the street language of Cairo, a language which played on words to hide their real meanings whether it was criticism of the state or sexual. He broke every rule in the then music book. it is important to remember that singers don't write their own songs BUT if the singer is famous enough then the music is often credited to them and the writer gets forgotten Picture of Dina dancing to Bint el Sultan Ahmed Adeweia singing (2007)
On Sukara Egyptian dance music presented by Leila there are two great Adeweia songs-Beledi Ya Wad-local boy andSalamit Om Hassan-take care Hassan’s mother.
Great Medley of 3 Adeweia songs including Bint El Sultan on Yasminas first CD Ahmed Adeweia’s most famous song is “Bint El Sultan” the Sultans daughter translation at 
Bint el Sultan as part of a shaabi medley on Leila's Om Al Dunya CD
CD the very best of Ahmed Adeweya-(photo of CD) includes Bint el Sultan, Salamat Om Hassan available from 
Came from typical working class origins. He used to be an ironing man in Shobra He has been a popular singer since the1980’s. He says that he is proof that “art comes from the workers” He is definitely a singer to avoid for the unwary foreign dancer because many of his songs are political. It’s a typical danceable shaabi sound but how would you look if you realised you’d been bopping around with a cheeky grin to “I hate Israel” his year 2000 hit or “Don’t bomb Iraq”in 2003. One of his early songs was about women murdering and cutting up their husbands based on a true life incident in 1989. He is known for catchy songs with political lyrics and a bit of a tacky taste in fashion such as dressing in red shoes (or diamond studded shoes), white trousers and wearing two watches. Probably because of the political nature of his songs there are more articles written about him than other shaabi singers on the internet. I've included links to some of them
Born in Maghagha, a small Egyptian town in 1962. His father was the town Mayor. He encouraged Hakim to go to University although he was already making music. He left university in 1983 with a degree in Communications. His first album was Nazra in 1991. he met Miles Copeland (of bellydance Superstars fame)which has led to a release of his music in the USA .Popular shaabi style singer.He has sold over 6 million records in the Middle East.He is the first Egyptian to have made a breakthrough internationally.Has also toured in the UK and USA and worked with western artists including James Brown.Music generally good to dance to. A lot of it was remixed for release in USA. 
Probably the most successful shaabi singer in and out of Egypt at the moment. His name is spelt in a variety of ways (el Sougheer, el Sogheyr) so it is hard to search for his CDs and information. He made his name with the cheeky song El Enab,which is one of those songs which is on surface about fruit but of course it isn't. He has starred in various films, including one with Dina made to appeal to the ordinary Egyptian with lots of obvious knockabout humour. A deal with Miles Copeland of Bellydance Superstars fame has resulted in his music being heard by a wider audience and 2 CDs on the CIA label are widely available outside Egypt. (Photo of Saad and yours truly on a recent trip to Egypt)
On the CIA label- Saad Prince of Shaabi. Downloadable from 
Also on CIA label Dance of my heart
His most recent CD is available from ebay store Design your world
Hear and see him (photo of Saad at the Semi Ramis, Cairo in 2009)