Shiha Flips Hamid El Shaeri’s Classic ‘Ayonha’ on New House Remix EP

Egyptian veteran DJ and producer Shiha has recently released a remix EP, featuring three house remixes of Arabic pop icon Hamid El Shaeri’s classic ‘Ayonha’. 

The project began a year ago when Jordanian selector Karam Rish shared Shiha’s bootleg remix of Ahmad Fakhroun’s ‘Guilty’ with Hamid, suggesting he remix one of Hamid’s tracks. “Hamid liked what he heard and was very generous in giving me full creative freedom. I wanted to make sure that vision honoured his work, so I ended up producing three versions,” Shiha tells SceneNoise. “'Ayonha' happens to be one of my personal favourites from Hamid’s catalog. It’s a timeless track, and its structure, melodies and vibe translate beautifully into today’s house music spectrum.”

Clearing the sample, however, proved more challenging than expected, requiring more than merely Hamid’s official green light for the project. “The most surprising part was discovering just how many moving pieces are involved in clearing a track that is over three decades old," Shiha says. "We needed to go through a lot of negotiations to issue an exclusive license, defining the scope and making sure we could give the track a fresh identity while still protecting its legacy. The challenge was balancing the business side with the creative excitement, but in the end, we made it work in a way that felt respectful to the original and liberating for the remixes.”

On one of the remixes on the EP, Shiha reimagines the original production of 'Ayonha' through a blend of house and nu-disco, keeping the 80s soul alive while subtly incorporating a fresh pulse with retro synths and funky basslines in its structure that feel rather dancefloor-ready. The EP also includes an afro house remix, released under Shiha’s alias Moshie, that leans more into deep, progressive grooves, layered with driving tribal rhythms that flow organically with the nostalgic Arabic vocals. The last remix, however, is more club-ready, a dub-driven reworking with minimal tech grooves that is purely made for late-night raverly.

“The goal was to create a package that speaks to DJs across different scenes and genres, giving them the tools to introduce Ayonha to a whole new generation of listeners,” Shiha says.