Fareed El Boricua Arabe Drops Reggaeton Fusion “Una Noche Con Un Arabe”
By: Nadia Sobehart
International recording artist, Fareed El Boricua Arabe, presents his latest single for global audiences, “Una Noche Con Un Arabe.” The single is a reggaeton fusion with cultural undertones that speaks to Fareed’s multicultural upbringing and pure passion for music.
“Una Noche Con Un Arabe” translates to “One Night with an Arab.” “It’s a sexy song about a guy approaching a girl in a club,” tells the singer of the song’s meaning. “It’s a love story, a forbidden love. Not a lot of people understand Islamic/Arabic culture. I wanted to do something that would expose that culture. People are looking for escape in music. This is a simple love song in the post-pandemic world.”
As a multicultural artist, Fareed has always “been somewhere in the middle.” The American-born performer was raised in New York to a Moroccan father and Puerto Rican mother. “After years of doing different songs, this song came up. I almost didn’t record it, but my producer said I had to—it could go global. It’s a topic not a lot of people understand in the non-Arabian world.”
Inspired by popular Latin songs like “Despacito,” Fareed fused elements of reggaeton with cultural concepts to create his single. He also recognizes the artists who have helped pave the way for independent artists to succeed. “Bad Bunny has opened the door that’s never been opened for independent artists. And there’s nothing from New York that sounds like me. Not Daddy Yankee, not anyone. I’m New York-born, so hip hop is still my roots. I can do English and Spanish equally well.”
Blending genres to perfect his signature sound, Fareed El Boricua Arabe draws from hip hop, reggaeton, freestyle, bachata, and EDM to create his music. Generally a rapper, Fareed turned to his singing skills for this record. “My roots run deep in the hip-hop world and dance music,” shares the artist. “I also have love for the spoken word community. I’m trying to create something that represents me. I like to take genres and flip them in a way no one else does.”
An old-school artist who has undergone many transformations, Fareed boasts experience across decades and genres. “They say in the music industry it’s a young man’s game, but I’m here to prove them wrong,” he adds. “If you do good music and are passionate about what you do, the world will respond.”
From being in an 80s rap group to performing as a solo artist, Fareed is no stranger to reinvention. “We were all rappers back then, but at that time, hip-hop audiences didn’t understand that rappers aren’t just African American. We all ended up speeding up beats and creating Latin hip hop (called “freestyle” but not to be confused with freestyle rap). It was a whole generation I was a part of.”
A major life event—leaving the music industry to become a flight attendant—brought Fareed back to music. “I moved to the Dominican Republic, never knowing I’d get back into it. I met artists on flights who told me, ‘you’re multicultural—it’ll show in your music.’ So, I got back in as a hobby, doing bachata and live music I never thought I was capable of doing.” His first album featured the salsa song “El Boricua Arabe,” which inspired his moniker.
When reggaeton began gaining momentum, Fareed was encouraged by producer friends to try his hand at singing. “The future of pop music is fusing styles—not putting yourself in a box of genres. I pride myself on that, whether I sell records or not. I’m a misfit, always in the middle. Not Puerto Rican enough, not Arabic enough. And at 55, I’m still young in the Latin world.”
With an upcoming show in the Dominican Republic and a media tour on the horizon, Fareed is ready for what’s next. “At the end of the day, you have to believe in yourself. I don’t know why but I believe I was meant for greatness. I want to sell out arenas worldwide. I was born ready,” he adds. “It’s important to just follow your heart and not follow trends. That was advice I was given, and that’s what I’m doing.”
Make sure to stay connected to Fareed El Boricua Arabe on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
www.instagram.com/fareedabdallah
https://www.facebook.com/fareedelboricuarabe
https://www.facebook.com/fareed.abdallah1
www.twitter.com/nuyomorican
www.elboricuarabe.com
https://open.spotify.com/track/3tUN5sbVTtz68U3rMVKpWd?si=DSipozWCSdi62sXnS5DRnA
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