Juno Is Egypt’s Rising Indie Voice Informed by Jazz, Dream-Pop, Rock and More

A while after Juno aka Jannah Emam’s performance at a private event held at a club called The Museum in Cairo, we’re ushered out of the party to what is likely the (relatively) quietest setting for an interview – the backseat of a car parked outside the venue.

With her fellow bandmate Omar Foda – a producer in his own right in Egypt – sitting in, Juno says right off the bat that she’s had a blast performing at the event. It was an invite-only affair hosted by Riyadh-based conference and showcase event XP Music Futures, as part of their XChange initiative held in Cairo for the first time in May. “It feels a little special because I know there are some important people here that are probably watching,” Juno says.

It’s one of the top gigs for Juno, who has been releasing and performing music under this moniker for a few years now and had a breakout in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in 2020 with her debut EP Immerse. With producer Hatem El Chiati – who was also performing at XChange Cairo – Juno released songs like “Immerse” and “Coloured Mind” in 2020, putting forward what was perhaps a globally renowned sound that incorporated elements of dream-pop, indie and jazz in a vibrant yet well-paced manner. She counts the EP release as a “turning point” in terms of being an artist who saw the scope in being more than just a voice singing covers and trying out material at open mics. “I realized then that I can get recognized as an artist, not just a covers singers,” she says.

Unlike several musicians, Juno didn’t let the pandemic slow her upward trajectory at all. Releases like the emotive “I Think Of You,” the women-centric “Power of She” and the dreamy jam “Flight of Time” have all helped cement the singer-songwriter and producer’s sound. Raised on jazz music for the most part, Juno says there weren’t that many concerts or diversity (or openness) in the Egyptian music scene that informed her decisions to become a musician. She didn’t see that many performances, but took inspiration much closer home, from her sister who was a jazz musician and passed on knowledge and essential listening habits. “I wasn’t really exposed to the music scene until I personally got into the music scene,” Juno says.

Now that she has, it’s taken her to several club and festival stages, including XP Music Futures (as part of Femme Fest) in 2022. With a few lineup changes along the way, Juno has stabilized her band and got a few brand-related collaborations along the way. The current goal, however, is to record and release an album. “In terms of sound, I’m still really exploring what it is. I feel like I have so many ideas that I just want to create so many genres and sounds that I’m so curious about. I’m in this creative process of letting everything out and then seeing what fits and how they can come together into a body of work,” she adds.

While Cairo has been giving her plenty of love, Juno is also plotting a potential move to Berlin later in the year to study music production. Whether it’s Riyadh and the larger Middle East and North Africa region or Germany, Juno is going with the flow. “Just that opportunity to be recognized outside of my own little bubble is very rewarding,” she says.

Listen to “I Think Of You” below.