The number of views for the Egyptian song "الغزالة رايقة" (The Graceful Gazelle) exceeded 15 million on YouTube just two weeks after its release. The song, aimed at promoting the film "من أجل زيكو" (For the Sake of Zeko), which began showing in Egyptian cinemas on Wednesday, has surpassed what its creators initially intended and sparked a wave of dancing and singing in the Arab street, as evidenced by the significant interaction it has received on social media over the past days.
One factor that contributed to the promotion of "الغزالة رايقة," according to CNN, was the release of videos by several Egyptian artists dancing to its tune on their social media accounts, including performances in sign language. "الغزالة رايقة" features lyrics by Manal Al-Qi'i, composed by Ihab Abdel Wahid, and arranged by Ahmed Tariq Yahya, with vocals by artist Karim Mahmoud Abdel Aziz and child artist Mohamed Osama, who gained fame a few months ago through a viral video featuring magician Chris the Egyptian.
Mohamed's fame increased after his vocal performance of the song, while child actor Youssef Ahmed appears in the music video as the star of the film "For the Sake of Zeko," which has also garnered increasing popularity following the spread of the clip. With the song's widespread reach, a number of followers pointed out similarities between its melody and that of a Russian song titled "Wild Lioness." Abdel Wahid responded to these claims in a media appearance on "Cairo Talk," stating that the resemblance between "الغزالة رايقة" and the Russian song is "very simple and likely to happen." He expressed his frustration by saying, "Are we looking for bad things to cling to?"
The plot of the film "For the Sake of Zeko" revolves around "a simple family whose young son Zeko wins the opportunity to participate in the smartest child competition in Egypt. Their journey to attend the competition unfolds over two days, during which the family experiences a series of comedic mishaps." The film is written by Mustafa Hamdi, directed by Peter Mimi, and stars Karim Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Menna Shalaby, Mahmoud Hafiz, Mohamed Mahmoud, and many other artists, some of whom appear as guest stars, such as the esteemed actress Es'ad Younis and Shiko.
