Bringing something new to the music world is an Egyptian-Canadian artist by the name of Ally Salama aka KairoKid. He is one of the rare few artists who does not shy away from embracing mental health and making it a root element of his music.
Today, he is not only a mental health ambassador for Arab youth with his very own podcast about mental health, but he is also debuting his first EP, “GEN Z,” which highlights the mental health struggles of Gen Z.
His Journey With Mental Health
Throughout his life, Salama struggled with mental health and depression, which surfaced because of many difficult life circumstances.
After starting life as a well-off Egyptian, coming from an upper-class family, and attending one of Cairo’s most prestigious schools, Salama’s life completely changed when his father’s business went bankrupt when he was just eight years old.
The whole family had to move to the UK, which meant a complete change in every aspect of Salama’s life, including his education. He had to attend a new school, and that is when his depression began to take root as he suffered from serious bullying.
Then, he ended up losing both his maternal grandparents in the span of two years and had to help his mother through the grieving process.
His Mental Health Advocacy
Back in 2020, he decided to leverage his experience as an artist emerging out of a mental health diagnosis and launch his very own podcast, “Empathy Always Wins,” to help guide people on how to deal with mental health through empathy and leadership.
His platform is special because it offers mental health solace for the Arab community, one that usually avoids talking about mental health and treats it as a taboo topic.
Even before the launch of the podcast, Salama played a vital role in giving Egyptian youth a platform to voice their mental health struggles. It was a Facebook page called “Break the Silence,” an anonymous platform where Egyptians could share their struggles with mental health without relaying their identity. This page amassed a whopping 80,000 followers.
GEN Z: The Debut EP Highlighting Global Mental Health Struggles
What is special about Salama is that he is not just a mental health ambassador whose work was globally recognized by the BBC and Forbes 30 Under 30; he is also a thriving and successful singer.
He released several singles, including “A7LAM” and “3YUN,” both of which are rooted in deep personal experiences and connections. Music has always helped him through his tumultuous life.
As a mental health advocate, he decided to combine his two passions and release his latest EP, “GEN Z.” The new EP spotlights the experiences of GEN Z and how they deal with mental health. It is a new and refreshing exploration of how music can help communicate and deal with mental health struggles.
To tap into his music and uncover the power of his mental health journey, give “GEN Z” a listen here and tell us what you think!
