Syrian street legend Omar Souleyman began performing in 1994 and has since released an overwhelming 500 cassette recordings. Labelled by some as Syrian techno, Souleyman's music combines classic regional folkloric dance music delivered with alarming speed, topped with Souleyman on traditional Arabic mawal vocals, usually improvised on the spot with the help of sidekick Mahmoud Sadi. In 1996, Souleyman scored his first nationwide hit with Jani and in 2007, American label Sublime Frequencies released the first of many Omar Souleyman compilations, with choice cuts from over 15 years worth of cassette recordings, including 2009's Omar Souleyman: Dabke 2020 (Folk and Pop Sounds of Syria).