SALXCO has inked the popular Egyptian artist Mohamed Ramadan, who recently performed at the opening ceremonies of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations. He'll work closely with CEO Wassim "Sal" Slaiby.

Ramadan's career hit its stride in 2018 with the single "Number 1," which racked up more than 5.5b YouTube views and 15m subscribers. Last year, the #Mohamed_Ramadan hashtag on TikTok garnered more than 19b views.

Ramadan, Nigerian artist Yemi Alade and Ivorian musicians Magic System have a new collaboration coming called "Akwaba," the official anthem of the Africa Cup of Nations. "Akwaba" (meaning "welcome" in the native Ivorian language of Baoulé) fuses Afrobeat, rap and zouglou, and is produced by Universal Music Africa. Ramadan will perform again at the Africa Cup of Nations' closing ceremony on 2/11. In a possibly related story, a HITS staffer recently managed to kick a ball into his own face.

"I’m excited to be a part of the SALXCO family and honored to be a part of the Africa Cup of Nations, an event that unites nations, celebrating both African football excellence and the diversity of our culture," Ramadan said. "The true wealth of my beloved Africa is not its materialistic resources, but the resilience, ambition, and kindness of our people. Let's celebrate and may the rhythm of Akwaba echo the unity of our beautiful continent!”