Adel Shams el-Din, born in 1950 in Alexandria, Egypt, is a percussionist. He began his musical journey under the tutelage of his brother Shams and later Fathi Gunayd, focusing on the riqq, a classical Arabic tambourine. His professional debut came in 1970 at Alexandria Radio. In 1979, he moved to France and quickly integrated into various Oriental music ensembles, notably co-founding Ensemble Al-Kindî. Throughout his career, he collaborated with prominent artists such as Wadii Assafi, Lotfi Bouchnak, Sabri Moudallal, Adib Dayikh, Hamza Shakûr, Jean Michel Jarre, and Michel Sanchez. Shams el-Din has recorded over forty albums, including Quarante rythmes du moyen-orient (2002) and Wasla : suites musicales égyptiennes with Tarek Abdallah (2015). He is recognized for his expertise in complex Arabic rhythms.
