Lebanese singer, songwriter and visual artist Tania Saleh is set to hold a concert on Saturday 3 September at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina's Open Air Theatre as part of the ongoing 14th annual International Summer Festival, followed by a second concert at Cairo's El-Genaina Theatre on 4 September. Accompanying Saleh on stage in both concerts will be Egyptian oud master, singer and composer Hazem Shaheen. Well-known to Middle East and North Africa's audiences, the Lebanese singer began her musical vocation in 1990, writing songs that “mirror the reality of the Lebanese/Arab social and political turmoil," reads the biography section on her website. Since then, Saleh has “experimented with various musical genres, which has resulted in a fresh and original mix of Lebanese “tarab”, “mawwal” and “dabke” flavored with folk, alternative rock, bossa nova and jazz.” Saleh has a long CV of collaborations with international and regional artists, among the most notable names being Ziad Rahbani, Toufic Farroukh, Charbel Rouhana, Ibrahim Maalouf, RZA, Nile Rodgers, and Charlotte Caffey. Her repertoire comprises four albums: Tania Saleh (2002), Wehde (2011), Live at DRM (2012) and most recently Shwayit Souwar (A Few Images, 2014), which she dedicated to the Arab woman. "Arab men might be at war but Arab women are at peace. A woman in this part of the world is hard working, full of hope, love and positive energy. This album is dedicated to her," wrote Saleh on her website. Saleh also wrote the songs for two of Lebanese director Nadine Labaki's films, Caramel (2007) and Where Do We Go Now? (2011). This year's edition of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina International Summer Festival opened on 29 July with a concert by Lebanese musician and oud master Marcel Khalife, and will bring over 40 cultural events, ranging from music and theatre to film and traditional dance to the Mediterranean city. Programme: Saturday 3 September, 8.30pm Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Open Air Theatre, Alexandria Sunday 4 September El-Genaina theatre, Al-Azhar Park, Salah Salem Road, El-Darassa, Cairo *This story has been updated For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture
