Beit El-Sura will host a talk on the music video of the song Nour, performed by rapper and songwriter Zap Tharwat, featuring actress Amina Khalil, on 28 December. The song was released online on 25 November and was officially launched on 1 December. Tharwat and the video's director Anas Tolba will take attendees behind the scenes, and share how the concept developed from just a few words on paper. The song is about gender stereotypes, women's rights and the patriarchal culture dominant in Egypt. It follows the story of Nour (a gender-neutral name). The story is told in such a way, with a twist, that it reveals gender biases and how men are often favored in the workplace over female employees. The song went viral and garnered over one million views online in less than 24 hours after its release, hailed in the comments section by both men and women. “Highlighting that qualities such as bravery, responsibility and ambition are not limited to men, the song succeeds in challenging the stereotypical image of women as domesticated and weak human beings,” Mariam Mecky writes about the song in a story for Ahram Online. The song was produced by Axeer Studio, under the supervision and support of the National Council for Women (NCW), UN Women and the Japanese embassy in Egypt. Zap Tharwat is an Egyptian rapper who rose to popularity during the revolution through collaborations with Cairokee on songs such as 'Ana Mesh Menhom' (I Am Not From Them), and later through his own songs. Accompanied by singer Menna Hussein, Zap Tharwat released Who is Responsible, which deals with sexual harassment on public transport. This is the first musical appearance for actress Khalil, who recently appeared in the widely popular Ramadan television series Grand Hotel, and has acted in several films such as Sukkar Mor (Bitter Sugar) and Khetta Badila (Plan B). Programme: Wednesday 28 December, 7pm Beit El-Sura, Building 30, Street 15, Sarayat El-Gharbeyah, El-Maadi, Cairo 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
