The 28th Arab Music Festival and Conference (1-12 November) Arab Music Institute 22 Ramsis St, Tel 02 2574 3373 Thurs 7, 8pm: Sharara Sextet features violinist Hassan Sharara. Fri 8, 8pm: Singers Rehab Omar and Marwa Hamdy in a programme of Umm Kolthoum songs, accompanied by the Abdel-Halim Noweira Arab Music Ensemble, conducted by maestro Salah Ghoubashi. Sat 9, 8pm: Alfan Alsadeq (genuine art) troupe (Egypt) features singer Ismail Sadeq. Sun 10, 8pm: The House of Music troupe, led by Haiyaf Yassin (Lebanon), Said Osman and his Shomoaa troupe, conducted by maestro Hassan Fekry. Mon 11, 8pm: Fan troupe (Egypt) features singer Yehia Abdel-Halim. Tues 12, 8pm: Singer Hannan Mady (Egypt), concert is conducted by Ahmed Abdel-Shafy.
Cairo Opera House Gezira Exhibition Grounds, Tel 02 2737 0602/2736 0361, box office 02 2739 0132/0144 Main Hall Thurs 7, 8pm: Solo oud recital by Mamdouh Al-Gebaly (Egypt), singer Riham Abdel-Hakim (Egypt), singer Ali Al-Haggar (Egypt), concerts conducted by maestro Ahmed Amer. Fri 8, 8pm: Solo qannun recital by Maged Sorour (Egypt), singers Nehad Fathi and Ahmed Effat (Egypt), super star singer Assy Al-Helany (Lebanon),accompanied by the National Arab Music Ensemble, conducted by maestro Hazem Al-Qasabgy. Sat 9, 8pm: Pianist Omar Khairat and his Orchestra. Sun 10, 8pm: Singer Hammam Ibrahim (Iraq), singer Marwa Nagui (Egypt), super star singer Wael Gassar (Lebanon),concerts are conducted by maestro Adel Ayash. Mon 11, 8pm: The House of Music troupe, led by Haiyaf Yassin (Lebanon), singer Faia Younan (Syria), singer Karmen Souleiman (Egypt), rising star Mohamed Al-Sharnouby, concerts are conducted by maestro Ahmed Hassan Fekry. Tues 12, 8pm: The closing ceremony features winners of the festival's music competition. Super star singer Asala (Syria), concert is conducted by maestro Hany Farahat.
Al-Gumhouriya Theatre 12 Al-Gumhouriya St, Abdin, Tel 02 2390 7707 Fri 8, 8pm: A concert commemorates Prophet Mohamed (P.B.U.H)'s birthday featuring the opera stars Belal Moukhtar, Mohamed Abdel-Hamid,Ibrahim Farouk,Hossam Saqr. Super star singer Mohamed Tharwat(Egypt), accompanied by Al-Enshad Al-Dini troupe, conducted by maestro Alaa Abdel-Salam.
Alexandria Opera House (Sayed Darwish Theatre) Fouad St, Mahatat Al-Raml, Alexandria, Tel 03/486 5106 Thurs 7, 8pm: The opera starsYasser Said, Mohamed Metwali, and Ayman Mustafa. Solo qannun recital by Afaf Shoukri. Super star singer Waad Albahary (Syria), Super star singer Mohamed Al-Helw (Egypt), accompanied by the Alexandria Opera Company for Arab Music and Singing, conducted by maestro Abdel-Hamid Abdel-Ghaffar. Sat 9, 8pm: The opera stars Hatem Zayed, Ahmed Al-Omary, Tamer Nagah and Ahmed Nafaa. Super star singer Mohamed Tharwat(Egypt), accompanied by Al-Enshad Al-Dini troupe, conducted by maestro Alaa Abdel-Salam. Mon 11, 8pm: The opera stars Ahmed Said, Amira Ahmed, Sara Zaki, Ashraf Walid. super star singer Assy Al-Helany (Lebanon),accompanied by the National Arab Music Ensemble, conducted by maestro Hazem Al-Qasabgy. Tues 12, 8pm: Singer Riham Abdel-Hakim (Egypt), Super star singer Ali Al-Haggar (Egypt), accompanied by the Abdel-Halim Noweira Arab Music Ensemble, conducted by maestro Ahmed Amer. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The American University in Cairo Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Hall New Cairo Campus, Room 2175, Tel 02 2615 2694 Malak Gabr Arts Theatre Sat 9, 8pm: Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly Live in HD from the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Beit Al-Harrawi Mohamed Abdu St, behind Al-Azhar Mosque, Tel 02 2510 4174 Thurs 31, 7pm (Free Entrance):Poetic childhood memories of Damascus meet oriental sounds of oud music, a reading by Austrian-Syrian author Luna Al-Mousli from her book, A Tear. A Smile. My Childhood in Damascus, with oud music played byAmira Abdel-Gawad. The reading will be held in Arabic-German.
Beit Al-Seheimi Al-Muaaz St, Al-Darb Al-Asfar Alley, Al-Gamalya District, Tel 02 2787 8865 Every Sunday, 7.30pm: The Nile Troupe for Folk Instruments, conducted by Abdel-Rahman Al-Shafaai, performs dances and songs from Upper Egypt on mizmar, tabla and other traditional musical instruments. Every Friday, 7.30pm: “Al-Aragouz wa Khayal Al-Zel” (The Shadow Puppet), a free public performance by clowns in Al-Muaaz Street, presented by Wamda and directed by Nabil Bahgat.
Cairo Opera House Gezira Exhibition Grounds, Tel 02 2737 0602/2736 0361, box office 02 2739 0132/0144 Main Hall Fri 15, 8pm: The Cairo Symphony Orchestra and Lean Cavallo Festival (Italy) present Pagliacci opera written in two actson liberty with music by Ruggero Leoncavallo, conducted by maestro Filippo Arlia.
Darb 1718 Kasr El Shamaa St, Al Fakhareen, Old Cairo, near Mar Girgis Metro Station, Tel 02 2741 3053/ 0109 3766188 Fri 8, 8pm: Singer Marwan Moussa.
Al-Ghouri Caravansary Mohamed Abdou St, off Al-Muaaz St and Al-Azhar St, Tel 02 2514 7475 Al-Tanoura whirling dervishes perform to live Sufi music (Performances every Sat, Mon, and Wed, 7.30pm).
Makan Saad Zaghloul St, Al-Mounira, Cairo, Tel 02 2792 0878 Every Monday, 9pm: (fixed event) Zikr and Sufi night. Every Tuesday, 9pm (doors open at 8.30pm and reservations is canceled at 7.30pm): Mawawil and Gamalat Shiha present traditional music of the Nile Delta; Nubian Fadeka music and songs with Aragid, featuring Saleh Abbass and Farah Al-Masri; traditional Sudanese music and songs performed by Queen of Henna Settouna; Al-Jaafra music played by musicians from Aswan; Nass Makan (People from Makan) and Sanet perform traditional music from Eritrea. Every Wednesday, 8pm: Zar music and songs by Mazaher, featuring Umm Sameh, Umm Hassan and Nour Al-Sab.
Manial Palace 1 Al-Saraya St, Manial, Cairo, Tel 02 23687495 The 2nd Manial Palace Classical Music Festival (28 October-9 November) Golden Hall Thurs 7, 8pm:World-renowned Egyptian pianist Ramzi Yassa performs Tchaikovsky Barcarolle, Tchaikovsky Valse Scriabin Nocturne for the left hand Chopin Grande valse brillante op.18 n°1, Chopin Nocturne op.27 n°2, Chopin Scherzo n°2.Egyptian mezzo-soprano Gala El-Hadidi will perform Samson and Dalila “Mon Coeur s'ouvre a ta voix” Lara “Granada” Russian Folksong “Ochi Chyornye” Verdi Il Trovatore “Stride la Vampa Bizet Carmen “Habanera” L'amour est un oiseau rebelle” Chapi Las Hijas del Zebedeo (Zarzuela) “Ai Pensar” Gershwin Porgy and Bess “Summertime” Kalaman Die Csardasfurstin “Heia in den Bergen ” Sat 9, 8pm: Closing night features Iraqi oud player Nasseer Shamma and Kadem Band Dervishes of the Turkish Yunus Emre Institute (light dinner will be served). (Ticket sale: to purchase tickets please contact the Manial Palace Office at 0127 555 1303 (working hours 10am-3pm). El Mastaba Centre for Egyptian Folk Music 30 A El-Balaqsa St, Abdeen, Downtown, Tel 011 50995354 Al Dammah Theatre for Free Arts Thurs 7, 9.30pm: El Tanbura band was formed in 1989 by Zakaria Ibrahim to keep the Suez Canal repertoire alive, after the effects of economic liberation and the commoditization of the folk music repertoire. Every Saturday, 9pm: (fixed event) Asyad Al-Zar (The Zar Masters) band. The Zar Masters band is comprised of some of the few remaining Egyptian and Sudanese Zar performers playing Tanbura, Toza (small 2 sides percussion) Mangour, (a wide belt of goat hooves worn around the hips), Marakesh (hand-held rattles) and the tambourine.
Room Art Space New Cairo The new branch of Room Art Space hosts live music shows on a daily basis. Room's new branch is located in The Spot mall in front of AUC gate on 4,370 square metres with indoor and outdoor areas where live music events and concerts are featured on a daily bases, hosting up to 400 guests per event, and its open from 9am till after midnight.
El-Sawy Culturewheel End of 26th of July St, under the 15th of May Bridge, Zamalek, Tel 02 2736 8881/6178/2737 4448 River Hall Fri 8, 8pm: A night of Amy Winehouse music with the voice of Sherry Mamdouh. Sun 10, 6pm: Alzahrawan band. Tues 12 and Wed 13, 7.30pm: Massar Egbari band. Thurs 14, 6pm: An evening of music and poetry features young poet Mohamed El-Kafoury. Wisdom Hall Thurs 7, 6 and 8pm:El-Sawy Culturewheel Puppet Theatre show revives the concerts of the diva Umm Kolthoum performing two of her much-loved songs. Sun 10, 7.30pm: Religious chanting by Moroccan munshid (religious chanter) Gawad Alshary. Tues 12, 7.30pm: Cairo Tunes band, conducted by maestro Ahmed Younis.
Talaat Harb Cultural Centre Al-Sayyeda Nafissa St, Zeinhom area, Tel 02 2362 2647/ 2362 8174 Thurs 7, 7pm: Celebrating Prophet Mohamed (P.B.U.H)'s birthday, the Nile Troupe for religious chanting gives a concert.
ALEXANDRIA
Bibliotheca Alexandrina Chatby, Alexandria 21526, Tel (03) 4839999 BACC Small Hall Thurs 7, 7pm: The Art School instrumental performance. Sat 9, 7.55pm: Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly Live in HD from the Metropolitan Opera in New York. BACC Main Hall Thurs 14, 10.30am: Children concert by Fabrica band performing Disney songs.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 7 November, 2019 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
