Pageant of love The General Organisation of Cultural Palaces (GOCP) didn't miss the opportunity to join in the celebrations of the third anniversary of the 25 January Revolution. Many troupes affiliated to GOCP, including the Nile folk troupe, the Giza troupe and the Tanoura whirling dervishes starting their performances at the main entrance of the Cairo Opera House at 12pm. The troupes then moved in a spectacular march — together with the public responding spontaneously to the shows where the Egyptian flag and posters of General Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi dominated the scene — to the Qasr Al-Nile Bridge, heading for Tahrir Square. ♣ The staff of 7 Ayam (7 Days) magazine celebrated the first anniversary of the publication among an array of politicians and celebrities at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel where Editor-in-Chief Yasser Ayoub and Chairman of the Board Ashraf Mohamed Al-Saadi welcomed their guests. These included, among many others, Egypt's interim President Adli Mansour's Media Advisor Ahmed Al-Meslmani, Saudi Ambassador to Egypt Ahmed Al-Qattan, politician Mustafa Al-Fiqi, political analyst Sameh Seif Al-Yazal, businessman Ahmed Abu Hashima, Lebanese singer Carole Samaha and her husband the Egyptian media mogul Walid Mustafa, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Youm Al-Sabei newspaper Khaled Salah and his wife the talk show host Sherihan Abu l-Hassan, Chairman of the Board of CBC Satellite Channels Mohamed Al-Amin, businessman Salah Diab, Chairman of the Board of OnTV Satellite Channels Albert Shafiq, head of MBC Misr Satellite Channel Mohamed Abdel-Mutaal, talk show host and journalist Wael Al-Ebrashi, Chairman of the Board of Akhbar Al-Youm Yasser Rizk, actors Sherif Mounir, Laila Elwi, Youssra, Dalia Al-Beheiri, Hend Sabri, Dorra, filmmaker Khaled Youssef, screen writer Tamer Habib and singer Angham, together with sports critic Hassan Al-Mistekawi and retired footballers Mahmoud Al-Khatib and Ahmed Shubeir. ♣ The Mall of Arabia Cinema saw the premiere of the film Lamo'khza (Excuse my French), written and directed by Amr Salama, and featuring Syrian actress Kenda Alloush, Hani Adel and the talented young man Ahmed Dash. With the presence of the cast and numerous celebrities and film critics, the screening was held at Galaxy Cineplex simultaneously with the film's release in Egyptian theatres. Present were producer Mohamed Hefzi, actresses Mona Zaki, Boushra, Hana Shiha, Hend Sabri, Dorra, Ayten Amer, screenwriter and director Mohamed Diab, actor Maged Al-Masri, writer Mustafa Ibrahim and novelist Ezzeddin Chourki, director Hadi Al-Bagoury and his wife actress Yasmine Ra'es, Amir from the Cairokee band as well as members of the West Al-Balad band. The Cairo premiere takes place after the film's world premiere at the opening gala of LuxorEgyptian and European Film Festival (see pp. 18 and 19). ♠ The Nubian Youth Union and the Nuba Al-Kheir Foundation co-organised the Nubian Day at Beit Al-Sinnary, Mai Samih reports. The event featured an exhibition of Nubian photos and drawings as well as a fair in which handmade Nubian jewellery, household accessories, books and Nubian delicacies were sold; this, in addition to a Nubian fashion show and a lecture delivered by archaeologist Bassam Al-Shamaa. “We stared by organising similar events in Al-Sawy Culturewheel and the Cairo Opera House before and after the revolution,” said Shaimaa Hassan, one of the organisers. “This year, we plan to revive the culture of Nubia in the Year of Nubian Culture, 2014. We are trying to organise courses to teach our Nubian language...” For her part the External Relations Manager of Beit Al-Sinnary Iman Sedki said, “we in Beit Al-Sinnary want to make sure people can discover the cultures of various parts of Egypt.” Next month, we plan to organise Al-Andalus Day. We will integrate talented Nubian youth into the annual exhibition Meen fat adeemo tah (Whoever forgets his past went astray)...” ♥ The Italian folk orchestra La Notte della Taranta performed on Friday 24 January at the Kuwait National Museum Theatre, as part of the 20th Al- Qurain Cultural Festival in Kuwait, which started on 7 January. Under the jurisdiction of the National Council for Culture and Arts in Kuwait, the Al- Qurain Cultural Festival is one of the major cultural and artistic events in the country. It includes theatre performances, literary events, exhibitions and concerts. The orchestra of La Notte della Taranta or The Night of Tarantula performs the music of Pizzica, fusing Salento and Arabic music and thus reflecting a sublime dialogue between civilizations. ♣ The Dear Guest Festival 2014 – headed by Maged Roushdi – honoured a number of actors and media figures at a thrilling ceremony presented by TV anchor Poussy Shalabi. Among the honourees were actors Ahmed Helmi, Ahmed Ezz, Mona Zaki, Donia Samir, Rania Farid Shawki, Hani Salama, Ola Ghanem, Aiten Amer, Lebleba, Ragaa Al-Geddawi, Ghada Adel, Riham Abdel-Ghaffour, Joumana Mourad, Ahmed Zaher, Gamal Suliman, Bassem Samra, singers Samira Said, Rami Sabri, Gannat, Ahmed Gamal, Ghada Ragab and Arab Idol winner Carmen Suliman. Al-Nahar Satellite Channels received the lion's share of prizes including the Best Channel Award. ♣ On the occasion of the 65th Republic Day of India, Indian Ambassador to Egypt Navdeep Suri and his wife Mani gave a reception at the India House in Zamalek to which all the members of the Indian community and friends of India were invited. ♣ The Iraqi Ambassador to Egypt Diaa Al-Dabbas and his wife Sohad Al-Dabbas gave a lavish reception marking the 93rd anniversary of the establishment of the Iraqi army. At the Four Seasons Nile Plaza Hotel, the party was crowned by the presence of Iraq envoy at the Arab League Qais Al-Azawi, Algerian Ambassador to Cairo Nazir Al-Arabawi, Tunisian Ambassador Mahmoud Al-Khoumeri, Lebanese Ambassador Khaled Ziyada and his spouse, together with his Palestinian counterpart Bararkat Al-Fara, and Deputy Chief of Mission Marc Sievers from the US Embassy in Cairo. ♥ The premiere of Asrar A'elya (Family secrets) was held at the Nile City Cinema with the attendance of the cast: Mohamed Mahran, Passant Shawki, Ahmed Abdel-Wahab and Emad Al-Raheb, director Hani Fawzi, screenwriter Mohamed Abdel-Kader and producer Ehab Khalil. Also present at the premiere were actresses Donia Abdel-Aziz, Ingy Wegdan and Aiten Amer, filmmaker Amir Ramses, screenwriter Mohamed Amin and cinematographer Ramses Marzouk. ♠ An inaugural ceremony for the sixth Hurghada Russian Cultural Week took place at the yacht marina. The five-hour ceremony featured a Russian Show followed by a speech by director of the Russian Cultural Centre in Egypt Sherif Gad highlighting the aim of the festival in stimulating tourism in Hurghada, followed by various musical performances.
