Alrabaa Al-Gamaliya District, Al-Muaaz St, next to Al-AqmarMosque, Darb Al-Tambakshia, Tel 010 1190 6907/011 4745 7272 Thurs 16, 8.30pm:The Mawlayensemblerecites Sufi poems.
Amir Bashtak Palace Al-Muaaz St, Tel 02 2787 9187 Thurs 16, 9.30pm: Asatizat Al-Tarab (Singing Masters) band plays classical Arab music. Sun 19, 9.30pm: Zay Zaman (Like in the Old Days) band performs classical Arab songs.
Amir Taz Palace 27 Al-Syoufiya St, off Al-Saliba St, Al-Khalifa District, Tel 02 2514 2581 Thurs 16, 9.30pm: Oshaq Al-Nagham (Lovers of Melodies) band, led by Mohamed Abdel-Sattar, in a programme of classical Arab songs.
Arab Music Institute 22 Ramsis St, Tel 02 2574 3373 Sun 19, 9.30pm: The Arab Music Heritage Ensemble plays classical Arab songs.
Al-Azhar Park Salah Salem Road, Darassa, Tel 02 2362 5057 Thurs 16, 8-12pm: The French Cultural Centre in Cairo presents Fête de la Musique, a show performed by Al-Darb Al-Ahmar School of Arts and Oscarisme Studio (Egypt), mixing wind and percussion instruments, followed by the Egyptian duo Telepoetic, French artist Jerome Ettinger and the pop rock bands Massar Egbari and Baden Baden.
Beit Al-Harrawi Mohamed Abdu St, behind Al-Azhar Mosque, Tel 2510 4174 Tues 21, 9.30pm: The Arab Oud House Nights present a duo oud recital by Youssef Abbass and Ashraf Awad. Thurs 23, 9.30pm: Part of the Arab Oud House Nights, a duo oud recital evening features Osama Hisham and Mina Gamal.
Beit Al-Sehemi Al-Gamaliya, Al-Darb Al-Asfar Alley, Al-Muaaz St, Tel 02 2591 3391 Every Sunday, 8.30pm and 9.30pm during Ramadan: TheNile 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, 8.30pm and 9.30pm during Ramadan: “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. Thurs 16, 9.30pm: A narration show featuring artist Mohamed Al-Saedi. Sat 18, 9.30pm: Al-Harafesh band, led by artist Emad Abdel-Aziz. Sun 19, 9.30pm: The Nile Troupe for Folk Instruments performance. Wed 22, 9.30 pm: A recital of religious songs by singer Taha Eskandarani.
Cairo Opera House Gezira Exhibition Grounds, Tel 02 2737 0602/2736 0361, box office 02 2739 0132/0144 Main Hall Thurs 16, 9.30pm: The Abdel-Halim Noweira Arab Music Ensemble, conducted by Salah Ghoubashi, performs songs made famous by Abdel-Wahab and Um Kulthoum. Fri 17, 9.30pm: A piano recital by Moushira Issa, accompanied by a group of budding pianists. Sat 18, 9.30pm: The Cairo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Hisham Gabr and featuring Elena Dzamashvili (piano), performs works by Borodin, Rachmaninoff's “Piano Concerto No 2” and Rimsky-Korsakov's “Symphony No 2”, “Antar”. Sun 19 and Mon 20, 9.30pm: Pianist Omar Khayrat, accompanied by the Cairo Opera Orchestra. Thurs 23, 9.30pm: The National Arab Music Ensemble in a repertoire of classical Arab songs. Open-Air Theatre Thurs 16, 9.30pm: Al-Mawlawiya Al-Masria (The Egyptian Mawlawiya) troupe, led by Sufi chanter Amer Al-Toni, performs Sufi dances and songs. Fri 17, 9.30pm: Singer Mohamed Mohsen sings classical Arab songs by the likes of Sayed Darwish and Al-Sheikh Imam. Mon 20, 9.30pm: A Ramadan evening featuring munshid (religious chanter) Ali Al-Helbawi. Thurs 23, 9.30pm: Sufi chanting by the Abu-Shaar Brothers band from Syria. Small Hall Thurs 16, 9.30pm: A singing recital by Medhat Al-Kholi. Sat 18, 9.30pm: The far East songs and dances are performed by a Chinese troupe.
Ceramic and Traditional Handicrafts Centre 1 Al-Imam St, behind Amr bin Al-Aas Mosque, Al-Fustat, Old Cairo, Tel 02 2364 3103 Thurs 16, 11pm: An evening with munshid (religious chanter) Mahmoud Al-Tohami. Fri 17, 9.30pm: A concert featuring the School of Religious Chanting. Sat 18, 10.30pm: The Angham Al-Madih (Praising Melodies) band performs religious songs. Thurs 23, 12pm: An evening with munshid (religious chanter) Hossam Sakr.
Darb 1718 Kasr Al-Sham' Street, Al-Fakhareen, Old Cairo, near Mar Girgis Metro Station, Tel 02 2361 0511 The sixth Mawaweel Festival 2016, Cairo's alternative Ramadan experience, organized by the Cairo Jazz Club Agency and Darb 1718 Contemporary Art and Culture Centre, offers a culturally rich Ramadan experience. Each evening Mawaweel will open its doors at 8.30pm. Attendees can enjoy the “Bread II” art exhibition, bazaar, moulid games and interactive arts stations while indulging in delicious Middle Eastern bites and beverages. Entertainment will start from 9.30pm each night, when the first main act goes on stage, followed by a short folkloric Tanoura act from 10.30pm, with the final act on stage by 11pm. Thurs 16, 9.30pm: Part of the festival, a concert featuring Nas Makan and Sharmoofers band. Sat 18, 10pm:Al-Nafekhaband. Thurs 23, 11pm: A concert featuring the Mazaher and Massar Egbari bands.
Al-Gumhouriya Theatre 12 Al-Gumhouriya St, Abdin, Tel 02 2390 7707 Fri 17, 9.30pm: Al-Enshad Al-Dini (religious chanting) troupe, conducted by maestro Alaa Abdel-Salam, performs a number of Ramadan religious songs.
Al-Ghouri Caravansary Mohamed Abdou St, off Al-Muaaz St and Al-Azhar St, Tel 02 2514 7475 Al-Tanourawhirling dervishes perform to live Sufi music (Performances every Sat, Mon and Wed, 9.30pm, free admission).
Al-Ghouri Dome 111 Al-Azhar St, Al-Ghouriya, Tel 02 2506 0227 Thurs 16, 9.30pm: Al-Maraashli group for religious chanting (Syria). Sun 19, 9.30pm: An evening of enshad dini (religious chanting) by Samaa troupe for Sufi singing, the Syrian Al-Maraashli group and an Indonesia troupe.
Al-Muaaz Street Al-Mansour Qalawun Complex, for information and ticket reservations call 010 0488 8479/011 5876 7774 Fri 17, 4.45-9.45pm: Al-Muaaz Street Carnival, with performances by Al-Tanoura whirling dervishes, the Mizmar band, playing folk music on Egyptian oriental instruments, and Hassaballah band (the oldest Egyptian folk music band). Visitors can also tour the area's landmarks, including Al-Mansour Qalawun Complex, the mosque and the school of the Mameluke Sultan Al-Zaher Barquq.
Makan Saad Zaghloul St, Al-Mounira, Cairo, Tel 02 2792 0878 Every Monday: (fixed event) Zikr and Sufi night. Every Tuesday, 9pm (doors open at 8.30pm): 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, 9pm: Zar music and songs by Mazaher, featuring Umm Sameh, Umm Hassan and Nour Al-Sab.
Al-Mastaba Centre for Egyptian Folk Music 30 A Al-Balaqsa St, Abdeen, Downtown, Tel 011 5099 5354 Al-Dammah Theatre for Free Arts Thurs 16, 9pm: The Bedouin Jerry-Can band is coming all the way from Sinai to meet its Cairo audience with a show of distinctive singing and dancing. The band is comprised of semi-nomadic musicians, poets, storytellers and coffee grinders from the Egyptian desert of North Sinai. Their songs and poetry recall the exploits of the ancient Arabian Bedouin tribes through stories and fables about trusty camels and warnings of the dastardly deeds of sheep rustlers. Blending the simsimia, a traditional Egyptian lyre, with desert flutes and reed pipes, the band performs traditional melodies, accompanied by infectious rhythms played on the tabla, the frame drum and clay jug, as well as on instruments fashioned from ammunition boxes. 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 Every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Culturewheel's Ramadan Tentoffers miscellaneous folk art items, stand-up comedy shows, religious songs and invocations, a clown show as well as theatre plays for children and adults, 9pm. Wisdom Hall Thurs 16, 10pm: Sufi jazz by the Eftekasat band. Sun 19, 10pm: Religious chanting by singer Aida Al-Ayoubi. Tues 21, 10pm: Singer Islam Taha, accompanied by his band Gozour (roots). Wed 22, 10pm: A classical Arab music concert featuring Emad Abdel-Aziz. Thurs 23, 10pm: A stand-up comedy show featuring Ali Qandil.
Talaat Harb Cultural Centre 1 Al-Sayeda Nafisa St, Zeinhom, in front of the Fathi Sorour Compound, Tel 02 2362 2647/ 2362 8174 Mon 20, 9.30: The Upper Egypt Children's Choir.
ALEXANDRIA Alexandria Opera House (Sayed Darwish Theatre) Fouad St, Mahatat Al-Raml, Alexandria, Tel 03 486 5106 Thurs 16, 9.30: The Cairo Opera Ballet Company and theCairo Opera Orchestra present the “The Opera Square” ballet. Fri 17, 9.30pm: The National Arab Music Ensemble in a repertoire of classical Arab songs. Mon 20, 9.30pm: The far East songs and dances are performed by a Chinese troupe. Tues 21, 9.30pm: Alexandria's Opera Chamber Orchestra.
