Arab Music Institute 22 Ramsis St, Tel 02 2574 3373 Thurs 30, 9.30pm: The Abdel-Halim Noweira Arab Music Ensemble performs Umm Kolthoum songs.
Beit Al-Seheimi Al-Muaaz St, Al-Darb Al-Asfar Alley, Al-Gamalya District, Tel 02 2787 8865 Every Sunday, 9.30pm: 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, 9.30pm: “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 31, 9pm: The Cairo Opera Orchestra, conducted by maestro Magdy Boghdady and the Cairo Opera Choir, mastered by Pascale Rozier in a gala concert featuring soprano Iman Mustafa, accompanied by violinist Hassan Sharara. Small Hall Thurs 30, 9.30pm: Film music gala concert by the Cairo Opera Company.
Darb 1718 Kasr El Shamaa St, Al Fakhareen, Old Cairo, near Mar Girgis Metro Station, Tel 02 2741 3053/ 0109 3766188 Thurs 30, 9.30pm: Zar music and songs by Mazaher, featuring Umm Sameh, Umm Hassan and Nour Al-Sab. Fri 31, 9.30pm: Ramadan Comedy Festival - Volume IV presents a stand-up comedy show.
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, 9.30pm).
Goethe Institute 17 Hussein Wassif St, Mesaha Sq, Dokki, Tel 02 2575 9877 Thurs 30, 9pm: Taksir Sharqi band presents works combining Egyptian folkloric music, such as zar and mawwal, with contemporary music.
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 9.30pm 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. El Mastaba Centre for Egyptian Folk Music 30 A El-Balaqsa St, Abdeen, Downtown, Tel 011 50995354 Al Dammah Theatre for Free Arts Thurs 30, 9.30pm: Rango band performs genuine folk art featuring top Egyptian-Sudanese musicians in their new incarnation as they focus on performing the musical heritage of Sudan with Hassan Bergamon on the unique rango, the artist, Essam Tutu, along with the pentatonic simisimya and a group of singers of Sudanese origin. All of this and more will be presented on this special night. Every Saturday, 9.30pm: (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.
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 Wed 5 June, 9pm: Singing recital by Amr Hassan. Thurs 6, 6pm: Black Theama band. Fri 7, 9pm: The Egyptian Mawlawiya troupe, led by Sufi chanter Amer Al-Toni performs Sufi dances and chants. Mon 10, 7.30pm-9.30pm: Tempo band, led by Ezzat Bassiouny, performs on oriental percussions. Wisdom Hall Thurs 30, 9.30pm: Bahgaga band performs joyful songs as well as old and contemporary monologues. Thurs 6 June, 6 & 8pm: El-Sawy Culturewheel Puppet Theatre Show revives the concerts of diva Umm Kolthoum performing two of her best songs. Sun 9, 7.30pm: The Maestro band, led by Iman Guinedi, performs classical Arab songs. Wed 12, 9.30pm: Al-Hour troupe featuring female singers only performs religious chants.
ALEXANDRIA
Alexandria Opera House (Sayed Darwish Theatre) Fouad St, Mahatat Al-Raml, Alexandria, Tel 03/486 5106 Thurs 30, 9.30pm: Alexandria Opera Company for Arab Music and Singing.
