Islamic Cairo has much to offer in the way of performance during the holy month. Al-Ahram Weekly gives a preview of the programmes Though cultural epicentres all year round, the historic venues of Beit Al-Harrawi, and the Ghouri Palace are increasingly associated with Ramadan. No sooner had Ramadan TV overload set in than the curtain was raised over these splendidly renovated 17th- and 18th-century houses -- a wonderful alternative for the post- Iftar hours. Since they opened to the public in 1998, the houses have come to occupy a distinct niche in the annals of holy-month evening entertainment. To be inaugurated within days, in time for the season, is the Palace of Prince Taz, the latest in a string of newly opened historic venues, which brings the number administered by the Cultural Development Fund (CDF) to a total of 10, according to the fund's Ahmed Belal. The CDF's Artistic Bureau has been putting together a rich programme, allowing a peak into only some of its items. Kicking off the season at Beit Al-Harrawi on 11 October will be the elusive Ali El-Haggar, whose heyday in the late 1980s yielded some of the more memorable songs in the contemporary Arab album. Mohsen Farouq and his Asatezat Al-Tarab Ensemble will perform the following night, followed by Ibrahim El-Hifnawi and the Upper Egypt Children's Choir. The mood then turns to fusion and chill with Hossam Shakir's Rahhala Troupe and Fathi Salama's Sharqiyat, both known for their innovative interpretations of Arab melody on a combination of traditional Middle Eastern and Western musical gear. Prior to the yearly Yehia Khalil jazz performance on 27 October, a plethora of less popular if equally engaging talents includes Nesma Abdel-Aziz, Khaled Shams and his Asdeqaa Al-Bahr group as well as the Nagham Masri band. Sealing off the Harrawi programme on 30 October will be the so-called "bulbul of Al-Saeed" (nightingale of Upper Egypt), Sheikh Yassin El-Tohami, whose nights of zhikr (invocation and chanting) draw in crowds from all over the country. Unless one arrives an hour early, any hope of a seat is unthinkable. Performing on 21 October at Al-Harrawi and on 28 October at the Alexandria Centre for Art and Creativity -- another renovated site that has been incorporated into the CDF list of venues -- is Cairo's best known gift to fusion aficionados: Wist Al-Balad. Since its inception this young, all-male band has walked the tightrope connecting popularity to critical acclaim, with delightfully creative lyrics and instrumental solos. Drawing on the nation's musical heritage as well as a range of influences from reggae to rock'n'roll, they have delivered a medley of tunes, so original it manages to pay tribute to Sayed Darwish and Bob Marley on one and the same track on occasion. At , starting on 9 October, on the other hand, the celebrated vernacular poet Abdel-Rahman El-Abnoudi will present four consecutive nights of the saga Al-Sira Al-Hilaleya -- performed by its last living master, Sayed El-Dawwi. This will be followed by a series of performances by troupes from other governorates, including ones by the Ismailia folk instruments band and the Mansoura Arab Music Ensemble, on 19 and 23 October, respectively. Of several hundred monuments in Islamic Cairo, Beit Al-Harrawi, the adjacent arts and crafts gallery at Beit Zeinab Khatoun and were among the first to herald an era of successful restoration work that began in the late 1990s. At its initial stage, and with a cost of LE850 million, the wave of restoration projects was carried out with the added aim of transforming Islamic Cairo into an open-air museum -- a vision that stirred much controversy, considering the incumbent necessity of relocating the hub of craftsmen, with their homes and vending kiosks, as well as the concern that this would amount to a Western-style commercialisation of the highly-traditional district. Attending a performance at one of the historic houses during the holy month will demonstrate that such a metamorphosis would be a grave mistake. Other venues to be included in this year's programme are the Talaat Harb Library in Zeinhom, the beautifully renovated Qobbet Al-Ghouri, Wekalet Al-Ghouri and the Manasterly Palace.
