Cairo's live music venues are slightly less thin on the ground than they were. Amr Hussein visits one of them The number of Cairo venues offering live music performances, if not exactly burgeoning, have certainly grown in recent years. And one of the leaders of this trend is the Cairo Jazz Club, established in 1997. When the original owner wanted to sell the venue four partners seized the opportunity, and on 11 July they will celebrate the third anniversary of what they all believe was a good deal. Ammar Dajani, Akram El-Sherif, Karim Rateb and Alex Rizk -- four friends who wanted to have a place where good food might be had alongside music they liked. The first three partners all play an instrument -- bass, oud and guitar respectively -- while Alex's interest in interior design extends to the interior of Cairo Jazz Club. It is largely thanks to his efforts that the old venue has been transformed with the addition of more colours and lights: small stage, small dance floor, tables and chairs scattered somewhat irregularly around two bars. Of the four partners Ammar is in charge of marketing and also seems to be the team's spokesperson. "While some people were already looking for live performances most people didn't know what they wanted or what they were missing because they weren't exposed to live entertainment," says Ammar. "Although our place is called the Cairo Jazz Club, it's not restricted to jazz. We present a variety of styles, and our choice is based on quality rather than genre. We want to encourage local bands, so if a good one approaches us, then it's most likely to perform here, if it plays a suitable style. We try as much as we can to help artists. We want them to present their work, and we even help them recruit suitable musicians when needed. Some bands started at the Cairo Jazz Club, and others were especially formed to play here. With the exception of very loud heavy metal we consider most styles. Occasionally the shows involve improvisations, but artists don't make them very lengthy. Whenever we have a specific comment regarding a performance artists do listen to us because they know that we are musicians. We can say that 50 per cent of what we present is jazz, 30 per cent is non-mainstream Arabic or jazz-influenced, and the remaining 20 per cent covers a wide range of styles, including classic rock, rock'n roll and blues." "The Arabic music we present is the kind you aren't going to get on commercial radio and TV stations," says Akram. "For instance, we have things like modern Egyptian folk. Some of our guests like that very much. We also play pre-recorded songs of Lebanese singer Fairuz and music from her jazz-influenced brother-in-law Ziad Rahbani. Sometimes we play Turkish music too." "Our live shows start at 10pm," continues Ammar. "On Sundays we have traditional jazz, on Tuesdays and Thursdays we present a variety, which includes modern jazz. On Fridays we have what we call our tribute to the digital revolution. Digital music exists and we have to admit that many people enjoy it. We have our own way of presenting it -- as well as funky and jazzy house, we sometimes have a saxophonist performing live to backing tracks played by a DJ. L'Oriental is the theme of Saturdays, when we give Arabic performances. On Mondays we present funk and acid jazz. We sometimes organise special events, like shows performed by foreign artists who are in Cairo for a short stay, or one-time projects by local artists." Both Ammar and Akram, understandably, are keen to underline the attractions of the place. "We serve excellent food," says Ammar. "I believe that it's not only the quality but also the prices, which are moderate. This month we're launching our new season as a daytime bistro, with new food and coffee menus. Since we start at 10am and go on till 3am we get different kinds of guests. Some of them come in the day just for the food." The Cairo Jazz Club has what it refers to as house rules. For instance, as the club's Web site says, only couples are allowed. "History," the site informs potential customers, "tells us that too much testosterone proved to be a destructive force. In order to ensure a comfortable gender ratio we have to insist on a couples only policy. Minimum entry age is 25. We're a club for mature adults who enjoy the company of similarly mature adults." Reservations are necessary, and an on-line booking service is provided: after completing a form with your reservation information you will be contacted by phone for confirmation. You could also subscribe to a weekly update of the events. Some people don't regularly check their mail, which might result in missing special activities or flash events. To minimise the risk the club messages guests to notify them of any such events. For reservations call (202) 3459939, or visit www.cairojazzclub.comwww.cairojazzclub.comThe site has sections that announce performance programmes as well as menu details.
