A patriotic and heritage event at Cairo's Qubbat Al-Ghuri palace combined music from past and present struggles, says Osama Kamal Patriotism, at least for now, is hip. After the 25 January Revolution, an urge was born to get just a little bit sentimental about the country, to be part of the homeland, to connect with the nation's past of struggle, or even to venture into the recesses of a past that was not just glorious but fairly spiritual as well. All this, and much more, came to life in the musical event entitled "Love the Homeland" held at the Qubbat Al-Ghuri Palace in Islamic Cairo a few days ago. The 15th-century palace was built by sultan Qansuh Al-Ghuri (1445-1516), whose 16-year rule was cut short by the Ottoman invasion in 1516. As a result, the monuments left behind by this sultan are the last created by the independent Mamluks, even though after the Ottoman takeover some Mamluk overlords remained in power, but only as vassals to the ruling Ottomans. Architecture shifted a bit, but most of Egypt's arts and cultural life perhaps remained the same: the country's Sufi tradition continued unabated and most Bedouin artistic traditions remained in place. The Qubbat Al-Ghuri is built in the heart of what is often called Islamic Cairo, not far from the streets that the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Naguib Mahfouz immortalised in his books Bayn Al-Qasrein, Qasr Al-Shouq and Al-Sukkariya. Al-Ghuriya, the souq area named after the penultimate Mamluk sultan, is famous for its bustling market, one that the singer Mohamed Qandil once crooned about: "O you who go to Ghuriya, buy a gift for my beloved." The hall of the Palace was packed by the time poet Ahmed Abdel-Moati Hegazi took the floor to deliver a poem dedicated to the revolution. Hegazi has not written poems for nearly two decades, but he has been inspired by the unexpected events that have changed the face of the country forever. His poem, which symbolised change, borrowed its title from a book by Egyptian writer Tawfik Al-Hakim, also written about Egypt's transformation in the first half of the last century. Following the poetry recital, a musical programme mixing patriotic songs with Sufi chanting ensued, the symbolic purity of the latter evoking both the immediate concerns of the homeland and the transcendent concepts of heaven. This Muslim chanting was followed by Christian hymns. Saints were called upon, prophets praised, the power of forgiveness brought alive by religious choirs, and then it was back to patriotic singing. The concept behind the event was the brainchild of Entesar Abdel-Fattah, director of the Qubbat al-Ghuri Creativity Centre. Abdel-Fattah had brought together three bands in one place for the event: the Samaa Band, which he founded four years ago, a Coptic choir and the Indonesia Band. Most of the patriotic songs performed in the event dated back to the 1919 Revolution, especially those written by composer Sayed Darwish. In answer to questions about what kind of art Abdel-Moeti Hegazi expects to come out of the 25 January revolution, he said that we will have to wait and see what time brings, since art can take years to respond to historical changes. The Sayed Darwish songs and the sculpture of Mahmoud Mokhtar were all inspired by the 1919 Revolution, for example, but they were produced many years later. Abdel-Fattah agreed. The revolution was an inspiring event, he said, and one that had brought together the entire nation, whether young or old, or rich or poor. It was an enormous upheaval that could not be captured in all its fullness for the time being. Since he started his quest to revive Sufi and heritage singing with his Samaa group, Abdel-Fattah has been emphasising all that is unique and inimitable about Egyptian music. He says that the kind of music he favours is one that helps people identify with their culture and directly experience it, as well as share it with the rest of the world. Samaa has so far performed in Vienna, China and Egypt. Next Ramadan, the band will host a festival at the Qubbat Al-Ghuri, along with bands from Syria, Uzbekistan, India, Morocco, Bosnia, Sudan, Spain, Indonesia, Turkey and Iraq. Samaa is also hoping to organise a concert with 15 other groups on the Pyramids Plateau. Abdel-Fattah has already discussed the idea with Emad Abu Ghazi, the new culture minister, who has assured him of his backing. However, this is for the future. Among the songs performed at the present event were Misr Al-latti fi khatiri (Egypt on my Mind), Ya weld ammi (Cousins), Qum ya Masri (Arise, Egyptian!), Azima ya Masr (Great Egypt), Al-Dawwar (Chief's House), and Salma ya salama (Go in Peace).
