Osama Kamal listens as the folk diva sings songs from the length and breadth of the Egyptian countryside and further afield The open-air Genaina Theatre was full on the night of 's concert. I had to climb onto a promontory, along with other late comers, to hear the show. This was somewhat fortunate, since the skyline of Old Cairo, with its minarets and cupolas, offered a fitting background to the country music songs that Donia was about to perform. For all her popularity, Donia is still flirting with the mainstream of Egyptian singing. She has released only one album so far: Mahattet Masr (Cairo Train Station). This is a selection of ten folk and country songs, many of which she would perform at the concert. Many of the people at the theatre had seen her at earlier concerts at the Opera House, the Sawi Culture Wheel and the Genaina and knew her songs by heart. Donia, who has performed in several Arab countries, intends to release a second edition of the same album which will include additional songs. She took to the stage with flair, a tiny figure in a red dress who was about to sing the night away. Her selection of songs included some from the north, a few from the Suez Canal zone, a bit of the south and a rendition of Saidi and Aswan songs. There is love and jealousy, sarcasm and wit, hope for the future and yearning for missing ones, all the country themes familiar to lovers of traditional music, all the enchanting lyrics put together by hundreds of unknown folk poets. She opened with a song from Port Said, "Ah Ya Ein Ah" (Ah, the Eye), in which the melody is inspired by the sound of birds singing. Ah Ya La Lalli (Ah, the Night), which is inspired by Sufi music but also incorporates elements of African and Mediterranean singing. Originally from Alexandria, Donia came to Cairo in 1998 to try her luck in the world of music and was immediately influenced by the styles of folk singer Mohamed Bashir and fusion musician Fathi Salama, who experimented with modern and electronic music and is perhaps the pioneer of what one may call "Arab jazz". What attracted her most to Salama's work was his ability to merge African, Turkish, and oriental riffs and yet maintain his independent style. Donia went on to develop her own approach to folk music, one that is authentic to the source but carries the light-heartedness and sophistication of city life. Her vivacious rendition of such Upper Egyptian songs as "Donia Ya Donia" (Life, O Life), "Bitnadini Tani Leh?" (Why Are You Calling Again?), "Sira Hilaliya" (The Hilali Tales), "Alli Etgharab" (Estranged) and "Ne'na' al-Genaina" (Garden Mint) were nothing short of mesmerising. There is a story behind every song. "Alli Etgharab" is usually performed by women describing their feelings after theirc men have left for war or to work in distant areas. "Donia Ya Donia" is a satirical song, usually sang by men complaining about their controlling wives. Donia's performance of "Bitnadini Tani Leh" and "Ne'na' al-Genaina" brings to mind images of the countryside, of women baking bread in clay ovens and men inspecting fields on riverside farms. As she sings, Donia constantly changes her persona. She is angry then placated, contented then shocked, sarcastic yet compassionate, smitten yet proud. There is a torrent of emotions in her songs, and she brings them to the stage with unparallel ease, like a juggler taking out rabbits from a hat. Some of these songs are a century, old if not more. "Ne'na' al-Genaina" was sung by the Jaafera tribe in Aswan in the early 20th century, and there is a recording of the song that goes back to 1911. Written in quatrains, the same style as the epic song the Sira Hilaliya, it is one of those folk songs that lend themselves to improvisation by anonymous poets. Dozens if not hundreds of versions of this song must have appeared over the years. Other performers who left their stamp on the song include Sayyed Rekabi and Mohamed Monir. Donia is drawn to this style, and in this concert, she also performed selections from the "Sira Hilaliya". Her singing involves a lot of acting. The reason why it comes so naturally to her is that she has had extensive acting training, having performed at college in Alexandria and appeared in brief roles in various films and television shows. Somewhat dismissive of her acting career, Donia says that she prefers to focus on singing but is willing to act when she likes the part. So far she has appeared in the play Weghet Nazar (Point of View) by Lenin El-Ramli and in various films including Khalli el-Demagh Sahi (Keep Your Mind Alert) in 2001; Ga'alatni Mogreman (She Made Me a Criminal) in 2006; Shaqqet Masr Al-GEdida (Heliopolis Flat) and Genenet al-Asmak (Fish Garden) in 2007. She has also taken part in television series including Qalb Habiba (Lover's Heart) in 2005; Hanan wa Hunein (Hanan and Honein) in 2007; Sharif wa Noss (More than Honest) in 2008; The second season of Al-Ebada (Worship) and MagnunLayla (Layla's Fan) in 2009; and Ahl Cairo (Cairo's People) in 2010. In her acting career, Donia has worked with key filmmakers including Mohamed Khan, Khayri Bishara, Yosri Nasrallah and Magdi Ahmad Ali. Donia is still expanding her singing repertoire. She has just finished work on a new song about self- xpression: "Mosh Mohem" (It Doesn't Matter). Mohamed Khayr and Tamer Abu Ghazala respectively wrote the lyrics and the music for the song.
