Remains of the day This lamp post was shot a few days ago in Luxor by Sherif Sonbol. It is of the remains of Verdi's Aida opera performed in 1999, when a special road was built and all the sugar cane trees on the West Bank were cut. The road is now deserted, and the trees will grow again. Perhaps in 500 years' time Egyptologists will dig up the lamp post as the only proof that Aida was performed at Hatshepsut Temple. Last Friday, the 18th Arab Music Festival and Conference was inaugurated at the Cairo Opera House Main Hall by Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, Secretary-General of the festival and conference Ratiba El-Hefni, and Opera House Director Abdel-Moneim Kamel. The highlight of the opening ceremony was the screening of a documentary on the festival and the galaxy of Arab singers who participated in past rounds. Then Hosni and Kamel distributed the certificates of recognition and the festival's honorary shields. Among 11 honourees for their tremendous contributions to Arab music were: the late Nasser El-Ansary, who until his death was head of the General Egyptian Book Organisation, former head of Egyptian TV Samia Sadeq, singer Iman El-Bahr Darwish, Syrian singer Safwan Bahlawan, Lebanese violinist Gihad Aql, qanoun player Maged Sorour, journalist Magdi Abdel-Aziz, maestro Khaled Fouad, lyricist Mustafa El-Damarany, composer Walid Saad, and calligrapher Salah Abdel-Khaleq. Hosni was also honoured by Kamel, who granted him the festival's shield. This was followed by a recital featuring Syrian singer Safwan Bahlawan, aka the Syrian Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, who mesmerised the audience with a number of Abdel-Wahab's best songs, accompanied by the Abdel-Halim Noweira Arab Music Ensemble conducted by Salah Ghoubashi. Another opening ceremony took place at the Sayed Darwish Theatre, Alexandria Opera, featuring Palestinian singer Salma, accompanied by the National Arab Music Ensemble conducted by Selim Sahab. Under the auspices of Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Maged George, the Green Corner Department headed by Nahed Hassan at the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs is running a new programme under the slogan Arabietna (Our Car). The main idea of the programme is a beautifully coloured car that tours the governorates of Egypt equipped with laptops and aims at raising environmental awareness among children. The new blockbuster Adrenaline was privately screened at Nile City Cinema last week. The film, starring actress Ghada Abdel-Razek, talented actor Khaled El-Sawi, Jordanian talented actor Eiad Nassar, actors Mohamed Shoman and Hani Hussein, scripted by Mohamed Abdel-Khaleq, directed by Mahmoud Kamel, is produced by actress-cum-cinema producer Esaad Younis. The screening was attended by a galaxy of celebrities and media figures who came to congratulate the crew of the film. photos: Abdel-Hamid Eid An extravagant inauguration of artist Ibrahim Abdel-Malak 's latest exhibition took place at Picasso Gallery in Zamalek. It was opened by world- renowned actor Omar Sharif along with renowned archaeologist and the Supreme Council of Antiquities Secretary-General Zahi Hawass. Entitled "Years of Love 9: Freedom... A Woman," the exhibition is showcasing 47 oil paintings and 37 bronze statues. Fascinated by the unique sculptures of the artist, Sharif commented: "I am so proud of the work of Abdel-Malak who is considered a world renowned artist." The inauguration was attended by an array of Egyptian and Arab plastic artists, including head of the Plastic Artists Syndicate Mustafa Hussein, artists Ibrahim Ghazala, Ali Dessouki, Ibrahim Picasso, Rita Badreddin and Mohamed Abu Zeid. ( see Listings p.5 ) Alexandria Al-Nozha Rotary Club (ANRC), presided over by Hisham Abu Youssef, held a prestigious ceremony honouring veteran actress Nabila Ebeid at the Syrian Club in Alexandria for her extended filmography and successful TV career. Ebeid was granted the shield of the ANRC and participated in distributing the shields among 6 October War heroes. The ceremony was attended by a galaxy of Alexandrian society women and families of the heroes. photos: Ayman Barayez The British-Egyptian Business Association (BEBA) in cooperation with the British Embassy in Egypt hosted a charitable event at the garden of the British Embassy. British Ambassador to Egypt Dominic Asquith welcomed the guests including Al-Ahram Chairman of the Board Abdel-Moneim Said and his wife, Al-Ahram Managing Editor Mona Ragab, actor Khaled El-Nabawi, Rose Al-Youssef Editor-in-Chief Abdallah Kamal as well as Chairman of the State Information Service Ismail Khairat who enjoyed the evening with the performance of the Riff band. A thrilling fashion show by German designer Barbie Swedan took place at the Cairo International Conference Centre Khufu Hall. Swedan presented a variety of elegant soiree dresses and wedding gowns of the latest fashions of 2009. The event was attended by a plethora of fashion designers and experts in Egypt. Marking the 55th anniversary of the Algerian Revolution, Algerian Ambassador to Egypt Abdel-Qader Al-Haggar held a lavish reception at Farhati Hall in the Grand Hyatt Hotel. A galaxy of high-profile personalities and ambassadors were present, among them former foreign minister Ahmed Maher, Lebanese Ambassador to Egypt Khaled Ziyada and his Syrian counterpart Youssef Al-Ahmed, media figure Safaa Hegazi, first Under-Secretary in the People's Assembly Magdi Sherif, veteran actresses Madiha Youssri and Nabila Ebeid, singer Mohamed Tharwat and poet Habiba Mohamedi. Congratulations! During the FIFA U20 World Cup, Al-Ahram Weekly Sports page Editor Inas Mazhar was the media and communications director of the local organising committee. Following the success of the three-week tournament, the president of the National Sports Council, Hassan Saqr, honoured the local organising committee. The Pharaonic Village, presided over by Abdel-Salam Ragab, for the fourth time organised a party for the new Children's Cancer Hospital. Around 150 children attended the thrilling party that featured a magician, clown, a DJ, face painting, and a whirling dervishes dance performance. Presents were also distributed among them. Ragab seized the opportunity to highlight the importance of early diagnosis of cancer and the crucial role that businessmen should play in supporting the hospital financially. Nahed El-Sayed, head of the arts section in Al-Ahram's interior design magazine Al-Beit, has received the Press Syndicate Award of Excellence for 2009. El-Sayed was granted the award for her article on the exhibition of veteran plastic artist Farghali Abdel-Hafiz, entitled, "The World is a Woman". The poignant film Shetaa Gaza (Gaza's Winter) participated last week in the Boston Palestine Film Festival. The film is a collective effort of 11 filmmakers living in Ramallah in an attempt to convey their anger after Israel smashed into Gaza in December 2008, killing over 1,400 Palestinians and destroying more than 10,000 homes. Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafi (Culture Resource) bestowed an exceptional grant for the production of the film that gathered a number of talented filmmakers from seven different countries around the world. Head of the Culture Resource Basma El-Husseini stated that the Culture Resource supports artists who work under occupation. Gifted filmmakers who participated in the film were Islam Al-Burbar (Palestine), Fahad Jabali (Iceland), Tareq Al-Ayyan (Palestine), Ismail Habbash (Palestine), Dima Hamdan (UK), Pilar Tavora (Spain), Salim Abu Jabal (Golan Heights), Mathieu Cauville (France), Raed Al-Helou (Palestine), George Azar (Jordan) and Omar Hamilton (UK).
