Salonaz Sami tunes in to an amazing blend of sounds They say music is the food of the soul, and indeed they are probably right. What would life be like without it? I wonder. Of all the Middle East, Egypt has always been known to have the richest cultural scene, especially the underground one. Even though a new underground band appears almost every day, one band in particular has proved to be the most successful of them all for the past eight years: (Downtown). It accounted for the hundreds of youths swarmed outside the Al-Sawy Cultural Wheel last Friday night in the hope of being amongst the ones fortunate enough to buy a ticket for their favourite band's live performance. The tickets sold out and the River Hall was completely packed, indications not only of the band's success, but also that dreams do come true. 's first performance was at the Cairo Opera House, with only four songs, in a concert with Sameh El-Azab and his band Nass Geddida (New People). Back then, the band's name was Al-Far Al-Roumadi (The Grey Rat), referring to the small rats that sneak into houses and recount their stories. It was El-Azab who came up with the name Wust El-Balad, reflecting a more inner and intimate meaning, since it was the usual place where the band used to get together and practice. In 1999 two young musicians, Hani Adel, guitarist and vocalist, and Ahmed Omran, vocalist and oud and flute player, got together and decided to form a band. They were joined by six more members and the dream unfolded. Eight very talented guys from all over Egypt brought together their different musical backgrounds to produce an amazing blend of sounds that combines Arabic music with a modern and Western twist. Their first appearance as Wust El Balad was at Al-Mashrabeya Gallery, and it was a free concert. However, for their next performance at the Berlitz Language Centre there was a ticket charge, and they were each paid LE30. From that time on, instead of playing in coffee shops, the band became regular performers, appearing at most cultural centres, galleries, bars, hotels and even the Citadel and the Cairo Opera House. Each of the eight members brought his own flavour to the band and their music became a phenomenon, not just in Egypt. Their success, however, did not come on a silver platter. The band members began from scratch with no financial resources; they paid for everything themselves and gave dozens of free performances before they actually started to make money. They also had to persuade the owners of different venues to allow them space to play. None of this mattered to these inspirational musicians, who wanted their musical vision to reach everyone -- especially the average person who cannot afford to listen to 's music or see them performing in bars and galleries. In an attempt to make their music as accessible as possible, the band was the first to invade the streets of Cairo, playing Downtown in Al-Alfi Street to the locals during the French Festival Les Français Aiment L'Egypte. They were also the first to give a performance in a Cairo underground station. "Their performance at the Celebration of Heliopolis's 100th anniversary, was outstanding and sensational," Rasha Hussein, 26, told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Ever since then they have played there every year as a celebration of spring," she added. In collaboration with the Goethe Cultural Institute, the Mayor of Stuttgart invited the band to give a live performance in Germany. The event was attended by a crowd of 10,000. And whether they were playing at a festival or at the Cairo Jazz Club, Hussein further explained, a great magnetic energy was felt between the band members and audience. The audience constantly sings along and sways to their rhythm and beat. Like many of their dedicated fans, Hussein has attended almost every one of their performances. "Because the band members are unique, just like the music they produce," she said. Although some of the band's songs are now available online, their most popular tracks are not. Like Uncle Sam, which talks about the American "cowboy" attitude that attempts to ride the world, and Che Guevara, the story of the charismatic patriot. "It is these kinds of lyrics that have made Wust El-Balad a perennial favourite for years," Hussein says. "They are real, simple words, yet they are deeply meaningful at the same time. It is a new feel in music, and I only like it on stage. Whether, however, it is the lyrics or the intoxicating rhythms, the band has its fans hooked. Another fan interviewed by the Weekly, loves the diverse styles that mix and blend together. "They are young and talented and they have their own style and charisma," he explained. His opinion was echoed by several other fans. "It is easy to see why so many people are becoming addicted to Wust El-Balad," said Fatma Sadek, 22. "They have simply made a revolution in Egyptian music." They were, she said as she took a break from her wild cavorting, the best band in Egypt. "You go around the world, while you are still in your place when you listen to Wust El-Balad. This is why their music is called world music," she added. However, their music, which could be labelled 'Oriental Jazz', seems mostly to be a blend of Latin-inspired rhythms blended with thick, undulating Middle Eastern-style harmonies and vocals. "Especially that of Adham El-Said, with his very unique, talented, traditional, and oriental voice, which gives the band its missing spice," Sadek adds. During the entire concert, the vocalists demonstrated their powerful voices that completed the remarkably intense and passionate music and drumming by the two very talented percussionists and drummers Ihab Abdel-Hamid, Bob, and Mohamed Gamaleddin, Mizo. Apart from the Egyptian teenagers who either sought out the best spots to try and hear their favourite band, or clustered in dancing rounds in the middle of the crowds, a sizeable crowd of expatriates was present at the concert, which lasted for a little more than two hours. "It was an amazing concert like always," Sadek said, who herself had first come across the band almost three years ago and had been hooked ever since. Each and every one of the band members, she said, has his unique character, music and fans, and if one of them missed a concert you would feel something major was missing. "Like their last concert at the French Cultural Centre in Ramadan, which guitarist and vocalist Ismail Fawzi didn't attend," she said. "It wasn't the same without him." The band has lent its voice to a number of Egyptian films, but their first cinema appearance was with star Abla Kamel in Awdaat Al-Nadla (The Return of the Fraud). Last year the band released their first album, Arabily, (Come Closer), with the help of the Star Gate Music Production Company. The album contained some of the band's most successful hits including Wust El-Balad, Shams Al-Nahar, and the title song Arabily.
