Rania Khallaf joined the masses in one of the most enjoyable black nights ever It was eight o'clock, a Saturday night, and the small garden of Al-Sawy Cultural Wheel was choc-a-bloc with young people -- most of them from the south of Egypt and Sudan. It took me a while to understand the link between the gathering of the crowd and the band due to play that evening. Then I realised the name of the band was Black Theama, and the songs they play are a mixture of Nubian and Sudanese rhythms with R&B, hip-hop, reggae and other African- influenced sounds. At 9pm the concert started up at the River Hall, the largest stage at the Wheel, and there was scarcely an empty spot to be found. Not only was the 1,200-seat auditorium filled, but the corridors and empty spaces beside the seats were crowded. The audience started dancing and singing to the very first song, and their spirited interaction with the singers made me feel I could be at a concert in London or New York. The lyrics in colloquial Egyptian Arabic were written by young poets. They reflect the pulse of daily life in Egypt and the bizarre contradiction and discrepancy between the poor and rich in Egyptian society. They are also about happiness, love and friendship, as well as corruption within the government and the concept of globalisation. The band's name, however unusual, Black Theama, reveals its own philosophy; "We are the sound of black people both in Egypt and worldwide," says Amir Salaheddin, the lead singer and founder of the band. One of the band's most popular songs is Majnoun, which perfectly reflects the group's character. The lyrics, light and amusing on the surface, carry a profound message: "The crazy one broke his own mirror when it did not reflect his image," runs the song. The band was founded in 2004 with a very limited following, but now they are established crowd pullers. "It's our unique and sincere performance that brings all these people today," Salaheddin says. "We don't deceive our audience. Our songs are very simple and reflect the spirit and ideas of a wide sector of Egyptian youth. We sing for people who have a black skin. There is a kind of correspondence or common feeling among black people around the world; this is also evident in their common taste of music and their way of dancing. So I believe that we are heading towards a unique place in the international musical arena." On the stage the three singers, Salaheddin, Ahmed Bahr and Mohamed Abdu, dance and jump and interact with their audience. Before the interval the audience began asking the singers to play favourite songs they already knew by heart. One of them was "Sheraton", which was played twice, about poor people wending their way back to their humble houses after a long working day. Passing the Downtown hotel area overlooking the Nile, they wish they could pause there for a moment or two. "I wrote the lyrics one day on my way back to Helwan, which is so heavily populated," Salaheddin says. The song speaks of the state of chaos in Egyptian society, including the disorder forced by the government itself, the strange names movies have, and the strange voices which exist in the artistic arena," Salaheddin says. In addition to their signature songs the band also plays traditional Nubian and Sudanese melodies which receive warm acclaim from the audience. One of these songs is Dingy Dingy, written, composed and performed by legendary musician Sayed Darwish who wrote the song after his encounter with poor Sudanese servants in the first half of the 20th century. The lyrics speak of their sufferings and the social inconsistencies within Egyptian society at the time, when they might well be mocked and despised. The trio enjoy huge popularity, yet they have not received any academic musical education. Perhaps it is this that gives them their vivid and spontaneous spirit. Being in the commercial market is not the band's target. "Producing a CD is not that important to us at this current stage. What is more important is to keep on the track we have chosen for ourselves. However, we are open to any proposals by producers. Until then, the best thing we can do is to provide new songs that reflect the mood of the street." Asked how he would classify the band's music, Salaheddin says, "our music is best described as alternative music, the music which says something different, and makes people feel and think differently." The band has performed on several stages throughout Egypt, but so far has not crossed the border to international fame. "Our very local performance, I believe, is our way to international fame," Salaheddin says. The band is preparing for a new project with Osama Fawzi, a prominent film producer, to record the songs of a new film. The full details will be announced during their coming concert in November at Al-Sawy. Don't miss it!
