Viva Mexico Last Monday, the Cairo Opera House's open-air theatre stage was rocked by the spectacular performance of the Mexican Tambuco Percussion Ensemble captured here by Sherif Sonbol 's lens. Featuring four musicians, they presented a repertoire ranging from structuralist percussion music to a wide selection of ethnic drum music and avant garde sound interpretations. They also held a second performance at Alexandria's Roman Amphitheatre on Wednesday. Tambuco was founded in 1993 by four distinguished Mexican musicians and is ranked among the finest and most innovative percussion ensembles in the world. The group has received two Grammy nominations: Best Classical Album and Best Small Chamber Ensemble, as well as a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Latin Classical Album. Tambuco's performances in Egypt are being held as part of the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Egypt. Last Friday, more than 4,000 people flocked to the Cairo Opera House's park theatre to attend the highly sought-after concert of Nubian pop singer Mohamed Mounir. The concert was his first after the release of his new album Taam Al-Beyout (Taste of Houses). Mounir mesmerised the audience for an hour and a half with his remarkable performance, singing a number of songs from his latest album such as Younis, Kan Fadel, Abu Tagiya, as well as a selection of his old hits like Ya Teir ya Tayer, Allei Sotak, Momken, Shababeek and many others. The spacious grounds of the French Embassy were crammed with 2,000 people who came to participate in the celebration of the National Day of France and were warmly received by French Ambassador to Egypt Philippe Coste, press councellor Jean-Marie Safaa and press attaché Ahmed Fadel. The event was privileged by the presence of former UN secretary-general Boutros Ghali, speaker of the People's Assembly Fathi Sorour, Minister of Higher Education Hani Hilal, Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Maged George, Cairo Governor Abdel-Azim Wazir, Moroccan Ambassador Mohamed Farag Al-Dokali, Oman Ambassador Abdul-Aziz Al-Hanaai and the Supreme Council of Antiquities Secretary-General Zahi Hawass. A galaxy of media figures, writers and stars were also present including Al-Ahram writers Salama Ahmed Salama, Mona Ragab and actress Athar El-Hakim. At a lavish party attended by a bevy of luminaries and senior state officials, Al-Ahram back page editor and writer Mona Ragab celebrated the wedding of her son Mohamed Gohar to the lovely Maha at the Semiramis InterContinental Hotel's Cleopatra Hall. Plastic Surgeon Raafat Gohar is the father of the groom, while accountant Raafat Zahran and Mona Sabri are the parents of the bride. The wedding party was attended by Culture Minister Farouk Hosni, Housing Minister Ahmed El-Maghrabi, Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Meselhi, Presidential Adviser Osama El-Baz, Al-Ahram Editor-in-Chief Osama Saraya, and Garden City Lions Club head Awatef Serageddin, among many others. The party featured pop singer Hakim. photos: Abdel-Hamid Eid At the Chinese Garden's Conferences Hall, sultry Lebanese pop singer Haifaa Wahbi sang at a concert celebrating the release of her new album Habibi Ana (My Own Love). A lavish celebration was held for the launch of the new satellite channel, Moga Comedy, on Nilesat. The new channel is the first comedy channel of its kind on Egyptian satellite TV. Head of Lions International Club Hani Aziz organised a seminar introducing head of the Egyptian Actors Union Ashraf Zaki. He talked openly with the attendees about his recent statements concerning the regulations that control the presence of Arab actors and actresses in Egyptian cinema. The seminar was concluded by granting Zaki the club's shield of recognition. As part of its visual arts programmes, the Japan Foundation organises travelling exhibitions with artworks from its own collection that tour countries around the world. This new travelling exhibition titled: "Gazing at the Contemporary World: Japanese Photography from the 1970s to the Present" is an overview of the diverse photographic expression that has emerged in Japan since the 1970s up till now. The exhibition includes 76 photographs by 23 internationally renowned Japanese photographers. It is due to be held in two venues in Cairo: Mubarak Public Library and El-Sawy Culture Wheel this month, and in Alexandria's Centre of Arts in August. (see Listings p.3) photos: Ayman Barayez At the Mena House Oberoi Hotel, the grand finale of the Belly Dancing International Festival took place. It was organised by retired belly dancer Raqiya Hassan with the participation of 2,000 dancers from all over the world, including Russia, the United States, Korea, Japan, Turkey, France and Croatia. A number of Egypt's top belly dancers participated in the event, such as Dina, Nagwa Fouad, Sorayya, Dandash and Basma. For the eighth consecutive year, the Cairo Opera House is organising art workshops for children in different fields of art, including drawing, sculpture, ceramic art, mosaic and calligraphy. The workshops started this month and will continue until the end of August, and are being held every Monday and Tuesday from 10am until 1pm. Children who apply for the workshops should be between seven and 17 years of age. The instructors are art professors at the faculties of art and plastic artists from Egypt.
