A unique mix of metal, electronic jazz and classical tunes Curious to find out what Egyptian rock jazz with occasional traces of heavy metal sounds like? Consider venturing out to Mascara s next concert at the Hands Center in Alexandria on March 16 to enjoy the tunes of one of Egypt s only female metal/rock bands while soaking up some fresh Alexandrian air. Made up of five native young Alexandrian girls, Mascara provides their fans with diverse music that contains traces of both metal and electronic jazz as well as classical tunes delivered by the group s skilled violinist. We have played together for approximately a year now and things are going really great. We put on concerts almost every month and our fan base is growing, guitarist and lead singer Shereen told The Daily Star Egypt at the group s performance in Cairo on Feb. 22. True, it appears as if the band has drawn in a considerable crowd. Last week s concert at Zamalek s El Sawy Culture Wheel was shock full of fans and media. A diverse audience filled the concert hall, ranging from head banging teenage boys sporting Mohawks and dog collars to curious foreigners of all ages and even families. I really enjoy their music because it s original and different from most other Egyptian bands. And it s cool that they re all girls, a smiling male concert attendee told The Daily Star Egypt. Starting off with a few unplugged performances and guitar solos, Mascara soon picked up the pace with slamming loud tracks, skillfully mixing a variety of instruments that include drums, flute, violin, and keyboard, to complement Shereen's spellbinding voice. As Mascara played one of their few Arabic songs, titled El Shams (The Sun), fans left their seats and flocked to the front to let loose. At one point, an over zealous fan even climbed onto the stage and skydived into the welcoming hands of his black-dressed long-haired pals. While metal and rock music is often associated with alcohol and drugs the members of Mascara recently took action to stand up against substance abuse among Egyptian youth. None of us in Mascara drink alcohol or do drugs. We want to prove to Egyptian society that you can love metal and rock music and dress crazy without being a druggy, Shereen stressed. In an effort to spread their words of wisdom and stand up for their cause, the group will participate in the upcoming music festival in Alexandria against the use of drugs and alcohol, titled Long Live Rock and Roll . The festival is reportedly scheduled to take place in mid-March.
