Even before Ehaab Abdou entered the hall from backstage at AUC, there were no seats left in the audience. People sat all the way up to the floor where the microphone was standing, waiting to hear the talented Abdou and his presentation of old and contemporary Egyptian songs, along with Christian hymns and Islamic Sufi chanting.Just as diverse as the music being played were the faces in the audience at the "Ana Masry (I Am Egyptian) concert held at AUC on Nov. 28."Egypt has been and will continue to be an embracing, welcoming and diverse melting pot. So 'Ana Masry' is a message of national unity, a message of tolerance of the other and of being proud of our Egyptian identity, Abdou told Daily News Egypt.Most of the songs were written and composed by Abdou. He describes his music as contemporary with a strong social message. A projector relayed these messages and scenes of Egypt to the packed house. The photos were either captured or collected by Marwa Seoudi. "Marwa basically listens to the songs, their music, and lyrics, said Abdou, "and she reacts to that by adding photos that express what the song is about or that highlight certain aspects of the song. Many members of the audience were seen looking back and forth from the beautiful images to Abdou and the other artists and musicians onstage.Abdou presented a fusion of Egyptian hymns and Sufi chanting. "Sufism, to me, is about being a better person by meditation, prayer, good deeds and closely monitoring yourself and how you're progressing towards being a better human being, he says, "You choose a Master or he/she chooses you and you go through a personal training aiming at becoming a better person. He then applied this to the message of the concert. "The same with Islam, Sufism being the 'love of God,' is also a big part of Egypt's Islam, he said, "Egyptians embraced the Islamic religion while some remained Christians still also carrying the beautiful message of 'God Is love.' In the end we're all Egyptians. It's a strong message and a reminder of what Egypt is all about."I see my music as another way to spread a much need message of optimism and positive energy, said Abdou. He is also spreads this positive energy in his work with Egyptian youth and NGOs, being the co-founder and the current chairperson of Nahdet El Mahrousa, a youth-led NGO that was established in 2002. He also helped start up the NGO Fathet Kheir as well as being the elected president of the Egyptian Federation of Youth NGOs. "Although many of my songs constructively criticize us and our society, he said, "I try to have a positive message as much as I can, rather than lament what could've been or highlight [only] the negatives. We need to give young people a new message of hope, a renewed pride in their Egyptian identity. Mahmoud, an AUC student attending the concert, said, "It was really amazing to hear these elements of music, song, and poetry combined. And the title, 'Ana Masry' - when I reflected on it, I have to admit I felt a sense of pride at being Egyptian. This is exactly what Abdou was finessing in the concert. "We need to strengthen and promote our national Egyptian identity and take pride in it. Our media needs to play a much stronger role in combating the increasing polarization we see in our society nowadays, said Abdou.Erin, an American audience member, said, "I was blown away by the Sufi chanting. It was very powerful, and with the images on the projector, created an awesome feeling that I think everyone in the audience experienced. She was referring to Sheikh Zein, a guest star at the concert. Sheikh Zein is "a wonderful Munshed of Sufi chants and also has a great mission where he tries to revive much of our Egyptian heritage, said Abdou.Regarding the future, Abdou said, "I just hope to come close to fulfilling the mission that I set for myself which is to make my music have a positive impact on whoever listens to it, to inspire people to be better, to fulfill their potential and dreams and to inspire a new positive spirit among Egyptians. For those who missed this wonderful fusion of music, poetry, and positive energy, Abdou will be performing at El Sawy Culture Wheel in Zamalek on Dec. 3, at 8 pm. For more information, visit www.ehaab.net
