CLEG on HOLIDAY

Dear CLEG friends,
this is to inform you that I will not be able to update the blog until mid August. I will leave you with some suggestions about events that will run in the next weeks:

- MODERN DANCE FESTIVAL: June 16 to July 4 (Click here for details)
- CAIRO REFUGEE FILM FESTIVAL: June 16 to June 20 (Click here for details)
- FÊTE DE LA MUSIQUE at the CITADEL with ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DE BARBES and WUST EL BALAD: June 23 (Click here for details)
- DUO CEYSSON DUFOUR: June 21 (Click here for details)
- JAZZ WORKSHOP at El SAWI: June 10 (Click here for more info)

For more and updated information during CLEG letargy please scan the links on the useful links column of the blog or grab a copy of Al- Ahram weekly and Community Times.

Wish you all a wonderful summer.
Cairowanderer

EGYPTIAN INTERNATIONAL MODERN DANCE FESTIVAL

The 10th Egyptian International Modern Dance Festival organized by the Egyptian Modern Dance Company director Walid Aouni will take place from Tuesday, June 16 to Saturday, July 4, 2009 (click here for an article about last year edition).

Below you will find a program of the event based on the informations I was able to get until now:

June 16: Opening night (performers not announced yet) at the Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

June 17: Adham Hafez (Egypt) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM

June 18: Nacera Belaza Co. (France) in the Small Hall of the Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

June 19: Plan B Co. (Scotland ???) at the Gomhouria Theatre, 9:00 PM

June 20: Kamal Rabeea (Egypt) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM

June 21: Aerites Dance Co. (Greece) at the Gomhouria Theatre, 9:00 PM

June 24: Mirette Mechail (Egypt) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM

June 25: Dialogue Dance Co. (Russia) at the Gomhouria Theatre, 9:00 PM

June 26: Fawda Al-Hanady (Egypt) in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

June 26: Mohamed Habib (Egypt) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30

June 27: (performers not announced yet) at the Gomhouria Theatre, 9:00 PM

June 28: Wanted Posse (France) in the Open Air Theatre of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

June 29: Salah Al-Brogy (Egypt) in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

June 29: Mohamed Fawzi (Egypt) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM

June 30: Terence Lewis Contemporary Dance Co. (India) at the Gomhouria Theatre, 9:00 PM

July 2: Kareem Khalil (Egypt) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM

July 3: Sareyyet Ramallah Troupe for Music and Dance (Palestine) at the Gomhouria Theatre, 9:00 PM

July 4: Mohamed El-Sayed (Egypt) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM

July 5: (performers not announced yet) at the Gomhouria Theatre, 9:00 PM

This program is subject to last minute changes. Please consult Cairo Opera House and El Sawi websites beforehand if you plan to attend a performance.

ENTRE CINEASTAS (AMONG FILMMAKERS)

From Monday June 8 till Saturday, June 13 2009 the Creativity Centre in the Cairo Opera House complex will host the 2nd Arab-Ispanoamerican Women Film Festival, organized by the association "Mujeres de el Cairo" under the patronage of the Embassy of Spain in Cairo.

15 works by women directors from Spain, Syria, Argentina, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, El Salvador, Marocco and Palestine will be presented. All movies will be in original language with subtitles in Arab or Spanish language. This is surely a unique opportunity to see works (mostly documentaries) of great impact that have otherwise little possibility to be seen.

Click here for the programme of the event.

AGENDA MUSIC JUNE 6 - JUNE 12

Saturday, June 6, 2009

- Cairo Opera Ballet Company directed by Erminia Kamel present “Odysseus, Hero of Troy” (created by Renato Greco) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

- Cairo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hisham Gabr with soloist Mohamed Saleh (piano) present works from Weber, Beethoven and Schumann in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

- The Philarmonic Chamber Orchestra conducted by Ahmed El Saedi at the Genaina Theatre in Al-Azhar park, 9:00 PM

- Ana Otero Group present Flamenco Music and Gypsies Dances at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM

- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM

- Beshir (modern Egyptian folk) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:30 PM

Sunday, June 7, 2009

- Cairo Opera Ballet Company directed by Erminia Kamel present “Odysseus, Hero of Troy” (created by Renato Greco) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

- Albert Del Rio (acoustic soul & folk/USA) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 9:00 PM

- Rashad Fahim Trio (jazz standards and originals) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:30 PM

- The Nubian Drums Band and Orchestra at the Ghouri Palace, 9:00 PM

- El-Nil Troupe for folk instruments (Folk music and songs) at Beit Al-Suheimi 8:00 PM

Monday, June 8, 2009

- Albert Del Rio (acoustic soul & folk/USA) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:30 PM

- Amir Eid (Arabic music) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

- Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal directed by Gradimir Pankov will present “Noces” (choreographer: Stijn Celis) and “Cantata” (choreographer: Marco Bergonzetti) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

- Nass Makan (Nubian music, Zikr and Sufi songs, Sudanese music and songs) at the Makan Centre 9:00 PM

- Bryan Optic Global Underground (Rap/Hip Hop) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 9:00 PM

- Wust El Balad at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

- Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal directed by Gradimir Pankov will present “Noces” (choreographer: Stijn Celis) and “Cantata” (choreographer: Marco Bergonzetti) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

- Mazaher Ensemble (Music of the Delta) at the Makan Centre 9:00 PM

- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM

Thursday, June 11, 2009

- Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal directed by Gradimir Pankov will present “Noces” (choreographer: Stijn Celis) and “Cantata” (choreographer: Marco Bergonzetti) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

- DJ Zebra (France) at the French Cultural Centre in Mounira, 9:00 PM

- National Arab Music Ensemble conducted by Selim Sahab (Classical Arab music and songs) at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM

- Habashi and the Jazz Caterers (upbeat funk jazz) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM

Friday, June 12, 2009

- Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal directed by Gradimir Pankov will present “Noces” (choreographer: Stijn Celis) and “Cantata” (choreographer: Marco Bergonzetti) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM

- MIA (DJ minimal elektro/D) with special guest Bikya at the Rawabet Theatre, 8:00 PM

- Tony Qaldas tribute to the Lebanese poet Mansour El Rahbany at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM

- Fewnkat Donia Masoud (Egyptian songs) at the Genaina Theatre in Al-Azhar Park, 9:00 PM

MOHAMED SALEH

Mohamed Saleh was born in Cairo in 1968. The Soviet government granted him a scholarship for the Rimsky- Korsakov State Conservatoire, St. Petersburg, where he studied piano with V.A. Kalmikov, accompaniment with I.V.Vasilyeva and chamber music with E.V. Simishina . He graduated in 1996 and went on to study composition for two years with Professor A.D. Mnatsakanian.

Mohamed Saleh obtained his MA from the St. Petersburg State Conservatoire in piano performance. In 1996-97 he was a teaching assistant at the University of Connecticut, US, where he studied piano with Prof . Neal Larrabee, chamber music with prof. Mary Lou Rylands and performed the Khatchaturian Piano Concerto with the University Orchestra there.

In 1998 he was appointed pianist of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. In the past seasons he has performed a substantial number of chamber music recitals with different groups of soloists from the Cairo Symphony Orchestra at the Small Hall of the Cairo Opera House. He played duos, trios, quartets and quintets by Brahms, Schumann, Shostakovich and other composers. In 1999, he again performed the Khachaturian Piano Concerto, this time with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jon Robertson ( USA). In 2001, he performed the Grieg Piano Concerto with the orchestra conducted by Piotr Kwiatkowski ( Poland ). He also performed for Russian and Egyptian Television companies and premiered a piece by D.A. Tolstoy at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.

(This biography is taken from the libretto distributed on the occasion of the 1st Alexandrina Music Biennale 2009).

To complement your knowledge of the artist, you can click here to read an interview that appeared in the Daily News Egypt.

Music education advocates needed ...

Community Times magazine published in the current issue an article by Ati Metwaly about the status of musical education in schools in Egypt. Please follow this link to read the article.
It is encouraging that the issue has been raised!

Community Times has always been a good magazine and a must, along with Egypt Today, for any Cairo expat who want to have a basic knowledge of the place he's living in. CT has laudably improved considerably its cultural pages and calendar sections lately and is well worth the 15.00 EGP monthly. Do not limit yourself to the online edition and try and get a copy if you do not know it already.

ONLINE STORE for ARABIC MEDIA

Cairo boasts some impressive bookshops (Al Kotob Khan and Diwan are my favourites) where you can find, or order, a good selection of titles, but it is nevertheless with pleasure that I have discovered the existence of an "Arabic Amazon" out there in the net.
The Lebanon based online store is called Adab Wa Fan (you'll find the link permanently on the Useful Links column of the blog) and offers, in addition to the Arabic language catalogue that I am not (sadly) in a position to rate, a very good selection of books in English about the region. They also sell books about non-Arab Iran.
The music and video selection could be in my opinion much better but they still offer some interesting titles not available here.
I wonder how does it work with customs. Only time a friend sent a book to my address in Egypt, I got it after 5 months (but I got it!). Anybody out there who experienced Adab Wa Fan or Amazon from Egypt?

CiC "RAFFLE ON THE ROOF"

Contemporary Image Collective will hold tomorrow, Wednesday June 3, 2009 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM its 3rd annual photography exhibition and tombola.
It's an unique way to see wonderful photographs, perhaps get hold of one, and get to know people, all under one roof.

For more details, please click here to be redirected to CiC website.

AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY at AUC

The award-winning documentary film “The Imam and the Pastor” (read a review here), which depicts the reconciliation between Imam Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye will be screened tomorrow, Tuesday June 2, 2009 in the Oriental Hall of AUC, Tahrir Square Campus at 6:00 PM.

The story, set in Nigeria, depicts the dynamics of personal forgiveness, and highlights some of the difficulties that arise in Christian-Muslim partnership and how they can be tackled.