ZAIDE QUARTET at the French Institute in Mounira

These past days have been very challenging for the country and its people and, even if I am "not on the field" and cover the developments from abroad, it looks to me as if truly challenging times (hopefully less bloody) lie ahead. I wish with all my heart a smooth transition to democracy and to all Egyptians to enjoy peaceful times soon.

Not surprisingly many events have been cancelled in these past days and it is therefore with even more pleasure than usual that I came to know that the French Insitute in Mounira will present in their premises a concert of the award winning Zaïde Quartet (France) on Thursday December 1, 2011 at 8.00 PM.

The program of the concert is as follows:
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, String Quartet No.23 in F major – 1790
Intermission
- Anton Webern, Six bagatelles for string quartet – 1913
- Claude Debussy, Quartet op.10 – 1893

The Zaïde Quartet is composed by Charlotte JUILLARD (violin), Pauline FRITSCH (violin), Sarah CHENAF (viola) and Juliette SALMONA (cello).

I hope many of you will take this opportunity to enjoy what I am sure will be a delightful evening. Wish I could be there with you.

Events cancelled

Due to the tumultuous state of the country, a number of events have been cancelled or postponed.

The Cairo Opera House postponed a number of events as announced here.

WEEKLY AGENDA MUSIC November 19 to November 25, 2011

Saturday, November 19, 2011

- Festival & Conference of Arab Music (20th Session) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Satyagraha - The Met Live in HD at the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 7:55 PM
- Festival & Conference of Arab Music (20th Session) at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Massar Egbari Unplugged (Alternative Egyptian Jazz) in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Sahara Band (Rai music) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 7:30 PM

Sunday, November 20, 2011

- Festival & Conference of Arab Music (20th Session) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Opera Children's Choir in the Open Air Theater at Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Festival & Conference of Arab Music (20th Session) at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Eftekasat (Oriental Contemporary Jazz) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Samaa’ Band led by Intesar Abdel-Fattah at the Ghouri Palace, 8:00 PM
- El-Nil Troupe for folk instruments (Folk music and songs) at Beit Al-Suheimi, 7:30 PM

Monday, November 21, 2011

- Omar Khairat (piano) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Hossam Sakr Ensemble for Religious Singing at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Sahara Band (Rai music) in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- DJ Mayouna and DJ Kamal Shatila at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 7:30 PM

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

- Omar Khairat (piano) in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Amany Monir (piano) in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Mai Farouk (Oriental songs) in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- The Big Jam Night (Classic Rock) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- DJ Dina El Ghareeb at the After Eight Club, 9:00 PM

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

- Music and Poetry Performance "Azraq (Blue)" with Mido Zoheir at Jesuit Culture Center, 8:00 PM
- Yehya Khalil (Jazz) in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- DJ Ramy (Boogie) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 8:30
- Mazaher Ensemble at the Makan, 9:00

Thursday, November 24, 2011

- Music and Poetry Performance "Azraq (Blue)" with Mido Zoheir at Jesuit Culture Center, 8:00 PM
- Franz Liszt 200th Anniversary Celebration Concert conducted by Nayer Nagui in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- El Ahlam Ensemble conducted by Ahlam Ahmed in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- El Sakia puppet theatre presents Abdel Haleem Hafez in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Shady Ahmed (Acoustic Rock) and Screwdriver (Rock’n’Roll) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 8:00 PM
- Rango (Sudanese music) at El Tanboura Hall, 8:30 PM
- Medhat Saleh at the MUST Opera House, 8:00 PM

Friday, November 25, 2011

- Choi Young-Gi Music Concert (Korea) in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Oshak El Nagham with Mohamed Abdel Sattar at the Open Air Theatre, 8:00 PM
- DJ Ramzi & DJ Sherif Nakhla (Techno / House) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Salalem (Blues/Funk/Rock) at After Eight, 9:00 PM
- Dina El Wedidi & Band at Jesuit Culture Center, 8:00 PM

Cinema Updates

Saturday, November 19, 2011

THE SHINING at the Jesuit Cultural Center, 6:30 PM
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Featuring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd

A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.

Screened at the Jesuit Center's "Gameat El Nahdet El Alamea wel Thaqafiya"
15 Mahrani street, behind the Jesuit School, Faggala
close to Shohadaa metro stop

Sunday, November 20, 2011 (2 events)

IL PICCOLO DIAVOLO at the Italian Institute of Culture, Zamalek, 6:00 PM (8:00 PM)
Directed by Roberto Benigni 1988/ Italy
Featuring Walter Matthau, Roberto Benigni and Stefano Antonucci
Italian with English subtitles

Father Maurice, a priest living in a residential college for priests in Rome, is called out one day to "exorcise" the devil from someone. The devil turns out to be in the form of a fun-loving man called Giuditta. What Father Maurice doesn't know is that this type of devil will turn his life around

STEVE+SKY at the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo, Zamalek, 7:00 PM
Directed by Felix Van Groeningen
Dutch with English subtitles

‘Steve+Sky’ tells the story of Steve – a not so bright small time crook/drug dealer recently released from prison – and Sky – a somewhat naive, banana-split loving prostitute. After several chance encounters, they finally officially meet through a mutual acquaintance – Steve's ex-cellmate. Their ensuing relationship is anything but smooth as they both struggle to find their place in life. The juxtaposition of the bleached reality of everyday life with the bright neon lights of the night reflects the ups and downs of this young couple's stormy love affair.

‘Steve+Sky’ is Felix Van Groeningen’s first feature film. He didn’t only direct, but also wrote the script himself. ‘Steve+Sky’ won the Plateau award for Best Belgian Movie and Best Soundtrack in 2004.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcfDoGRIWig

NVIC Address: 1, Mahmoud Azmi Str (www.tinyurl.com/NVICmap), Zamalek, Egypt, 11211

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

THE YOUNG VICTORIA at the Cairo Opera House Open Air Theater, 7:30 PM
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
Featuring Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany.
Ireland / 2009. Runtime: 105 min
English with Arabic subtitles.

A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.

Wednesday November 23 to Tuesday November 29, 2011.
4th Panorama of the European Film. While the list of films is out, the schedule is still to be announced online.

WEEKLY AGENDA MUSIC, November 12 - 18, 2011

Saturday, November 12, 2011

- World Pneumonia Day 2011 event at the Markaz Shabab Gezira, 10:00 AM onwards. Acts include: Massar Egbari
- Festival and Conference of Arab Music (20th session) in the Main Hall and the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House and at Gomhouria Theater, 8:00 PM
- Sodfa (Contemporary Egyptian music) in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Bashir (Nubian Fusion) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 7:30 PM

Sunday, November 13, 2011

- Festival and Conference of Arab Music (20th session) in the Main Hall and the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House and at Gomhouria Theater, 8:00 PM
- Talta Talet (Contemporary Egyptian music) in the River Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 7:00 PM
- Adam Miller Group (Jazz) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Bashir (Nubian Fusion) at After Eight, 9:00 PM
- Samaa’ Band led by Intesar Abdel-Fattah at the Ghouri Palace, 8:00 PM
- El-Nil Troupe for folk instruments (Folk music and songs) at Beit Al-Suheimi, 7:30 PM

Monday, November 14, 2011

- Festival and Conference of Arab Music (20th session) in the Main Hall and the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House and at Gomhouria Theater, 8:00 PM
- El Asal fi Rabea el Omr(Oriental music) led by Amal Fathy at the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Shahinaz (Egyptian pop) in the River Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- The Percussion Show and DJ Tito at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 7:30 PM

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

- Festival and Conference of Arab Music (20th session) in the Main Hall and the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House and at Gomhouria Theater, 8:00 PM
- El Sakia String Orchestra in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Sando2 Khashab (Oriental / Flamenco / Acoustic) in the River Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- Bluenotes (Blues) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

- Festival and Conference of Arab Music (20th session) in the Main Hall and the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House and at Gomhouria Theater, 8:00 PM
- DJ Samba (Boogie) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray, 8:30
- Mazaher Ensemble at the Makan, 9:00

Thursday, November 17, 2011

- Khyam Allami (oud) concert at the Geneina Theater in Al Azhar Park, 8:00 PM
- Festival and Conference of Arab Music (20th session) in the Main Hall and the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House and at Gomhouria Theater, 8:00 PM
- Ayamna El Helwa Ensemble led by Mohamed Osman at the Open Air Theater of the Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- The Riff Band (Jazz) in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- Kalcook Band (Jesse Cook cover music) in the River Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- Tamara Yousri and The Riff Band (Jazz / 9th Anniversary) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 8:00 PM
- Rango (Sudanese music) at El Tanboura Hall, 8:30 PM

Friday, November 18, 2011

- Festival and Conference of Arab Music (20th session) in the Main Hall and the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House and at Gomhouria Theater, 8:00 PM
- Kalthoumiat on Oud with Hossam Samir in the Word of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- The Riff Band (Jazz) in the Wisdom of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- DJ Masters at Funk (Funk / House) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 9:00 PM
- Salalem (Blues/Funk/Rock) at After Eight, 9:00 PM

Other Events
THEATRE: Tahrir Monologues, November 14 - 18, 2011, Rawabet Theater, 8:00 PM
OPEN MIC: 19th Microphone al Mareekh, Thursday November 17, 2011 at Makan, 7:00 PM

Cinema Updates

Saturday, November 12, 2011

BARRY LYNDON at the Jesuit Center, 6:30 PM
Directed by Stanley Kubrick.
English with Arabic subtitles

November will be the Stanely Kubrick month at Jesuit Centre, kicking off with "Barry Lyndon." The story of an Irish rogue who wins the heart of a rich widow who assumes her dead husband's position in 18th Century aristocracy.

Screened at the Jesuit Center's "Gameat El Nahdet El Alamea wel Thaqafiya"
15 Mahrani street, behind the Jesuit School, Faggala
close to Shohadaa metro stop

Sunday, November 13, 2011 (2 events)

SPERIAMO CHE SIA FEMMINA at the Italian Institute of Culture, 6:00 PM (rerun at 8:00 PM)
Directed by Mario Monicelli.
Featuring Catherine Deneuve, Giuliano Gemma, Stefania Sandrelli, Bernard Blier, Philippe Noiret.
Italian without subtitles.

Italy / 1986.
Comedy. Runtime: 120 min.

The movie presents us the decline of a Tuscan family who owns a farm which is mainly managed by hard-working women. It is a remarkable film that enriches the poor panorama of the Italian cinema of the 80s. There is a wise mix of dramatic, humorous and grotesque, a beautiful gallery of portraits of women and constant oscillation between lightness and gravity. It is also considerable the way the director Monicelli develops, without ideological bias, the discourse on the absence, the weakness, the selfishness of men.

FI BAYTINA RAGUL (A Man in Our House) at the Netherland-Flemish Institute in Cairo, 6:00 PM
Directed by Henry Barakat
Featuring Omar el-Sherif, Zobeida Sarwat, Roshdi Abaza
1961, Arabic with no subtitles
Duraton: 153 minutes

Taken from the novel with the same name by Ihsan Abdelkaddous, this is one of Barakat’s nationalistic films, telling the story of the events right before the 1952 revolution. The film is about the life of a revolutionary, Ibrahim Hamdy (played by Omar el-Sherif). During a protest, one of his family gets killed and Ibrahim decides to take revenge by assassinating the Prime Minister. He is arrested but manages to escape and hide in the flat of an apolitical friend and his family.

NVIC Address: 1, Mahmoud Azmi Str (www.tinyurl.com/NVICmap), Zamalek, Egypt, 11211

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

LA GRAINE ET LE MULET (THE SECRET OF THE GRAIN) at the Cairo Opera House, Open Air Theater, 7:30 PM
Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche
Featuring Habib Boufares, Hafsia Herzi and Farida Benkhetache.
Tunisia / 2007
Runtime: 151 min
French / Arabic with Arabic subtitles.

At the port of Sète, Mr. Slimani, a tired 60-year-old, drags himself toward a shipyard job that has become more and more difficult to cope with as the years go by.

**
Also mark your calendar for the soon to come 4th Panorama of the European Film running from Wednesday November 23 to Tuesday November 29, 2011. Schedule to be announced soon.

MAURIZIO LAZZARO

Maurizio Lazzaro, Italian guitar and oud virtuoso who loved Cairo passed away on Monday November 7, 2011.

Maurizio Lazzaro was one of a handful of non-Arab oud player acknowledged as a virtuoso by the very masters of the instrument. Born as a jazz guitarist, he has recorded many cds and performed extensively live in concert with some of the best Italian and international musicians, in addition to his teaching activity in Rome.
An interest in the Arab oud brought him to Cairo where he perfected his knowledge of the instrument and came into contact with many Egyptian musicians with whom he developed sincere professional and personal friendships. This led to his frequent visits to Cairo, many live performances, mostly at the Makan and at El Sawi, and to the establishment of the Cairo Jazz Group with the violinist Mohamed Sami, Ahmad Hani on bass, and the Italian percussionist (and friend) Fulvio Maras, with appearances of Wust El Balad's singer Hany Adel as guest.

I like to remember Maurizio on stage all alone with his oud in one of the very first free post revolution festivals in Abdeen Square, in the spring of this year. The square was throbbing with Egyptians from all walks of life coming to celebrate and in the air was a cacophony of  loud voices, children's screams, Cairo's ever present background noise, and music from a nearby stage. Despite it all, Maurizio went on the small stage, sat, and started to play his oud, unafraid of the prospect that the gentle sound might be drowned by the surrounding racket. People started to close in and listen in silence, their bodies creating an isolation barrier, and suddenly an island of peace sprang up in a corner of the square. In extremely difficult and uncertain times for the country, its people, and its cultural life, he was the only non Egyptian performing, and this gives a measure of the man, as much as of the musician.

He loved Cairo and I am sure he will be sorely missed by many there.

If you had the luck to know Maurizio and are a Facebook user you can leave your farewell message on his Facebook page.