CLEG on "holiday mode"

Just a quick note to let you know that CLEG will be in "holiday mode" till the end of the first week of January.
A happy festive season (to whoever celebrate it) and a great 2013 to you all!

End of year celebrations at Darb 17 18

The following is an announcement from Darb 17 18 regarding their end of the year event.

We at Darb 1718 Contemporary Art & Culture Centre have the pleasure of inviting all our friends to our Year End Celebration of 2012 on Friday December 21, 2012 from 4:00-11:00 PM. Come and join a relaxed gathering accompanied by arts, crafts, refreshments and live entertainment by local and international bands. This day is one of transformations: celestial, political and personal. Let us be together on this special day and celebrate Darb 1718’s 4th Anniversary.

Event Programme:
- DJ Imagika
- Al Darb Al Ahmar Arts School circus performance and percussion
- Mostafa Rezk Band
- An Erjul performance from Makan Egyptian Centre for Culture & Art
- Abo (Egyptian singer- songwriter and musician)
- Sandro Schneebeli & The Egyptian Connection
- All Star Jam

To join the event's bazaar, kindly fill in the booking form.
For more info. please check the Facebook Event Page.

Free Entrance

Eka3 presents Badiaa Bouhrizi and Darwasha this weekend

Eka3 presents a weekend of music in Cairo and Alexandria.

On Friday 21 December, 2012 Tunisian artist Badiaa Bouhrizi will perform at Makan, 9:00 PM
Address: Zaad Zaghloul St. El Mounira, Cairo. She will also provide a performance on Saturday 22 December, 2012 at al Cabina in Alexandria at 8:30 PM. Address: 11 Saint Saba St. Mahattet El Raml, Details here.

On Saturday 22 December, 2012 Egyptian artists in Darwsha Project will perform at Jesuit Center, 9:00 PM

RADIO LEWA

With the support of Pro Helvetia Cairo, Artellewa is launching Radio Lewa, a community art radio project and two workshops led by Swiss artists Joerg Koeppel and Mirjam Burgin.

The first workshop will take place from 21 December 2012 to 8 January 2013 and will introduce participants to basic radio techniques and experimental sound concepts. It will be open to Ard El Lewa residents of all ages. The second workshop will run from 21 December 2012 to 9 January 2013 where participants will develop concepts for experimental radio shows. It will be open to artists residing in Egypt and working in any discipline.

The programs produced during the workshops will be aired on Radio Lewa, a small radio studio at artellewa art space to be broadcast over the internet from 10 January until 31 January 2013. For more information please visit http://artellewa.com/2012/11/radio-lewa-workshops/

HISHAM EL ZEINY at Mashrabia Gallery

The exhibition "Takeoff.....Landing??" by HISHAM EL ZEINY opened on December 16, 2012 and will run until January 17, 2013 at Mashrabia Gallery, 8, Champollion St. Downtown, Cairo. Telephone Number: +20225784494.

This is how the author explain the theme of the exhibition:

The plane is considered a vehicle of transportation from a place to another.  Metaphorically speaking, a transition from one life situation to the next. In this exhibition I examine the imaginary scenario of an urgent trip undertaken by our national aviation, in which Egypt Air announces its unscheduled emergency Flight no. Jan 25 heroically attempting to head for democracy.. or better still "demo-crazy". Crossing heavy weather fronts, clouds pregnant with tear gas, volcanic eruptions of anger on the ground, buildings torched and obfuscating orientation, bullets cutting the sky echoing state terror, a revolution licking it's wounds and driven by a unique surge in a proud attempt to restore national pride and freedom. Due to the breakdown of navigation systems, and the total lack of vision, no further instructions can be given during this flight. Consequently because of the uniqueness of this venture, which relies on a risky autopilot, nightmarish images of the revolution manifest in front of the passenger's inner eye evoking fields of colors ranging from dusty mudbrowns over shady and heavy greys, shocked whites as lightning, sudden splashes of red eaten by thick oily petrol blue, all immersed in sharp toxic lucidity, giving way to rhythmic waves of the reds whites and blacks of our national flag...
For now the image remains blurred, things weathered.. a ruinous state, closer to standstill due to revolutionary fatigue and lack of fantasy in a so called orthodox establishment.
And yet, the mind keeps on spinning, inner images, "counterimages" of hope, an unfinished canvas, and as it is still in the making... it has no title yet.
The works on display highlight and reflect stages of this historical voyage, its takeoff which was mostly successful… and its landing remaining a mystery.

Christmas at the Cairo Jazz Club (with a Charity Event too ...)

The Cairo Jazz Club organizes two back to back Christmas music events on the 24th and 25th December, 2012 starting from 10:00 PM. In these occasions a special Christmas menu will be available.

On Saturday December 24, 2012 (Christmas Eve) CJC presents a tech, vocal house evening with DJ Mistletoe & Mayhem ft. Misty & Hafez.

On Christmas Day, Sunday December 25, 2012 the stage will be taken by the band GLASS ONION who will play for a Charity Event. Glass Onion have a very special playlist prepared for this Christmas presenting a more sophisticated spin-off to the legendary Beatles. All proceedings will be donated to The CANOSSA VOCATIONAL CENTRE. The Canossa Centre is an educational, vocational and training centre for the displaced Sudanese and Egyptian youth, women and children living in Cairo. They provide quality community-based education and services that equip refugees with all the necessary skills, educational support and encouragement to help build up their self sufficiency and self respect in preparation for repartition and resettlement into society. The Canossa Centre is composed of two sections; the kindergarten and the vocational centre for adults. For more information contact The Canossa Centre on 026376953 or visit their website: http://canossacentre.blogspot.com/ . 5 Abu Hashish Street, Helmiet El Zeitoun, Cairo, Egypt.

SANDRO SCHNEEBELI & THE EGYPTIAN CONNECTION concert at MAKAN update

I got more information about Sandro Schneebeli & The Egyptian Connection at MAKAN on Thursday December 20, 2012 at 9:00 PM.
Here is MAKAN's press release of the event:

When guitarist and composer Sandro Schneebeli came to Egypt to perform in Art Beat 2012 Music & Art Festival, he fell in love with the country, its people, and its music. This week, the experimental musician comes back for another endeavour to explore more of Egyptian music, injecting its oriental sounds into his compositions. In collaboration with his "Egyptian Connection": Mohammed Medhat on Violin, Ahmed Nazmi on Bass, and Ahmed Hisham on Drums, Sandro Schneebeli promises an unforgettable evening of his original World Jazz compositions, infused with the unique flavors of the East.

Doors open at 8:30 PM
Tickets: 30 LE
Tea and Karkade are served
For information and reservations please e-mail: makan@egyptmusic.org

MakAn: 1 (Not 1a) Saad Zaghloul Street, 11461, El Dawaween, Cairo.
(on the corner of across Saad Zaghloul and Mansour street)
Tel: 00202 27920878
http://www.egyptmusic.org
www.facebook.com/pages/Egyptian-Center-for-Culture-and-Arts-Makan
Please click here for a map

SANDRO SCHNEEBELI (Switzerland) and MOHAMMED MEDHAT (Egypt) live concerts

The Swiss guitarist and composer SANDRO SCHNEEBELI has added two performances to the one that will take place on Sunday December 23, 2012 at the Cairo Jazz Club (click here for more information).
These two performances, in duo with Egyptian violinist Mohammed Medhat, will take place on Thursday December 20 at MAKAN and Friday December 21 at DARB 1718
Unfortunately I was not able at this stage to get the precise time for the performances. Please contact directly the venues for more information.

The Time That Remains: Movie Screening at Dina's Hostel

The Time That Remains (Al Zaman al Baqi) (2009/Palestine-Israel) will be presented on Sunday December 16 at Dina's Hostel at 7:00 PM

Director: Elia Suleiman
Language: Arabic, English, Hebrew.
English Subtitles
Runtime: 109 minutes

From the acclaimed director of "Divine Intervention", Elia Suleiman, comes another fantastical film "The Time That Remains". It's an examination of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 through to the present day. The Time That Remains is a film that documents Elia's life and highlights the absurdity of the current Palestine/Israel situation.

Venue: Dina's Hostel,
42 Abdel Khaleq Serwat Street, Cairo, Egypt, 5th Floor

TEXTURES OF LIFE Art Exhibition in Maadi

TEXTURES OF LIFE an art exhibition by Anne-Francoise Giraud (France - Collage, mixed media) and Claire Marie Pearman (England - Installation sculptor, paper & metal) will be inaugurated in Maadi on Thursday December 13, 2012 at 5:00 PM (open till 9:00 PM).
The exhibition will continue on Friday 14 from 2:00 to 7:00 PM and Saturday December 15 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The exhibition takes place in Apt. 2 (ground floor), Bldg 56, Road 15, Maadi (across from Holy Family Church in Maadi).
A percentage of proceeds with be donated to Women's' Charities in Cairo.

For more information about the artists: www.anne-francoise-giraud.com & www.birchandarrow.com.

2012 NAGUIB MAHFOUZ Medal for Literature

Tomorrow Tuesday December 11, 2012 at 6:00 PM at the AUC Zamalek Dormitory, 16 Mohamed Thakeb St. (opp. Maraashli Church) the winner of the 2012 Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature will be announced. For more information about the event, click here (you should register if you plan to attend).

To read more about AUC's Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature, click here.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT: RAMI ATALLAH QUINTET with MICHELLE ROUNDS

Join the Rami Atallah Quintet with special guest Michelle Rounds on vocals for a  swinging Christmas Concert in the Wisdom Hall of El Sawi Cultural Center in Zamalek on Monday December 10, 2012 at 8:00 PM

Cancellation of Benefit Concert to support Syrian Refugees in Egypt

Culture Resource released the following announcement:

Culture Resource (Al Mawred Al Thaqafy) apologizes for the cancellation of the benefit Concert to support Syrian refugees in Egypt, which was supposed to be held on Saturday December 8, 2012 at El Gomhouria Theater, within the context of Culture Resource (Al Mawred Al Thaqafy) initiative in support of the Syrian people. The cancellation is due to the political situation that the country is going through and Egyptians' preoccupation with the current political events.

IDIL BIRET at the Manasterly Palace

The renowned Turkish pianist IDIL BIRET will play music by Beethoven and Liszt (click here for performer's biography and evening's program) on Sunday December 16, 2012 at the Manasterly Palace in Manial.

It is possible that due to the current political events and situation of unrest, the concert might have to be cancelled. CLEG is not always informed in time to post an update. It might therefore be a good idea to double-check with the International Music Center (you'll find the numbers at the bottom of the poster below) on the date of the concert.

 

Update regarding the Edinburgh World Writers’ Conference

The British Council recently provided an update in light of recent events regarding the cancellation of some events at the Edinburgh World Writers’ Conference. Kindly schedule accordingly.

"In consideration of the events happening in Egypt, we announce the cancellation of all public events of the Edinburgh World Writers’ Conference, on December 7 and 8. However, we will be continuing the discussions by posting keynotes online on Saturday December 8 on the conference website.
The Kids Read event, scheduled to take place in Cairo on December 8 as part of the Conference activities has been postponed.
Thank you for your understanding."

EDINBURGH WORLD WRITER'S CONFERENCE

The Edinburgh International Book Festival and the British Council will bring the Edinburgh World Writers' Conference (EWWC) to Cairo on Friday December 7 and Saturday December 8, 2012.

The two-day  conference will be held at the British Council in Agouza and the Civic Centre in El Gezirah, in partnership with Diwan Bookstore, the University of Cairo and the General Egyptian Book Organisation. The conference will include several major Egyptian writers who have been invited to participate in this global conversation. All events are open to the public.

The event in Cairo will bring some vital voices to the global EWWC debate, asking big questions. Poet and political commentator Tamim Al-Barghouti will ask the question 'Should Literature Be Political?' (Sat. at 8:00 PM) with a response from Scottish poet Aonghas MacNeacail. The second conversation will look at 'The Future of the Novel' (Sat. 1:30 PM). Writer and translator Sahar el Mougy will address an Egyptian and international audience to contemplate where literature is headed. British novelist Maggie Gee will respond.
These events will take place at the Civil Education Centre, El Borg Street, El Gezirah (click here for more details and map)

For more information about the EWWC, click here and here.

"MONO" Exhibition at Darb 1718

An amazing array of photographers (see complete list below) will participate to this year's Cairo Camera Club Exhibition titled "MONO".
The exhibition will take place at Darb 1718 and will be inaugurated on Saturday December 8, 2012 at 7:00 PM. The exhibition will continue till Friday December 14 and will be open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM (4:00 PM to 10:00 PM on Fridays).

(click on images to enlarge)

MARWA ADEL Exhibition at Safarkhan Gallery

"The Journey" is an exhibition by Marwa Adel that opens today Tuesday December 4 and will run till Saturday December 29, 2012 at SAFARKHAN Gallery, 6 Brazil Street, Zamalek, Cairo.

Marwa Adel (click here to know more about the artist), a British Council's 'Grants to Artists' grantee, is a visual artist using photography, conceptual design and calligraphy to create artworks.

In her fifth solo exhibition with Safarkhan, Marwa explores the notion of "The Journey" of our lives. How we are trapped within the traditions and constraints of the past and our innermost struggles and our yearnings to be free from them. In Marwa's words: "A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. Life is too short to sit around thinking about every little thing that could go wrong. To live our lives to the fullest, we must first get rid of the fear inside us. Worrying solves absolutely nothing."

3X3 Art Exhibition at Al Kahila Art Gallery

Al Kahila Art Gallery (15, El Batal Ahmed Abdel Aziz St.Mohandessin, Giza, click here for map) presents 3X3, a collective exhibition of paintings and sculptures by 6 Egyptian artists.
The opening ceremony will take place on Thursday December 6, 2012 at 6:00 PM.
The exhibition will continue till Tuesday December 18, daily from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, except Fridays.

 (click on image to enlarge)

December at the Cairo Jazz Club

My CJC highlight of the month is the concert of Swiss guitarist and composer Sandro Schneebeli with "The Egyptian Connection" (Ahmed Nazmi, Hamed Hesham, Mohamed Medhat).
Schneebeli came to Egypt last October with his Jazz Quartet from Switzerland to perform at the Artbeat Festival and was deeply impressed by Egypt's music scene and warm welcome. So much so that he is already back for a concert with some of the friends he made on that occasion. Don't miss their performance on Sunday December 23 at 9:00 PM.

What else? As usual the month is packed with good stuff. Some more tips?
Techno House fans shouldn't miss DANCESTOCK's last two evenings on Wednesday 5 and 12.
While if you are into jazz, put a remark on your agenda for Sunday 9 when the Ahmed Nazmi Quartet will launch their new album.
And then American fusion singer Sheila Scribner, Basheer, City Band, Ashara Gharby, Wust El Balad, Salalem, ...

For CJC complete programme of the month, click here.

LEL SAMAR PROJECT

During their Pro Helvetia residency in Cairo, Swiss-Lebanese singer DIDA GUIGAN, and Swiss electronic musician MARCEL SAEGESSER, are set to perform the following public concerts in Cairo:

Friday December 7, 2012 at 8:00 PM:
100 COPIES MUSIC SPACE, 22 Talaat Harb St., 2nd floor, Downtown. Tel: 27738760.
Friday December 14, 2012 at 9:00 PM:
DARB 1718, Kasr El Sham St., Al Fakhareen-Old Cairo. Tel: 23610511.

These performances come as part of the LEL SAMAR PROJECT, which is constantly moving between so-called Arab and western traditions in search of its own place, words and sounds.
For more information: www.lelsamarproject.com