WEEKLY AGENDA MUSIC May 1 - May 7, 2010

Saturday, May 1, 2010
- Cairo Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ahmed Al Saedi with soloists Mohamed Hamdy (Clarinet) and Ines Abdel Daim (Flute*) present works from Rossini (or Stravinsky*), Mozart (or Danzi*) and Sibelius in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM (* I have seen two different programs)
- Sakia’s 2^nd Rock Festival at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 7:00 PM
- Abdel Halim Noweira Arab Music Ensemble conducted by Salah Ghobashi present a selection of Umm Kulthuom songs in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM
- Beshir (Modern Egyptian Folk) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM

Sunday, May 2, 2010
- Groovy Aspirin (Funk Jazz) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM
- Sakia’s 2^nd Rock Festival at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 7:00 PM
- The Nubian Drums 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 8:00 PM
- Bashir (Nubian music) at the After8 Club, 10:00 PM
- National Arab Music Ensemble at the Arab Institute, 9:00 PM

Monday, May 3, 2010
- Omar Khairat with the Cairo Opera Orchestra conducted by Nader Abbassi in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM
- Sasha Waltz Company for Dance Theatre present “Zweiland” at the Gomhouria Theatre, 9:00 PM
- Victoria Kapralova (Cello) and Haytham Ibrahim (Piano) will present works from Chopin and Schumann in Kasr El Fenoun (Palace of Arts) in the Cairo Opera House grounds, 8:00 PM
- Sakia’s 2^nd Rock Festival at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 7:00 PM
- DJ Omar El Sherif (Vocal House) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30
- Wust El Balad (Modern oriental and jazz fusion) at the After8 Club, 10:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM

Tuesday, May 4, 2010
- Sasha Waltz Company for Dance Theatre present “Zweiland” at the Gomhouria Theatre, 9:00 PM
- Funky no. 7 (Funky and pop covers) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM
- Nass Makan (Nubian music, Zikr and Sufi songs, Sudanese music and songs) at the Makan Centre 9:00 PM
- DJ Dina El Ghareeb at After8, 10:00 PM

Wednesday, May 5, 2010
- Sakia’s 2^nd Rock Festival at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 7:00 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
- DJ Ramy (Boogie Night) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM
- DJ Doody at After8, 10:00 PM

Thursday, May 6, 2010
- Maurizio Lazzaro Cairo Jazz Quartet (Italy/Egypt) in the River Hall of El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 9:30 PM 
- Nadira Primatova (Uzbekistan) and Homayoun Sakhi (Afghanistan) at the Amir Taz Palace, 8:00 PM
- National Arab Music Ensemble conducted by Selim Sahab in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 9:00 PM
- Urban Preachers (Rock’n’Blues, soul and funk) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM
- Sahra (Rai music) at the After8 Pub, 10:00 PM

Friday, May 7, 2010
- Omar Sosa Quartet (Cuba/Spain) at the Geneina Theatre in Al Azhar Park, 8:00 PM
- Mohamed Saleh Cello recital in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Nesma Abdel Aziz Ensemble in the Open Air Theatre of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Omar Khairat at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 9:00 PM
- Heritage Ensemble for Arab Music at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Salalem (Arabic music) at the After8 Pub, 10:00 PM

- DJ Migo (Vocal House) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM

Al Masry Al Youm Weekly International Book Digest

Have spotted the Weekly International Book Digest page last week and waited a little to see if this would become a regulare feature of AMAY website. It is now only in its second issue but I hope it continues and therefore I decided to contribute to spread the word by publishing a post about it.

If you are short of ideas for further reading or simply want to keep you abreast with the latest publications about the area, and add another title to that interminable list of "must read" books, that's a page for you.

Theatre of shadows at Beit Al Suheimi

In the framework of the project "MUSIC AND THEATRE OF FIGURE: A BRIDGE ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA", a theatre of shadows work titled "The Tales of Sharazade" will be presented on Friday April 30, 2010 at 7:00 PM in the historical setting of Beit Al Suheimi.

For more information, click here.

Cairo Mediterranean Literary Festival

WOW!!! This ought to be one of the main events of the year. From Wednesday May 5 toWednesday May 12, 2010 the Baad el Bahr Cultural Association in cooperation with the European Union and in partnership with a host of other institutions, will bring to Cairo many artists from the Mediterranean basin for a week of seemingly non-stop talks and performances as part of the 1st Cairo Mediterranean Literary Festival.
The programme is so dense that it would be impossible to cover it on the blog but fortunately, in a welcome display of professionality, the organizers have come up with a website where you can get all information you need, including maps to reach the venues where the events take place.
The link to the Festivals webpage will remain available in the "Latest Agenda and Festival" section at the top right side of the blog until the end of the event.

See you there.

WEEKLY AGENDA MUSIC APR. 24 - APR. 30

Saturday, April 24, 2010
- “SPLIT” Exhibition opening, with a concert by Kareem Lotfy (Ambient/Electronica) at Darb1718, 9:30 PM
- Wust El Balad (Modern Egyptian Folk) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM

Sunday, April 25, 2010
- National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus with the Cairo Opera Orchestra present the ballet “La Bayadère” with music by Ludwig Minkus and choreography by Marius Petipa in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Riff Band (Vocal Jazz) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM
 - “White Lotus” with Georges Kazazian (Oud), Albin Brun (Switzerland/Accordion and Saxophone), Patricia Draeger (Switzerland/Accordion), Mohamed Safik (Clarinet) and Mohamed Said (Cello) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:00 PM
- El Masreyeen Band led by Hani Shenouda (Egyptian music) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- Peace Message with Samaa Ensemble, Indonesian Troupe and Coptic Choir at the Ghouri Palace, 8:00 PM
- El-Nil Troupe for folk instruments (Folk music and songs) at Beit Al-Suheimi 8:00 PM
- Bashir (Nubian music) at the After8 Club, 10:00 PM

Monday, April 26, 2010
- National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus with the Cairo Opera Orchestra present the ballet “La Bayadère” with music by Ludwig Minkus and choreography by Marius Petipa in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Asia (Sudanese music) at the Makan Centre, 9:00 PM
- Yorka Band (Andalusian and Algerian music) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- Klaket Band (Rock music) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- DJ Awadi Bros. (Funky) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30
- Wust El Balad (Modern oriental and jazz fusion) at the After8 Club, 10:00 PM
- Al-Ghouri Tannoura Dance Group at the Ghouri Caravansaray 8:30 PM

Tuesday, April 27, 2010
- National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus with the Cairo Opera Orchestra present the ballet “La Bayadère” with music by Ludwig Minkus and choreography by Marius Petipa in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Michael Quinn and the Bourbon Kings (Americana/Roots music and Rock) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM
- City Band (Contemporary Egyptian music) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 8:30 PM
- Nass Makan (Nubian music, Zikr and Sufi songs, Sudanese music and songs) at the Makan Centre 9:00 PM
- DJ Dina El Ghareeb at After8, 10:00 PM

Wednesday, April 28, 2010
- National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus with the Cairo Opera Orchestra present the ballet “La Bayadère” with music by Ludwig Minkus and choreography by Marius Petipa in the Main Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 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
- Ali El Haggar (Aabic music) at El Sawi Cultural Centre in Zamalek, 9:00 PM
- DJ Selim (Boogie Night) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM
- DJ Doody at After8, 10:00 PM

Thursday, April 29, 2010
- The Lions of Cairo directed by John Baboukis (Western, Arab amd Byzantine music of the Medieval and Renaissance era) in the Oriental Hall of AUC Downtown Campus, 8:00 PM
- Hend Zaki in the Open Air Theatre of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Kareem Salama (USA/Country music) at the Geneina Theatre in Al Azhar Park, 8:00 PM
- Screwdriver (Rock’n’Roll) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM
- Sahra (Rai music) at the After8 Pub, 10:00 PM

Friday, April 30, 2010
- Yehya Khalil in the Small Hall of Cairo Opera House, 8:00 PM
- Religious Song Ensemble at the Gomhouria Theatre, 8:00 PM
- Salalem (Arabic music) at the After8 Pub, 10:00 PM

- DJ Ouzo (House) at the Cairo Jazz Club, 10:30 PM

Arabic movies subtitled in English

I just read and advertisement which claims that the Reinassance cinemas (Nile City on the corniche and Bandar in Maadi) are going to screen Arabic movies with English subtitles.
Mabrouk, that's the beginning of a renaissance! It was time the producers recognized the potential of the expat community and of the wider world. Hope we'll have soon more DVDs of new productions with subtitles on the market.

So, why not having a go with the much celebrated Asafeer El Nile this weekend?

Egyptian Philarmonic Society concert on Wednesday, April 21 has been cancelled

Due to the circumstances of aviation  in Europe and the cancellation of thousands of flights, the Guest soloist  Maestro Federico Mondleci could not arrive in Egypt. For that reason the Egyptian Philarmonic Society Spring Concert on Wednesday 21 at the Ewart Memorial Hall had to be postponed.