Not to be missed: From Mahmoud El-Esseily and Bahaa Sultan to Hakim and Ruby

Ahram Online , Wednesday 18 Dec 2024

Ahram Online highlights a selection of do-not-miss events this week (18-25 December) in Cairo.

Not to be missed

 

For Christmas and New Year events, check out the full programme here.

The Emir from Poland - exhibition 
Opening on Thursday, 19 December, 2pm
Museum of Islamic Art, Port Said Street, Cairo

The exhibition celebrates the work of Wacław Seweryn Rzewuski (1784-1831), a legendary Polish traveller who blended together two archetypes: that of a Bedouin Emir and that of a knight fighting for his homeland's independence.

Rzewuski made a spectacular contribution to our knowledge about the traditions that were cultivated for centuries in the Middle East and on the Arabian Peninsula.

On his travels in the region, he documented the life and culture of the desert-dwelling Bedouins.

The exhibition continues until 23 December.

 

Hanan Mady - music
Thursday, 19 December, 8pm
El-Sawy Culturewheel, Wisdom Hall, 26th of July Street, Zamalek, Cairo

Hanan Mady began singing at a young age, studied violin at the Cairo Conservatory, and graduated in 1989.

Mady made a debut singing the theme song, composed by Omar Khairat, to the 1988 TV series El-Leqaa El-Thany (The Second Meeting).

She went on to sing in several TV series including Yasser Abdel-Rahman's theme for the TV series El-Mal Wal-Banon (The Fortune and the Progeny, 1992-1995) and worked with other renowned composers and lyricists. Those include Abdel-Azim Abdel-Haq, Helmi Bakr, Ahmad Fouad Negm, Ibrahim Abdel-Fattah, and Reda Amin.

Throughout her career, Mady released four albums, each featuring several tracks that became very popular among her fans, such as Leilet Eshq, El-Bahr, Sheddy El-Dafayer, Asfour, and Kan W-Kan.

 

 

Mahmoud El-Esseily and Bahaa Sultan - music
Thursday, 19 December, 8pm
El-Malahy, New Cairo

Mahmoud El-Esseily came to prominence in the early 2000s. Since then, he has released several albums, including Meen Ana (Who Am I?), Tool Manty Ganby (As Long As You Are Beside Me), and Donia Gedida (New World).

Faithful to the light pop genre, El-Esseily touches the hearts of his fans with songs that tackle themes of happiness and the pains of romantic relationships.

Bahaa Sultan also rose to fame in the early 2000s.

He released around eight albums, including Yalla Mashy (1998), Three Minutes (2001), Stand Up (2003), W Malna (2011), and Cigara (2021).

His most recent song, Ana Men Gherak, for the film Al-Hawa Sultan, garnered over 15 million views on YouTube in one month.




 

Folklorita - music
Thursday, 19 December, 8pm
Al-Ghoury Dome, Al-Darb Al-Ahmar, Fatimid Cairo

Folklorita presents covers of songs from Egyptian heritage.

The group, which includes 17 performers, relies mainly on voices, percussive instruments, tabla, doholla, daff, and other musicians.

Folklorita’s first concert was in March 2024, and ever since, the group has performed across many venues in Egypt.

They have also performed during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Alexandria Short Film Festival.

 


 

New films across cinemas
Thursday, 20 December brings several new films to movie theatres across Egypt:
- A Sudden Case of Christmas, starring Danny De Vito, Andie Macdowell, Lucy De Vito, and Wilmer Valderrama.
- Survive, starring Émilie Dequenne, Andreas Pietschmann, and Lisa Delamar.
- Mufasa: The Lion King, starring Seth Rogen, Aaron Pierre, and Billy Eichner.
- El Hana El Ana Feeh, starring Dina El Sherbiny, Karim Mahmoud Abdul-Aziz, and Yasmine Raees.
- Gunner, starring Morgan Freeman and Luke Hemsworth.

 

Ruby and Hakim - music
Friday, 20 December, 7pm
Open Air Mall, Madinaty

Rania Hussein Mohamed Tawfik, known as Ruby, was born in 1980. She started taking small roles in films in the late 1990s.

Ruby made her first significant appearance in Yousef Chahine's film Silence ... We're Rolling (2001).

In parallel, she embarked on a singing career, entering the limelight with her single Enta Aref Eih (What Do You Know?) in 2003.

The music video was shot in Prague, presenting Ruby belly dancing on the streets.

Over the years, Ruby has released several albums and singles. She appeared in numerous TV ads while continuing to work in films and television series.

Abdel-Hakim Abdel-Samad Kamel, known by the mononym Hakim, is an Egyptian shaabi singer who rose to fame in the late 1990s with his songs Nar (1994), Efred (1997), Eh Ely Byehsal Dah (1998), and Wala Wahid (1998).

He released his most recent hit, El-Keber, four months ago.





Andromida - music
Friday, 20 December, 7pm
El-Sawy Culturewheel, River Hall, 26th of July Street, Zamalek, Cairo

Andromida, one of the oldest active rock bands in Egypt, was formed by Amr Hassan and Ihab Al-Qalie (keyboard and vocals).

The band also includes Hassan, Sherif El-Sharqawi (drums and vocals), and Ahmed Anwar (bass and vocals).

The band, founded in Alexandria in 1987, is widely known for performing some of Pink Floyd’s best-known songs.




Abdel-Halim Nowera Ensemble for Arab Music
Sunday, 22 December, 8pm
Cairo Opera House, Main Hall, Zamalek, Cairo

In memory of renowned singer and composer Farid Al-Atrash, who died half a century ago, the evening will feature some of his best music.

Abdel-Halim Nowera Ensemble for Arab Music was founded in 1967 by Maestro Abdel-Halim Nowera.

The Ensemble's mission is to revive the authentic musical heritage, presenting various traditional vocal and musical forms.

The orchestra, led by maestro Ahmed Amer, includes several solo singers: Walid Heidar, Mahmoud Abdelhamid, Momen Khalil, Nehad Fathy, and Rehab Motawei.

 

Ali El-Haggar - music
Tuesday, 24 December, 8pm
Must Theatre, 6th of October, Cairo

El-Haggar has been one of the best-known singers in Egypt and the Arab world over the past four decades.

His songs carry lyrics drawn from the poetry of Salah Jahin, Abdel-Rahman El-Abnoudy, and Sayed Hegab to music by the country's most renowned composers such as Baligh Hamdy, Sayed Mekkawy, and Omar Khairat, among others.

 


Ali Quandil - standup comedy
Tuesday, 24 December, 8pm
Boom Room, Open Air Mall, Madinaty

Ali Quandil is one of the stand-up comedy pioneers in Egypt. Over the past 10 years, he has presented 500 shows in more than 20 Egyptian cities, as well as in Dubai and The Comedy Club in Jeddah.

Quandil founded the first cultural centre for stand-up comedy training in Egypt and the Arab world, through comedy workshops that are attended by many of the known names in Egyptian stand-up comedy today.


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