Egypt celebrates 100 years since the death of the great religious chanter and great singer Sheikh Youssef Al-Manyalawy on 17 October, 2011.

The celebration is the brain child of the Foundation for Arab Music Archiving and Research (AMAR) in collaboration with the National Centre for Theatre Music and Folk Arts, as well as the foreign relations bureau of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture.

One of the great masters of Inshad (religious chants), Al-Manyalawy’s enchanting and powerful voice made him one of the key music icons of the renaissance era in Egyptian music (Mohammed Ali era -1930).

Between 17-19 October, Cairo will celebrate this rare music gem through a special public discussion/press conference, workshops open to all musicians eager to learn more about the glamour of renaissance music era, and a concert of El-Manyalawy’s music and songs. 

A book commemorating Sheikh Al-Manyalawy’s life works and a compilation of his CDs will be on sale at the event.

The celebration is paralleled in Beirut starting on 22 October.

Schedule of events:

Monday 17 October: Discussion/press conference about Sheikh Youssef Al-Manyalawy’s life works.

Time and place: 7pm at the conference hall of the High Culture Institute at the Opera House.

Tuesday 18 October: Public music workshop to discuss the mechanism of musical instruments and compositions during the renaissance era.

Time and place: From 12 noon until 5pm at the Opera House.

Wednesday 19 October: public music workshop to discuss the mechanism of musical instruments and compositions during the renaissance era

Time and place: From 12 noon until 5pm at the Opera House.

Sheikh El-Manyalawy concert (invitation only).

Time and place: 8pm at the Theatre of Arabic Music Institute on Ramses Street Downtown.