The 21st annual Arab Music Festival will kick off on 8 November at the Cairo Opera House and will continue for eight days.

The festival will feature an Arabic-language operetta, Asheq El-Nagham ('Melody Lover'), which reflects on the life of Egyptian musician Riad Sumbati (1906-1981). Sumbati wrote music for legendary Egyptian singer Um Kalthum.

Among the participants in this year's festival will be Fouad Zabadi and Asmaa Lmnawar (Morocco); Safwan Bahlawan and Hussein El-Sheikh (Syria); Sana Moussa (Palestine); and Rami Yasoub (Lebanon).

Egyptian musicians will include Mohammed El-Helw, Afaf Radi, Amal Maher, May Farouk, Reham Abdul Hakim and Murad Karam.

A more detailed programme for the festival will be provided soon.