Egyptian singer and composer Yousra El-Hawary and local band Shawarena will be performing on the closing night of the International Poetry Festival at Darb 1718 on Thursday 7 November.

El-Hawary plays the accordion and writes and composes her own songs. She started playing the piano when she was 8 years old, then took up the accordion in 2010. Her first Cairo performance was in March 2010. 

Her songs often stir controversy, as most of them deal with social and political issues in the form of simple stories. Her song El-Soor (The Wall) caused a particular stir, being a sharp criticism of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces which ruled Egypt at the time. El-Soor came first in the Fair Play global competition for music videos against corruption.

El-Hawary has performed with her band in Egypt and abroad. 

Shawarena was founded in Alexandria in 2009 and has staged numerous shows in Cairo and Alexandria. 

Writing songs inspired by their experiences, Shawarena began as an innovative musical project with three members - relying on vocals, bodily and facial expressions, as well as methods similar to beat-boxing - performed without musical instruments. However, the band has since added instruments to their arrangements, including a guitar, bass, keyboards and drums.

Programme:
Thursday 7 November at 7pm
Darb 1718 Contemporary Art and Culture Center
Qasr Al-Shamee' Street, Al-Fakhareen – Old Cairo
(Behind the Hanging Church and Amr Ibn Al-As Mosque)