Cairo is a metropolitan city. Millions of people from every face of the earth visit the Egyptian capital each year, in groups or individually. Some stay longer than others, but ultimately, everyone sees it in a different light. Using art to mirror this multi-layered experience is not an easy feat. While many such attempts land …

We are part of a global movement, said Sarah Rifaat, one of the organizers of 350.org day of climate action, an event that took place last Saturday and saw environmental activists from around the world gathering to put a stop to global warming. Marking 50 days before world leaders meet at the United Nations climate …

Over and over again, across countless art spaces, foreign artists have shared their view of our multi-layered, metropolitan capital; a theme that has not only been exhausted to death over the last 10 years, but has also been an easy trap for clichés. Sawy Culture Wheel’s hidden Shadow Hall has managed to break the chain …

The fluidity of music across borders is not new to cultures. Long before visas and travel permits were a requirement for crossing borders, music was as a matter of course exchanged between traders alongside goods. Nowadays, musicians with different cultural influences find it hard to find the time and space to discuss musical inspirations and …

The art of writing Arabic verses and proverbs is the epitome of fusing art and literature into one piece. El-Sawy Culture Wheel’s Earth Hall is currently showing calligrapher Muhammad Saad El-Mahdy’s solo exhibit titled “Ibda’at Khateya. The collection includes a series of proverbs, Quranic verses and excerpts from old Arabic poetry artfully inscribed on paper …

Razz is what you get when you fuse freewheeling jazz with strong rock beats echoed by an electric guitar fed with expressive Arabic lyrics. The ingredients are simple: rock, oriental and jazz. El Geneina Theatre audience experienced this innovative new sound last Thursday in a short but playful performance by young Jordanian singer/songwriter Aziz Maraka …

The fusion of Arabic musical traditions with jazz has become an established subgenre slowly gaining popularity among both Egyptian and Arab listeners alike. The large attendance of Lebanese singer Rima Kcheich’s April concert came as a surprise to many, partially due to the occasional avant-garde aberrations that distinct this fusion. Two consecutive sold-out concerts by …

Ramadan, and its accompanying festivities, is more than just a religious pillar; it s a time when families get together, when people try to do more good. Festivities, manifested in the colorful lanterns adorning every corner of every street in Egypt, to name one, have become an integral component of the holy month. Artist Ibrahim …

Cairo Opera House’s Artistic Creativity Center hosted this week a screening of a series of mostly Egyptian short narratives and documentaries produced by students of the Arab School for Film and Television. The screened film are the product of a series of workshops organized by the school in Cairo and Alexandria whose aim is to …

Most people fear public scrutiny; we find comfort in belonging to a group, in knowing that someone has our back covered, in believing that we are not being judged on the basis of our appearance. Clearly, that’s just wishful thinking. It’s one thing to feel sidelined and bullied in school. It’s another when you’re a …

As people’s idea of marriage turns more materialistic by the minute, traffic reaches a new level of chaos everyday and education levels topple further, Egyptians put on their creative hats in an attempt to brush off such realities, at least for one night. Sawy Cultural Wheel’s monthly Jokes Café, held last Sunday, was nothing out …

Ever wonder why most children grow up watching musicals? Why “Marry Poppins and “The Sound of Music remind you of your old living room? It’s simply because they’re utterly and purely joyous, easy to memorize and have proven to be timeless. The stage of the Cairo Opera House has nurtured hundreds of talents, showcased a …

If someone were to set foot in a cabaret today, it would probably be for a cheap night out, a bachelor party or a desperate search for a one-night stand; or so it seems. If you were to walk into Cairo’s downtown cabarets 60 years ago, however, you’d come across an entirely different picture: a …

In an effort to protect Egyptian children from exploitation, abuse and violence, Hanfaninha Studio Gallery is organizing a two-day exhibition to raise funds for a project designed to educate 25 street children, victims of child labor and students from marginalized communities, about their rights as Egyptian citizens. Artists from different backgrounds have donated their work …

we are all familiar with the legendary Egyptian black and white films, those which featured cinematic giants such as Faten Hamama and Shadia. At the peak of their careers in the 1940s and 50s, and up until today, such heroines have become quintessential icons of the dramatic nature of Egyptian women. In an exhibition that …

Egypt has long cultivated a culture that loves to dance, dating as far as its ancient pharaoh civilization. While the temples of Memphis have been home to some of the most historical forms of dancing, Egypt’s great dancers who emerged in the 30s and 40s took dance to a completely different level. Dance was elevated …

Continuous cooperation and long-term culture bridging were the focus of a press conference held last week at the Goethe Institute to launch a new project called New Orient II: Cairo, Beirut – a three-way initiative between Egypt, Lebanon and Germany. Centered on creating cultural dialogue, the festival will be held in three major German cities …