By Chitra Kalyani “I often ask myself if I believe what I’m doing. Do I believe that I sing? Am I really doing this?” Maryam Saleh says, explaining her puzzling concert title. “Ana mesh baghani” (I Don’t Sing) was also the opening song at Saleh’s act at Rawabet on Thursday night. The packed and dim-lit Townhouse …

By Mesfin Fekadu / AP David Guetta wasn’t chasing a monster hit when he crafted songs like the Kelly Rowland-assisted “When Love Takes Over” and the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling.” The French DJ-producer was relatively unknown to most Americans, and he didn’t feel much pressure to make the tracks Grammy-winning, international smashes — though …

Hyper-cynical anti-war novel "Catch-22" turns 50 next month, and Joseph Heller must be chortling in his grave over how apropos the phrase he coined remains today — from the US jobs crisis to a bottomless war in Afghanistan. In addition to a fresh edition of the novel, publishers have rolled out new books to coincide …

A sense of expansion presides over this year’s New York Film Festival, the 49th and first since Lincoln Center’s new $41 million film center was opened. But as with all things NYFF, any growth is measured and restrained. The annual movie event, which begins Friday and runs through Oct. 16, is the country’s most prestigious …

Reality and its multiple truths are mirrored in “Bab Al-Shams” (Gate of the Sun) and its weaving of storytelling, translation and film adaption, argued the artists involved as they poetically reflected on the current state of affairs. On Monday evening, the American University of Cairo students and professors squeezed into the Oriental Hall at the …

It’s the time of year in the city when the leaves fall, a chill settles over the streets and a crop of boundary-pushing musicals pop up. The New York Musical Theatre Festival kicked off this week, presenting 30 new works, including shows about Billy the Kid and a dancing King Tut. Jane Austen’s "Pride and …

By Aida Nasr “I used to be afraid. Then I became Egyptian,” read a sign a man seen holding in Tahrir Square. “It completely took my breath away. What a powerful sign,” says Karima Khalil. “It was something very new to us, to take pride in our nationality as Egyptians.” It was Khalil’s first time in …

By Derrik J.Lang / AP It’s been 20 years since the release of Nirvana’s “Nevermind.” The album, which included cultural anthems like “Smells like Teen Spirit” and “Come As You Are,” marked the beginning of the alternative rock explosion of the 1990s and transformed drummer Dave Grohl, bassist Krist Novoselic and singer-guitarist Kurt Cobain into the …

On Sunday evening at Downtown Cairo’s Goethe Institute, local film aficionados and filmmakers alike were privy to an informative panel discussion entitled “Cinema and Cooperation” about the future of the Arab film industry and the availability of cooperative aid in project development. The panel was moderated by Cairo based film analyst, Alaa Karkouti, and featured …

  CAIRO: The state of the Egyptian media was the focus of the eleventh installment of Monday’s Tahrir Dialogues, a series of panel discussions hosted by the American University in Cairo (AUC).   The panel brought together Albert Shafik, managing director of ONTV; Mohammad Hany, head of CBC and Yasser Abdel Aziz, Al-Masry Al-Youm columnist …

Andy Warhol is known for soup cans and celebrity images, not so much for painting headlines and abstract works. The late pop artist has left much to be discovered in two shows that opened Sunday on the National Mall. The National Gallery of Art is opening its first Warhol exhibit with "Warhol: Headlines," an examination …

Spanish filmmaker Isaki Lacuesta’s "Los pasos dobles" beat the much-fancied Japanese film "Kiseki" to the top prize at the San Sebastian festival on Saturday. The jury, chaired by Oscar-winning American actress Frances McDormand ("Fargo"), named Greek-born Filippos Tsitos as best director for his thriller "Adikos kosmos" (Unfair World). The special jury prize went to French …

By Maha ElNabawi Does an individual reflect the image of a society? Or does the society dictate the image of a person? Does theater set the stage for a performance? Or do performers dictate the mood of the show? These are just a few of the questions that German production and directing duo Stefanie Lorey and …

It takes courage to defend Bucharest’s rich architectural heritage against real estate speculators and corruption. Yet 41-year-old mathematician, Nicusor Dan, took up the challenge and has made some unexpected wins in court. Once called the "little Paris of the Balkans" because of its exquisite architecture and booming cultural life, the Romanian capital has suffered a …

By Nekesa Mumbi Moody / AP R.E.M., the alternative rock group that shook up the music world with its experimental, edgy sound and then earned multiplatinum success and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced on its website Wednesday that it has decided to call it quits. “A wise man once said …

The talk of Egyptian film circles for the past couple of weeks has been entirely focused on one topic and one topic only: The unexpected success of the newly released comedy “Sharea’ El-Haram” (Haram Street). Slammed by every single critic in the nation, the Eid release shattered Egyptian box-office records, scoring the biggest single day …

By Emma Charlton / AFP When the young Philip Roth warned his parents to brace for a media assault with the release of “Portnoy’s Complaint” in 1969, his mother broke down in tears: she thought he was suffering from delusions of grandeur. Four decades after the novel shot him to stardom, the American literary giant talks …

"Where Do We Go Now?" a bittersweet comedy set in war-torn Lebanon, bested two well-received entries starring George Clooney to win the people’s choice award Sunday at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Cadillac People’s Choice award, which also includes a C$15,000 cash prize, is voted on by festival audiences and has typically been regarded …

Today’s hip-hop is not all about bling and living large. Arab rappers spanning the region are on the frontline of reviving the lost art of socially-conscious rap, proving that hip-hop is very much alive. Hailing from various Arab countries — including Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and Palestine — the artists leading this movement voice similar socio-political …

What can the Rolling Stones, Eurythmics and the blockbuster Slumdog Millionaire possibly have in common? More than you think — at least that’s the bet behind Super Heavy, a five-strong super group fronted by Mick Jagger whose new album comes out Monday. Five stars from the worlds of rock, soul, pop, reggae and world music …

South African artist William Kentridge is perhaps best known for his charcoal drawings and videos in which those drawings seem to dance. But he works in a wide variety of media — putting his drawings on stage amid a polyphony of keyboards and brass curious instruments salvaged from antique shops, and text from Shakespeare to …

Last week, Mashrou3 Al-Mareekh (Mars Project) celebrated their 18th open mic event hosted at Downtown’s Makan cultural and art center, with visiting presenter and renowned international art activist Anas ‘Andy’ Shallal. According to Mariam El-Quessny, founder of the Mars Project, “The program acts as an umbrella for various initiatives to promote self-expression amongst Egyptians within …

SHAWNEE MISSION, Kansas: To many non-Muslims, it might come as a surprise to learn that Islam is not a monolithic religion. Practices and observances can and do vary from region to region and from group to group. And headlines in mainstream media, particularly in Western countries, tend to emphasize the less flattering, repressive aspects attributed …

As Greece sinks deeper into a debt crisis that has brought sweeping layoffs, wage cuts and tax hikes, a group of young film-makers are among the few giving the country something to smile about. At the forefront is Yorgos Lanthimos, a TV commercials veteran who made a stunning dash from near-obscurity in 2009 to an …

Lebanon may be known more for its civil strife than its fledgling movie industry, but Nadine Labaki hopes to change all that. The director-actress is out to transform the way the world sees her native country. So far, so good. Her debut feature film "Caramel" did more to overhaul Lebanon’s bullet-punctured image than a dozen …

Myanmar’s revered pro-democracy leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is now also a movie protagonist after Luc Besson’s "The Lady" premiered on Monday at the Toronto film festival. The French director crafted a tender story of love and family tragedy, reaching beyond the political struggle by using private files obtained through sources …

This past Monday, in Downtown Cairo’s Rawabet Theater, novice dance troupe Cramp Group presented a new two-day contemporary dance performance by choreographer Mounir Saeed titled “The Streets.” “I wanted to re-create on stage the concept of ‘the street’ in Cairo and how each street in common areas of Egypt — such as Imbaba, Ain Shams, …

Disaster blockbuster director Roland Emmerich is sure to rile fans of Shakespeare with his latest movie, "Anonymous," for questioning the lionized bard’s authorship of preeminent plays. Theories abound. Some point to Shakespeare’s famed contemporaries Francis Bacon and Christopher Marlowe as the real authors. The film "Anonymous," which premiered on Monday at the Toronto International Film …

Algerian born Rachid Koraïchi won the £25,000 Jameel Prize for a selection of embroidered cloth banners from a series entitled “Les Maitres invisibles” (The Invisible Masters), 2008. Martin Roth, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Hasan Jameel and Ed Vaizey, MP, presented Rachid Koraïchiwith the prize at a ceremony at the V&A on Monday, …