Pack of Cards
By Madame Sosostris
* I love feeling the sea breeze on my face, dears, and what could be more amazing than listening to my favorite singer, Magda El-Roumi, while sitting by the shore? That's exactly where I was last week, my darlings, at the Roman amphitheatre in the village of Marina on the North Coast, surrounded by a tonne of tanned and happy fans. We were all there for the special party hosted by the Egyptian Satellite Channel and broadcast live around the globe, and also on at least three of our local TV stations here in Egypt, including Nile TV. I was sitting in the front row, of course, along with my good friends Sanaa Mansour, who heads the satellite channel, actresses Libliba, Youssra and Ilham Shahine,
the ever-elegant Magda El-Roumi
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as well as director Youssef Chahine. We all sang along to Magda's latest songs, as well as quite a few of her old favourites, which, true to form, she had saved for last. Oh, my heart fluttered when I heard the opening notes of Kalimat (Words). Such sweet kalimat, and Magda, as usual, looked ravishing in a black sequined dress. When she sang the Abdel-Halim Hafez classic, Wana Kol Magul Al-Toba, though, is when the audience really went nuts. It is so refreshing to see a singer who isn't afraid to sing in classical Arabic, to the accompaniment of good old-fashioned instruments, and who doesn't have to use synthesisers, fancy dance routines and a lot of smoke and mirrors to get the audience in the mood. The packed house was comprised of fans young and old, and even though the youngsters may not have been aware of the lengthy and glorious careers of Mustafa Nagui, who conducted the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, or Gamal Salama, who accompanied her on the piano, and who actually composed many of the songs Magda sang, they were enthralled nonetheless by the pure beauty of what they heard. As I was, dears, as I certainly was, for it brought back such wonderful memories of the good old days... Magda has the same theatrical presence of Umm Kulthoum and Abdel-Halim Hafez, don't you think? I'm sure those of you who, like me, remember what it was like watching these two giants live, will certainly agree...
nice guy
Mohamed Fouad
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Just a few days later, I came into close contact with another of my favorite singers. True, he is one of the hot new stars of today, but still, he has something in him that harks back to the good old days as well. I am talking, of course, about the friendly Mohamed Fouad. While sitting with some friends by the pool at the Sheraton Heliopolis, I heard someone say, about the cover band that was playing a rendition of Al-Hub Al-Haqiqi (True Love) nearby, "Imagine... the vocalist sounds exactly like the real singer." Suddenly, there was a mass exodus from the water, as all the children and adults got up and surrounded the band. I got up as well, and what a pleasant surprise I had when I realised that in fact it was Mohamed Fouad himself who was singing. It turns out he was also just enjoying a lazy day with his family by the pool, but was convinced by the band to get up and sing one of his most famous songs. What a nice young man!
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the new Ritz-Carlton
in Sharm El-Sheikh
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Last week I also had the opportunity to meet a whole group of nice people at the trés exclusive press reception and dinner hosted by the new Ritz-Carlton in Sharm Al-Sheikh. That is, the new Ritz is in Sharm, but the reception and dinner took place at the trés chic Cairo Capital Club in Garden City. Few people, even those residing in Sharm, are aware that a Ritz is set to open there in late September, but everybody will be talking about it when it does, that's for sure. Why? Well, if you've ever been to a Ritz before, you surely already know that it's a whole new standard of hotel. According to Walter Junger, the hotel's general manager, the Ritz philosophy ("We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen") is what sets the Ritz apart from the rest of the pack. Well, I for one certainly can't wait to go there and see for myself. I had a wonderful time at the dinner, entertained as I was by the lovely anecdotes of Ayman Madkour, the hotel's training director. As we tucked into the sumptuous filet de boeuf sauce Madagascar, Ayman told me how much he loves to read my column, and I, of course, took the compliment in gracious stride.
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Samah's 4U2B
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If you can believe it, my sweets, I do make a point of following what the younger generations are reading these days. That's why it was with pleasure that I avidly perused 4U2B, the new magazine edited by my dear friend Samah Ghoneim, from cover to cover. Many of us had received the magazine's zero issue some months ago, and were waiting anxiously for the real thing to appear. It finally has, dears, so don't hesitate to pick it up and give it a read. You too will then know "10 tearless ways to cure a crush".
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the new Abdel-Nasser CD-ROM
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Now the youth of today don't always seem to be that enthusiastic about reading, so it's rather fitting that a company in Egypt has decided to produce a CD-ROM chronicling the life and times of our late great leader, Gamal Abdel-Nasser. Ramz Al-Hilm Al-Arabi (The Symbol of the Arab Dream) is what Wael Nawara, who heads Horizon Interactive Studios, has decided to call this multi-media extravaganza, and I assure you, it's much like watching a film where you, the viewer, can determine in which direction the events will turn. What a pity that's not the way it is in real life... Actually, many of my "futurist" friends are telling me that my wish may soon be fulfilled.
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cartoonist Gomaa
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Fast-forward, therefore, to my dear friend Gomaa Farahat. I'm delighted to announce that our long-time cartoonist, whose work is syndicated internationally, has now officially joined the Al-Ahram Weekly family. That means Gomaa, whose cartoons have been appearing on our opinion pages since the Weekly's second issue, will now be appearing here at the office more often as well. That's good news to all of us here, who have always been enlightened by his work but have not gotten that much of a chance to really know the always friendly man behind the bitingly sarcastic images.
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German beauties sponsored by Sakara
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Do you all remember the recent Miss Europe contest that took place in Beirut? It turns out that Germany also decided to hold a Miss Germany contest, but in Sharm Al-Sheikh. The delectable event took place at the Conrad International Hotel, and was sponsored by the El-Gouna Beverage Company, makers of Sakara beers and Obelisque wines, as well as the German stalwart Löwenbraü. Judging from the picture, dears, the crowds had a wonderful watching the damsels strut their stuff. I certainly had memories of my younger years, but I assure you, you'd never have caught me in a one-piece.
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Awatef Abdel-Rahman at Cairo University
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My final card this week is a very joyous one indeed: the 60th birthday of Awatef Abdel-Rahman. I've known dear Awatef, who heads the Journalism Department at Cairo University, for a long time, for she is not just a professor but a journalist as well. I was happy to join all her family, friends, students and colleagues who gathered at the Egyptian Diplomats' Club by the Nile in Giza to wish her a happy birthday. A fun time was had by all, and to top it off, next week, Awatef's students will also be hosting a party for her at the Journalists' Club, which also happens to be by the Nile. Awatef says that now that her teaching duties are relatively lighter, she will be devoting more time to writing about some of her favorite subjects, including globalism and women's rights. I for one certainly can't wait to read more of her insightful commentaries on these all-important issues of the day.
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