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Al-Ahram Weekly 2 - 8 September 1999 Issue No. 445 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 2 - 8 September 1999 Issue No. 445
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Focus Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters 
Pack of Cards
By Madame Sosostris* "Hello... Is it me you're looking for?" Yes, dears, I know that's why you turned to this page first... it is me you're looking for, my witty anecdotes, my wicked acquaintances, my winning smile. And that's exactly what I was wearing on my face last Thursday night, I assure you, as I watched Lionel Richie, one of my favourite singers of all time, perform in front of the Pyramids and the Sphinx. And those famous words from one of his biggest hits, Hello, were the first to come out of his mouth during the show. The rest of Lionel's repertoire was equally famous, a string of hits that have made their way into the core of our hearts, never to be forgotten: Running with the Night, Easy like Sunday Morning, Truly, 3 Times a Lady, Dancing on the Ceiling, Stuck on You, Say you, Say me, You are the Sun, All Night Long... the hits, whether Lionel's own, or from his days as a Commodore, just wouldn't stop. I tell you dears, it's not often that you'll find me at a rock concert, but this time I was more than glad to attend. Lionel was wearing a red leopard print shirt and shiny black pants, and his interaction with the audience was as smooth as his songs. At one point in the show, he described how truly excited he was to be playing with such a magnificent scene behind him. "Unbelievable!" he kept saying, "Out of control... Nowhere else on the planet can I feel what I'm feeling on this stage right now." And the thing that affected him most about his trip to Egypt was the man who said to him, when he landed at Cairo airport, "Lionel, welcome home." The Sphinx was looking on with a constant smirk as Lionel expressed his total exhilaration at the fact that everybody in the audience knew every word to every song. He also made sure to thank Tourism Minister Mamdouh El-Beltagui and businessman Ibrahim Kamel for making the show possible. The event, which was on the fringes of the Cairo International Music Festival, was produced and promoted by Sherine Youssry's entertainment company, Phoenix International.
* The Song Festival notwithstanding, dears, I could hardly have missed the opportunity to listen to my favourite Egyptian pop star Mohamed Mounir live at the Opera House grounds, in an open-air auditorium right in the middle of the parking lot. The event always draws thousands of fans -- if this wasn't a full house, dears, I don't know what is. Except for the fortunate few who managed to locate themselves in the appropriate spaces, people were -- as always -- prevented from dancing by over-eager security personnel; fights ensued concerning whether they should remain seated or stand up to get a better view and respond to the performance more physically. But don't let a minor complication cloud your judgment, dears, and don't you listen to those who claim that the purest voice of Nubia has been overshadowed in recent years. Mounir's beautiful songs, his idiosyncratic performance style and the inimitable charisma he dispenses are as capable of delighting a vast group of devoted fans -- one which, amazingly, brings together hip Cairene youths and respectable family men and women -- as they ever were. The fare Mounir provided was rich and varied, included some of his best-loved songs, both old and new, and a stunning oud performance by the German guitarist who has accompanied him throughout his career.
Clockwise from top: the concert's organisers, from left, Sherine Youssry, Ibrahim Kamel, Antiquities Head Gaballah Ali Gaballah, Tourism Minister Mamdouh El-Beltagui; an emotional Mohamed Mounir at the Opera; a bevy of folklore troupes performing in Ismailia; an ecstatic Lionel Richie at the Pyramids
* I guess last week, my dears, there was music and dancing everywhere. That's why I headed down the road to Ismailia for the Tenth International Folklore Festival sponsored by the Culture Ministry. Never before have I seen such a wide array of troupes from all around the world. An event like this, my sweets, truly bodes well for the fate of the world, artistically at least, for it reveals how nice things can be when we all just get along. I was especially moved by the touching tribute from all the foreign and Egyptian troupes who held one minute's silence for the victims of the devastating Turkish earthquake. Afterwards, our spirits were given an instant lift by the spectacular folklore shows. The troupes -- 20 foreign and four Egyptian -- held their opening show on the streets. This interaction between audience and troupes created an atmosphere of peace and love -- and fun, of course. Mohamed Hassan, the festival's director, boasted that roughly 70,000 spectators enjoyed the shows this year. I personally especially enjoyed the Spanish and the Indian troupes with their costumes that dutifully revealed their great traditions, as well, of course, as our pioneer troupes -- Ismailia, Beni Suef, Aswan and Sharqiya.
