Issue No.589
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6 - 12 June 2002 Issue No.589 Front page |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Recommend this page | ||
A legacy revived
WHEN the Arab Music Institute first opened its doors in 1929, it was legendary Egyptian composer and singer Mohamed Abdel-Wahab who sang at the opening night before King Fouad. On Tuesday, at the celebration marking the reopening of the institute following extensive renovations, it was Abdel-Wahab's music that once again enchanted the audience, Dahlia Hammouda reports.
Click to view captionMrs Suzanne Mubarak, along with scores of Arab dignitaries, Egyptian officials and public figures, attended the event marking the rebirth of the Islamic architectural gem and the life and works of the Arab world's most prolific composer. The building on Ramses Street, which has been totally renovated by the Cairo Opera House at a cost of LE6 million, is the alma mater of most of the icons of Middle Eastern music -- giants like Umm Kulthoum, Farid Al-Atrash and Abdel-Halim Hafez. In addition to a museum of Abdel-Wahab's belongings and music, the institute houses a theatre, a musical instruments museum, a library and instruction and rehearsal halls. Despite having been completely renovated -- decked out with new chairs, a wider stage and cutting edge sound and lighting systems -- the theatre maintained its unique historical features.
Singing Abdel-Wahab's most-loved melodies in a setting evocative of the past, Syrian singer Safwan Bahlawan, whose fine baritone voice bares an uncanny resemblance to Abdel-Wahab's, brought to life the spirit of the legendary Arab musician to the enchantment of everyone present. (Main photo: the newly-refurbished auditorium; above: Mrs Mubarak accompanied by musicologist Ratiba El-Hefni during a guided tour of the Museum of Oriental Musical Instruments)
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