Not to be missed: Bibliotheca Alexandrina festival launch, Assala, Al-Jassmi in North Coast, Abu Shaar Brothers in Cairo - Music - Arts & Culture

Al-Ahram Weekly

2 days ago

Ahram Online highlights a selection of do-not-miss events this week from 6 to 12 August in Cairo, Alexandria, and across the North Coast venues.
New films across cinemas starting 7 August
- I'll Play Mother, starring Susanne Wuest, Shubham Saraf, and Jo Martin (starting 6 August).
- Weapons, starring Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, and Alden Ehrenreich.
- Guns Up, starring Kevin James, Luis Guzmán, and Christina Ricci.
- Freakier Friday, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, and Chad Michael Murray.
- Under Fire, starring Mason Gooding, Dylan Sprouse, and Emilio Rivera.
22nd Bibliotheca Alexandrina International Summer Festival launch
7-31 August
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina Art Centre will launch the festival on 7 August with a concert by Medhat Saleh.
The festival will continue until 31 August, with rich programming featuring music, film screenings, theatre plays, workshops, and seminars.
Read more about the festival here.
Hamza Namira, Hisham Kharma - music
Thursday 7 August, 9pm
Tiatro Romano, Marina 2, Alamein
The double bill features two well-known Egyptian musicians: Hamza Namira and Hisham Kharma.
Namira's musical journey started during his teenage years when he began playing guitar, keyboard, and oud.
His unique style, which meanders across genres such as light rock, jazz, Latin music, and above all, Arab music, has made him more accessible to Western audiences and the subject of a dedicated fan base.
Composer Kharma began performing live music concerts in 2016.
Accompanied by a grand orchestra, Kharma performed in major events in notable locations, such as at the feet of the pyramids, the Cairo Citadel, and the London Mansion House.
He also created the theme music for numerous important national events and across many Egyptian institutions.
Assala - music
Thursday 7 August, 9pm
U Arena, New Alamein
Born in 1969 in Damascus, Assala is one of the Arab region's biggest stars. Her large fan base spans across generations.
Throughout her career, she has released 30 albums and many singles, with countless compositions being the audience's favourites.
Her upcoming concert is part of the ongoing third New Alamein Festival. Check the festival's highlights here.
Mostafa Amar - music
Thursday, 7 August
Masrah Sokseeh, Porto Golf Alamein
Singer, composer, and actor Mostafa Amar rose to fame in the 1990s.
Amar released several popular albums in addition to starring in various films and TV series.
His most famous songs include Nar El-Hob (1998), Ghazali (2000), featuring Hamid El-Shaeri, and Habib Hayati (2001).
Hussain Al-Jassmi, Ahmed Saad, Disco Misr - music
Friday, 8 August, 7pm
Seashore by Hydepark, Ras El-Hekma, North Coast
The triple bill brings together Emirati singer and composer Hussain Al-Jassmi and Egyptian artists: Ahmed Saad and Disco Misr.
Al-Jassmi is a prominent Emirati star renowned for his powerful voice and versatile musical style.
He began his musical journey in the early 2000s and gained widespread recognition with his debut album in 2002. Al-Jassmi's music spans various genres, including Khaleeji, Egyptian, and classical Arabic.
Saad is a well-known Egyptian singer famous for his emotional ballads.
He launched his music career in the early 2000s and soon became a staple in Egyptian film and television soundtracks with songs blending traditional Arabic vocal stylings with modern pop and electronic elements.
He frequently collaborates with major actors, including his brother Amr Saad.
Disco Misr was formed in the mid-2010s by an Egyptian electronic music group consisting of two DJs and one VJ (visual jockey).
Ali El-Helbawy - music
Friday, 8 August, 8pm
Wisdom Hall, El-Sawy Culturewheel, 26th of July Street, Zamalek, Cairo
El-Helbawy is an Egyptian singer and Islamic sufi chanter, whose repertoire includes songs about love, faith, and patriotic themes, in addition to some traditional covers.
He performs frequently across Cairo venues and often collaborates with many other performers.
He has been featured in a number of compositions created by the Egyptian-German ensemble Cairo Steps.
Sharmoofers, Massar Egbari, Hamid El-Shaeri - music
Friday, 8 August, 9pm
Porto Golf, Alamein, North Coast
This triple bill brings together known Egyptian bands and a Libyan-Egyptian singer.
Sharmoofers is an Egyptian band known for their unique blend of music genres, including reggae and rock. The band was formed in 2012 and quickly gained popularity in the Egyptian music scene.
Founded in 2005, Massar Egbari has gained a large popularity in Egypt and beyond. Their lineup features Hani El-Dakkak on guitar and lead vocals, Ahmed Hafez on bass guitar, Tamer Attallah on drums, Ayman Massoud on keyboards, and Mahmoud Siam on guitar.
They regularly sell out concerts in Egypt and have also performed in the region and internationally.
El-Shaeri was born in Libya to an Egyptian mother and Libyan father. Then, he moved to Egypt in the early 1980s, where he began his musical career and released his debut album Ayonha in 1983.
This was followed by the critically acclaimed Raheel (1984), marking the beginning of his skyrocketing successes as he cemented his status as a key figure in the Arab music scene.
Tamer Ashour - music
Friday, 8 August, 9pm
U Arena, New Alamein
Singer and composer Tamer Ashour came into the spotlight in the mid-2000s.
Ever since, he has released seven albums, establishing himself as one of the most popular performers in Egypt and the Arab world.
His breakthrough as a singer came with the release of his debut single Zekrayat Kedaba (Lying Memories) in 2006.
The song's success led Ashour to work on his first album, Saab (Difficult), released in 2007.
This was followed by consecutive albums, including Had Byheb (2008), Laya Nazra (2011), Esht Maak (2014), Khayali (2017), Ayam (2019), and Tegy Netrahen (2022).
The upcoming concert is part of the ongoing third New Alamein Festival. Check the festival's highlights here.
Abu Shaar Brothers
Saturday, 9 August, 8:30pm
El-Sawy Culturewheel, Wisdom Hall, 26th of July Street, Zamalek, Cairo
Formed in 1983, the Abu Shaar Brothers (El Ekhwa Abu Shaar) from Syria began as a quartet presenting music and chants that praise the Prophet Mohammed.
At the time of formation, the youngest member of the band was just 11 years old. As the band's popularity grew, new generations subsequently joined the ensemble.
Soon, Abu Shaar Brothers became an internationally renowned Syrian Islamic nasheed group, whose music and lyrics focus on a religious repertoire.
They have more than 600,000 followers on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
The band currently reside in Egypt, where they hold many concerts.
Nabeel Shuail - music
Saturday, 9 August
Beach Resort, Marassi
Nabeel Shuail is a celebrated Kuwaiti singer renowned for his powerful voice and significant contributions to the Khaleeji music scene.
He began his musical career in the early 1980s, gaining widespread recognition with his debut album Sikat Safar in 1982.
Over the years, Shuail, affectionately known as the "Gulf Nightingale," has released over 26 albums.
His upcoming concert in Egypt is part of the Layali Marassi, a summer series providing performances of the best-known singers at the Beach Resort, Marassi. The concerts take place every Saturday until the end of August.
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