Qasr el-Nil theater set to host ‘Sound and Image' Umm Kulthum show on Thursday
Taking take place on Thursday at the iconic stage of the Qasr el-Nil Cinema, massive preparations are underway to transform the theater into a 'time machine' back to the golden age of Arabic music.
The show will embody the life and career of the Star of the East, Umm Kulthum, through a live performance by Marwa Nagy, who will perform a selection of Umm Kulthum's timeless songs.
This blends powerful vocals with dramatic narration and visual effects, bringing the spirit of the popular singer back to life on stage.
The show is written by Mohamed Zaki and directed by Mostafa Abdel-Salam, with Marwa Nagy co-presenting the show with a group of artists.
In statements reported by the Egyptian newspaper al-Shorouk, Zaki said that the reason the show was called 'Sound and Image' is because it combines live singing and acting.
He explained that the audience will see Nagy transform into Umm Kulthum through makeup and costume work, as if the audience were experiencing a night with the Star of the East and her band, but with Nagy's voice and performance.
Nagy said, 'The show is not just a tribute to the icon of Arab singing, but rather a visual musical experience that blends voice, story, and amazement, recounting the details of her artistic journey.'
The audience will witness an unprecedented performance that evokes the fragrance of the past and recreates the features of that beautiful era, she said.
Nagy, as Umm Kulthum, will perform a new song, composed specifically for the show on the same stage where Kalthum last performed in 1973: the venerable Qasr el-Nil Theater.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CairoScene
an hour ago
- CairoScene
MENA TikTok-Famous Musicians You Should Have on Your Radar
From rock rousers to future pop icons, here is a list of musicians worth watching, flexing their skills on Tiktok. Over the past few years, or technically since the COVID pandemic hit, TikTok has grown into a go-to platform for music discovery and a formidable launching pad for independent emerging artists across the region and beyond. More and more Arab talents found in it a welcoming and supportive space to share their crafts and music, for how the platform bypassed traditional music and industry gatekeepers, providing an opportunity for musicians from different backgrounds across all genres to gain exposure, build communities, and even launch careers based on their contents popularity and reach. We´ve compiled a roster of some of the region´s most promising TikTok musicians and music creators who you should keep on your radar. Raed Khairallah - Drummer Lebanon Raed Khairallah is a Lebanese musician whose versatile drumming videos have garnered thousands of views across both TikTok and Instagram, attracting an audience primarily from the Middle East, including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia. Besides his solo content, Khairallah also contributes to other musical projects, such as providing drum arrangements for artists like Luay Hijazeen. @raedkhairallah Fouad Ahmed - Guitarist Morocco Hailing from Morocco, Fouad Ait Ahmad is a guitarist who has amassed over 100,000 followers and millions of likes on his cover videos. His content often features emotive guitar solos of popular hits, including iconic Algerian Rai tracks by artists like Cheb Hasni and Cheb Nasro, as well as Western classics like Radiohead's 'Creep' and James Blunt's 'You're Beautiful.' His playing style is noted for its ability to infuse new life into existing melodies, showcasing a versatile approach that blends North African influences with contemporary guitar techniques. @ Tawfik Khaled - Drummer Egypt Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Tawfik Khaled is a professionally trained drummer with a charismatic stage presence, who capitulated to stardom with his distinctive drum covers. He delivers energetic interpretations of both Arabic and international hits, and is particularly recognized for his instrumental renditions of popular Egyptian artists like Amr Diab and Sherine. Beyond his prolific solo work on TikTok, Tawfik Khaled is also a filmmaker and a music influencer who maintains an active presence on Instagram, where he shares more of his creative endeavours. @tawfik_khaled M. Alaa - Pianist Egypt Egyptian pianist Mohamed Alaa Elghoul has established a notable online presence, with his distinctive style, frequently involving improvisations of Arabic piano renditions. With a penchant for experimentation, Alaa also flips colloquial sayings into wholly unique compositions. @talkingpiano Tarneem Etman - Multi-Instrumentalist Egypt Tarneem Etman is a highly versatile Egyptian multi-instrumentalist and music producer whose work includes covers of both popular Arabic and international tracks, alongside original compositions. She frequently shares educational insights into music production and the nuances of different instruments, demonstrating her expertise in blending traditional Oriental sounds with contemporary styles. Besides her solo work, Tarneem is also known contributions in several musical projects, including being part of bands where she plays multiple instruments including the cello. @tarneemetman Tariq Alhawy - Guitarist Sudan Tariq Alhawy is a guitar virtuoso hailing from Sudan, who not only composes original tunes and renditions but also shares videos, showcasing his passion for the instrument, such as sound tests of popular guitars like the Fender Stratocaster. @user6025163571697 Essam Faisl - Guitarist Egypt Essam Faisal, an accomplished Egyptian guitarist, has cultivated a loyal following with his diverse range of guitar-focused content. His videos frequently feature compelling solos from popular songs by artists like Muslim and Lege-Cy, showcasing his ability to deliver powerful and emotive performances. Beyond covers, Essam also delves into technical aspects of guitar playing, sharing insights on topics such as diminished arpeggios and exercises to improve left-hand strength. @essamfaisal2 James Massi - Guitarist Egypt James Massi is a rocker from Cairo whose career as a guitarist began professionally in 2004, after graduating from Helwan University's Faculty of Music Education. With a background playing guitar since 1999, Massi has established himself as a versatile musician, performing as a solo artist, a session musician, and a member of various bands. On TikTok, where he maintains an active presence, he shares content that reflects his deep musical knowledge, including guitar-focused videos and discussions, engaging with a broad audience interested in his rock and diverse musical stylings. His discography includes several solo albums and singles, showcasing his range as a composer and performer in the rock genre, with a string of official releases available on streaming platforms. @
CairoScene
an hour ago
- CairoScene
Amro Zidan Maps the 'Ecstasy of Mania' on New Experimental LP
Across 18 tracks, the Alexandria-born artist blends frenetic rhythms, distorted noise, and industrial textures with trippy influences from Egyptian shaabi music. Jul 31, 2025 Alexandria-based artist Amro Zidan dives headfirst into the chaotic euphoria of manic episodes on his new experimental LP, 'Ecstasy of Mania'. Across 18 tracks, Zidan blends frenetic rhythms, distorted noise, and industrial textures with trippy influences from Egyptian shaabi music. The project reframes mania not as a breakdown, but as a combustible source of creativity, if one dares to treat it as a companion. The opener, 'Outta Control', plunges you straight into the frenzied impulses and disorganized thoughts of a manic state. A flurry of sped-up beats and abrasive textures clash with fleeting, aggressive tabla patterns. There's no clear structure, only a raw, disorienting sonic spiral that mirrors the disorder within. 'On Bow Leg Eye', hallucinations come in with heavily processed, warped vocals drifting over glitchy melodic fragments and scattered percussive sounds. Meanwhile, the title track further escalates the chaos, fusing psychedelic shaabi keys with clanging metal and pulsing industrial rhythms. 'Dose Please (Argook El Gor3a)' brings in a moment of dark humor, sampling a one-liner from an Egyptian cult favourite comedy 'Wesh Egram'. But the joke quickly sours as jagged, deconstructed rhythms and industrial synths creep in, signaling tension, and perhaps the looming threat of a crash. By the time 'No Return' arrives with what sounds like broken radio transmission underlined by distorted basslines, evoking a descent into the abyss.
CairoScene
2 hours ago
- CairoScene
Danny Arafa's New Book Reimagines Cairo Through a Child's Eyes
In Takhayal Takhayal, Danny Arafa invites children and adults alike to see Cairo anew through rhymes, illustrations, and a world where the overlooked becomes magical. Jul 31, 2025 A strange green creature munches on mangoes at the souk. A baker inflates baladi bread like balloons. A multicoloured lion hides in a side alley. This author and illustrator Danny Arafa's Cairo. Takhayal Takhayal (تخيل تخيل), a new children's book by Danny Arafa, reimagines the city in all its surreal, playful glory. Published by Asfoura Books, the book is a vivid, rhyming journey through Cairo's overlooked corners, designed to spark wonder in children and nostalgia in adults. Written entirely in Egyptian Arabic, the story moves briskly through vegetable markets, rooftops, and quiet neighbourhoods, bringing them to life with whimsical illustrations and a sharp eye for everyday beauty. 'Takhayal Takhayal is a new kids' book that invites children (and grown-ups) to reimagine the Cairo they thought they knew,' Arafa tells CairoScene. At its heart, the book is a deliberate call to slow down and observe. Whether it's a shuttered window or a crack in the sidewalk, Arafa wants children to see potential in the overlooked. 'Imagination made my world bigger and richer as a child,' he reflects. 'That imagination turned into curiosity as I grew older. That's what I hope Takhayal Takhayal brings to others. Especially kids growing up in Egypt today.' Arafa, known for the Arabic kids' podcast Qesas le Atfal Elnaharda and picture books like Pack Pals and The Dace That Flew to Space, brings his signature rhythm and colour to this latest release. The result is a book that's as charming for toddlers as it is meaningful for the adults reading to them.
