The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

It’s another busy Thursday night in Cairo for music, culture
and art. 

Design, Poetry and Film Festivals: Darb 17 18 will host the launch of ‘Nubre: Enhancing the Culture of
Contemporary Design,’ a joint project between the EU and Azza Fahmy to offer an
international design floor to local designers and design students through
workshops in Aswan. Sounds interesting? Come attend the opening event to find
out more!

Spanish author Juan Goytisolo will hold a literary symposium
at the Supreme Council of Culture on the Opera House grounds, while the French
Cultural Centre celebrates the opening of its seventh annual film festival
Recontres de L’Image today. Abdel Moneim Hussein will read his poetry at El
Sawy Culurewheel’s Word Hall 1 tonight under the title of ‘The New Egypt’,
while Salah El Mur will launch his painting exhibition ‘Still There’ at
Mashrabia Gallery today.

Music: The Cairo Jazz Club is offering a double bill concert
tonight, with early entertainment provided by UAE singer/songwriter NILE from
7PM on, followed by the upbeat and insane Crash Boom Bang at 9PM. Sa7ra will
perform their rai-influenced music at After Eight, while Salalem will perform
at El Sawy Culturewheel’s River Hall. For more classical music, Abdel Halim Nowera Ensemble will perform classical Arabic music at El Gomhouria Theatre. If you’re in Garden City
and in the mood for some r&b, check out the Cairo Expats’ R&B party at
Nile Holding club on the Corniche.

On Friday, El Sawy Culturewheel will host a Global Youth
Service Day to mobilize and support youth as leaders to identify the needs of
their communities. Also at El Sawy, ‘Autostrad’ is a play written by Haitham
Dabbour and performed by El Sakia Puppet Theatre.

Music: Fathi Salama will perform his ‘Sharqiyat’
live at Cairo Opera House’s Open-Air Theatre, while the Cairo Symphony
Orchestra will perform a classical music concert next door at the Small Hall.
In Downtown Cairo, Salalem will play live at After Eight, while local rock band
Azrak Samawy will play live at El Sawy Culturewheel’s River Hall.

Saturday marks the launch of the Ahmed Bassiouny Egyptian
Independent Artist Music & Film Festival. Held at Darb 17 18, the festival
commemorates sound/visual artist Ahmed  
Bassiouny, who was shot dead on January 28th, and will
feature bands such as Cairokee, Feed Me, Machine Eat Man as well as several
filmmakers and visual artists. Also on
Saturday, a new exhibition launches at Articulate Baboon Gallery: ‘Thirty
Hosnis’ by local artist Ali Ali is a collection of paintings that is now more
relevant than ever.

Lectures and Seminars: Egyptian author Omar Taher will be signing copies of his
latest novel at Diwan Bookstore’s Zamalek branch. At El Sawy Culturewheel,
presidential candidate Hamdine Sabahy will hold an open discussion at the River
Hall, while family counselor Dr. Fatma El Shenawy will give a lecture titled ‘Historical
Cities’ at Word Hall 1.

Music: The Cairo Opera House is packed with concerts this Saturday,
beginning with ‘Together in the Love of Egypt’, a concert that brings together
Om El Nour Choir with the Arab Takht Ensemble at the Main Hall. The Open-Air
Theatre will host a concert of classical Arabic songs, including classics by
Sayed Darwish and Gamal Abdel Rehim, while El Gomhouria Theatre in Downtown
Cairo will host a piano recital. At the Cairo Jazz Club, Cairokee will play
their trademark Egyptian rock lyrics from 9PM onwards.

And there you have it Cairo! Have a Busy, Enlightening Weekend!