Ewsal Bela3raby: a project exploring Egyptian rising musicians

CAIRO - 6 July 2017: The 19th Corporation, an Event Management Company, launched a new project called ‘Ewsal Bela3raby’ promoting artists and talents in the Egyptian music scene nationwide.

Mohammed Lotfy, CEO of the 19th Corporation, an integrated event management company of several projects found on their website The 19thcorporation.com. The company formulates its activities around the best, innovative, and creative entertainment concepts, is the man behind the idea of the project ‘Ewsal Bel3araby.’

Lotfy, an Egyptian self-taught guitarist, composer, and entrepreneur, stepped on every stage with the biggest names in the music scene, including Amr Diab and Mohamed Mounir . He also composed songs for bands like Nagham Masry, Efteksat and HOH, just to mention a few. As founder of SOS Music Festival (2006-2010) which consisted of 19 editions in total, he acquired his reputation as a music maker in the country by supporting independent projects and making them emerge as part of the scene.

However, there was something missing still. Lotfy noticed the evident difficulty to learn music in Egypt and the consequent stereotyping society prints on people who want to make music their lifestyle. He was haunted by the sad reality of those who live in the remote areas of Egypt, where music is unreachable, even as a hobby, let alone as a profession.

The 19th Corporation’s latest project has been live since August 2016 and seeks to be permanent, shedding light on aspiring artists nationwide. The project allows applicants to learn by providing free online Arabic tutorials, to perform with prominent artists in Egypt and the region, and to follow up on news of music events and performances.

The project is operating online through a platform offering a Free Tutorial hub that provides a solo and jam performances library, original ‘Ewsal Bel3araby’ playlists, and social networks for artists and art lovers. Other activities on the platform include ‘Jayem Ma’ana', which is a competition that gathers musicians offering instruments as prizes, and the application of ‘El Sellem’ that generally allows rising talented artists to form a new network of their own.

The Free Hub platform presents music tutorials for 14 instruments conducted by musicians. The project is launching monthly competitions where applicants are required to film themselves playing over a backing track chosen by the website creators.

Music instructors and those who hold musical knowledge whether based in Egypt or abroad are allowed to participate in ‘Darres m3ana,’ which is one of the segments within the project. The instructors are encouraged to film their lessons and upload their videos after being verified by ‘Ewsal Bela3arby’ team.

‘Ewsal Bela3raby’ is also being implemented on ground through ‘El Sellem’ open competition, where applicants upload a one minute solo performance video on the website after which 15 to 20 applicants are chosen by judges located nationwide.

Applicants will then participate in a six-month round where they are required to come to Cairo each weekend for three months to be introduced to the music scene through one-on-one classes and workshops.

During the fourth month, applicants will be divided into two or three bands and each band will be required to prepare a 45-minutes performance. The newly formed bands will play music alongside prominent Egyptian bands such as HOH, Wust El-Balad, and Massar Egbari in the final event; a nationwide tour where ‘Ewsal Bel3araby’ will visit some governorates in Egypt on a road trip where surveys will be distributed asking the residents about which band they would prefer to watch live.

The project has a target audience for each governorate ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 in governorates such as Minya and Assiut and from 3,000 to 4,000 in governorates such as Alexandria and Mansoura. The aim of the tour is to promote the newly established bands and promote ‘Ewsal Bel3araby’ in other governorates.