Ali el Haggar - Egypt Today.
CAIRO – 4 August 2018: Two concerts will be performed at the Mahka Theatre at the citadel on Saturday, as part of the concerts of Salah el-Din International Citadel Festival for Music and Singing in its 27th round.
The first concert will be performed by the renowned singer Ali el-Haggar while the second will be performed by the famed marimba player Nesma Abdel Aziz.
Haggar is expected to perform a collection of songs from his recent album “Ma Takhdy Balek” (Please Take Care). He will also sing some of his classic hits such as “Hona al-Qahera” (Here is Cairo), “A’m Batata” (Uncle Batata), and “Dehket al-Masagen” (The Prisoners’ Laughter).
Moreover, he will sing a selection of his iconic soundtracks such as “Bawabet al-Halawany” (Halawany’s Gate), “Al-Mal wal Banon” (Money and Sons), and “Masa’let Mabdaa” (A Matter of Principle).
Haggar graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1979 and was influenced by late Egyptian music legend Baligh Hamdy, who trained Haggar, Mohamed Mounir and Mohamed el-Helw in a band called el-Takht, which was formed in the Arabic Music Institution.
Inspired by poet, cartoonist, and painter Salah Jaheen, Haggar always wanted to sing Jahin's sonnets; he grew popular after singing them in the 1980s. Around the same time, he also began blending authentic Arabic music with modern technology and sound effects.
In addition to his prolific album releases, Haggar also performed in several theatrical plays, movies, and TV series.
Nesma Abdel Aziz - Egypt Today.
Abdel Aziz is considered one of the contemporary music icons; she is the first marimba player in Egypt. She participated in numerous concerts in Cairo Opera House such as Omar Khairat concerts.
Having her debut in 2001, Abdel Aziz founded her ensemble and released music pieces like "Marimba Fusion," and "Tico, Tico." Abdel Aziz toured the world with her ensemble under the theme of "Spreading Happiness" and gained huge international success.
Abdel Aziz has dazzled audiences worldwide with her combination of classical and contemporary music, bringing together a unique blend of western and Arab instruments to create a whole new genre.
Minister of Culture Ines Abdel Dayem launched the Salah el-Din International Citadel Festival for Music and Singing in its 27th round on Thursday at the Mahka Theatre at the citadel.
After Abdel Dayem delivered her speech during the inauguration ceremony she honoured the artistic figures who greatly impacted the festival’s success: veteran singers Hany Shaker and Medhat Saleh, as well as violin player Alaa Khalil, director Sayed Amin Abou Elhoda, critic Kariman Herk, Mohamed Hamdy and piano maintenance expert Hatem Mansour.
Abdel Dayem gave the honorees the honor shields and certificates of appreciation. The honoring was followed by Chinese shows and folklore songs presented by Chinese youth and children as well as a concert by the singer Shaker.
Chairman of Cairo Opera House Magdy Saber remarked that this year the festival has been granted an international badge for the first time.
Organized by Cairo Opera House, the festival will run until Aug. 17, presenting 37 various concerts by Egyptian and Arab countries in this year’s edition.
This year the festival’s line-up includes Fouad and Mounib band, Tunisian singer Ghali Banali, Egyptian marimba player Nesma Abdel Aziz, Egyptian singers Sheikh Yasin Al-Tuhami, Ali El Haggar, Iman Al-Bahr Darwish and Ihab Tawfik, Monte Cairo band, El Nour W El Amal Orchestra and Syrian singer Majed Al Qasim.
No’man Ashour’s cultural castle in Mit Ghamr district is going to host a ceremony to grant the festival the “Salah Hilal” Award for best playwright and “Abu el-Anain Sharaf el-Din” Award for best poet.
The cultural ceremony will be supervised by critic Yusri el-Arab. It is worth noting that No’man Ashour was an Egyptian poet and playwright. The late poet died in April 1987.
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