WATANI International
19 April 2009
Poetry Jam
The Austrian cultural forum in Cairo, the Goethe-Institute of Egypt and the Swiss Embassy joined efforts to show that intercultural dialogue is not just theory discussed in conference rooms; in the form of Poetry Jam it was actually real and enjoyable.
Three of the finest new-generation Egyptian poets and authors—Girgis Shukry from Sohag in Upper Egypt, Hussein Kamel al-Samak from Alexandria, and Salam Yusry from Cairo—recently met and performed together with their counterparts Markus Koehle from Austria, Micha Ebeling from Germany, and Juerg Halter from Switzerland. The artists showed their talent in playing with words and language, performing, improvising and entertaining the audience.
The locations selected for the event reflected its unique and diverse character. A street café in Alexandria, a theatre in a cultural centre in Minya and a garden in Cairo made sure that anyone interested could enjoy this new form of poetry in a relaxed and informal atmosphere.
This fresh and unusual event was open to everyone regardless of age, social background, origin or cultural interest and was carried out bilingually, in Egyptian Arabic and German.
Indian cosmetics in Egypt
The Indian Embassy in Cairo recently held a conference to promote Indian cosmetics taken from natural herbs. More than 40 Indian companies took part. The conference was attended by a number of Egyptian businessmen in the field of cosmetics, as well as press and media figures.
This was the first exhibition of its kind in Egypt. A foremost expert in cosmetics, Shahinaz Hussein, who specialises in cosmetics taken from natural herbs, was the guest of honour of the conference.
Ms Hussein said the whole world was aware of the danger and side effects of chemical ingredients in cosmetics on the skin. “I started to work in this field when I was 14 years old,” she said. “Then I travelled to study the principles of beauty in different places, such as Korea, London, Paris, New York and Denmark.
Ms Hussein was extremely upset when a woman died as a result of using a cream which had, among its ingredients, chloride. This led her to turn to natural ingredients. Following her return to India in 1970, she set up her own line of cosmetics and established the first treatment of its kind. Since then she has represented India at industry fairs and conventions on many occasions.
“We have succeeded in introducing our products to Europe and the US and have achieved considerable sales figures,” Hussein said.
American Blues in Cairo
The US Embassy’s Cultural Office, in cooperation with the Cairo Opera House, last week presented Bluzapalooza, a blues concert created by blues producers Steve Simon and John Hahn. The concert was free to the public.
The musicians were invited by the US Ambassador to Egypt and native of Memphis, Tennessee, Margaret Scobey, and brought to Cairo the music of Memphis and its famous Beale Street, a place synonymous with the blues tradition. Headlining the tour was the ‘Prince of Beale Street’ Billy Gibson, together with vocalist Eden Brent, and the Memphis-based blues band Delta Highway.
Billy Gibson was named the Beale Street Entertainer of the Year, and is a multiple Blues Music Award nominee. Eden Brent is a four-time Blues Music Award known for her piano playing and strong voice. With a vast repertoire of original and standard blues songs, she is one of the busiest blues artists today performing throughout the US and around the globe. Delta Highway breathes youth and energy back into the blues. With strong guitar sounds combined with a progressive harmonica sound, this Memphis band has developed a style that is all their own and is sure to please new and veteran blues fans alike.
Echoes of Egypt in Jerusalem
Marking the 30th anniversary of the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement, the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem has opened an exhibition, Echoes of Egypt, dedicated to the magnificence of 19th century Egypt.
This unique exhibition displays an impressive collection of photographs, paintings, maps and prints of Egypt’s magnificent monuments and daily life in the 19th century. On display are photographs from 1857 by Francis Frith, paintings from 1838 by David Roberts and works of art by famous painters and photographers who were among the first Westerners to document Egypt’s wealth of historic treasures.