The Cairo Opera House’s Alexandria venue, Sayed Darwish Theatre, is this evening (17 December) presenting the concert “al-Mawled and al-Milad“by the Egyptian-German ensemble, Cairo Steps. The concert is conducted by Sebastian Schrobsdorff and features Matthias Frey on the piano and singers Marwa Nagy, Ali al-Helbawy, Monica George and Peter Ghattas. Tomorrow, the concert will again be performed in the town of Damanhour in the Delta, at the Cairo Opera Houses’s Damanhour Theatre.
On 20 December, the concert will be presented at the Cairo Opera Houses’s Main Hall, and will feature international flautist Ines Abdel-Dayem as guest of honour soloist. Dr Abdel-Dayem is manager of the Cairo Opera House.
According to Cairo Steps founder Basem Darwisch, the concert is a mixt of Sufi chants and Coptic hymns, the tunes of which were all revisited in a creative way that has a jazz flair.
Cairo Steps was jointly founded in 2002 by Egyptian oud player Basem Darwisch and German pianist Matthias Frey. The ensemble merges music styles from different parts of the world and combines traditional Egyptian and oriental grooves with modern jazz improvisation, classical music and electronic sounds. The music is influenced by spiritual ethnic music and sufi traditions and alternates between meditative sound escapes and strong unison rhythms. The result is a unique music style and an exciting blend of numerous cultures. The ensemble aims at creating a unique concert experience by working with recognised guest soloists. Elegant lighting and visual illustrations as well as high quality sound also play a crucial role in supporting the musical vision of Cairo Steps during their live performances.
Watani International
17 December 2015