Out of the Picture
A look inside Egypt’s urban neighborhoods through the music of Amr Haha, Figo, Alaa’ Fifty, Al Sadat Rap, Ola El Mansoura Star, Islam Chipsy, Khaled Mando, and Islam To’to’
In the context of searching for a new meaning for music suitable for political and social situation after the revolution of 25 January, and in the context of the spread of new types of music created by a new generation of Egyptian artists associated with shaabi neighborhoods, communities and weddings, El Genaina Theatre presents DJ Amr Hahaaccompanied by the popular stars Figo, Alaa’ Fifty, and El Sadat Rap on Thursday 20th of October 2011 as part of the El Genaina Theater special program Out of the Picture. This concert will followed by a second concert on Saturday 22nd of October featuring the young star Ola El Mansoura accompanied by her band, and DJ Islam Chipsywith the drummers Khaled Mando and Islam To’to‘.
The Out of the Picture program aims to give an opportunity for the El Genaina theatre audience to hear a new type of popular music, composed and distributed artists who perform at street weddings. This musical phenomenon was emerged in the beginning in neighbourhoods like Embaba, Ain Shams, and Al Salam and then it moved from the street weddings to various categories and classes of Egyptian people through online social networks and other new forms of dissemination. The newest shift in modern popular music is represented by Egyptian DJs like Amr Hahah, Figo, and Islam Chipsy who create this kind of music, while the common thread that ties them all together is a strong Egyptian identity, and a rejection of the tired themes that pervade mainstream Egyptian pop.
Shaabi music reflects Egyptian culture with all its contradictions in the moment. It rebels against the ready-made stereotype, and spreads like wildfire because it is danceable music that gives listeners a chance to vent their feelings about anything worth longing for. This is clear in the rhythms and arrangements of Islam Chipsy, whose music contains the aggression of hip-hop music with the dynamics of dance music. On the surface this kind of music seems superficial, but actually it has layers of social context that give meaning, and helps people to revel and celebrate life.
Ola Mohamed, or Ola El Mansoura star, under fourteen years old, has recently released her first album (Souq El Bashar). Despite her age, she is known for her singing style and the strength and capabilities of her voice which reminds us of the great baladi singers like Shafika, Badria Elsayed, and Fatima Sarhan. Her strong and tender voice is consistent with the feel of the urban neighbourhood, but Ola has a different style at the level of form and content. She is not a singer in folkloric dress, but an ordinary girl with an urban look which reflects a different mood fitting the new life in Egypt.
All concerts start at 8.30 PM
Please make sure you arrive at Al-Azhar Park 30 minutes before event starting time
Tickets: 10 EGP (Excluding park admission)
