Mother Of Arts
The arts in Egypt have roots that go way
back into ancient times. Many artifacts have been produced over
the span of time, and still remain in good shape today. Over the
centuries, Egypt has witnessed the intrusion of a multitude of
ideas as a result of the numerous invasions, and so much of the
art that exists today has been subtly shaped by these
influences. Nevertheless, Egypt unquestionably belongs to an
Arabic Islamic tradition and by extension so does its art.
Literature
Today, the arts in Egypt, whether in
literature, music, cinema, or the visual arts, continue to
flourish and expand, reaching new ideas and horizons. In
literature, Egyptian writers are the most celebrated in the Arab
world. Modern Arabic literature is said to have been shaped
through the writings of Yehhia Haki, Yousef Idris, Taha Hussien,
Gamal Al-Ghitani, Sekina Fouad and of course the Nobel Prize
Laureate Naguib Mahfouz. Mahfouz’s writings about Old-Cairo, the
social lives of the lower class, the coffee shops, the alleys,
have not only won him international recognition, but have
altered all together the style of Modern Arabic Prose. Naguib
Mahfouz’s books are translated to all languages and could be
found in every book store. For a thorough understanding of
Egyptian culture we would recommend his Cairo “Trilogy”.
Music
In Egypt, music can always be heard.
Whether it's coming from a taxi, a coffee shop or someone
singing in the streets, you can’t miss it. A voice you’ll
definitely get to know is that of Om Kolthum, the most
celebrated female singer in the Arab world. Om Kolthum was 73
years old when she died in 1975, and was given one of the
largest funerals in history. Her voice is not only the voice of
Egypt, but the voice of the Arab world. Everyone from the humble
cafe owner, to the rich business man, craves this lady’s deep
strong voice. If you don’t get a chance to hear her, do buy a
tape or two, you won’t regret it. Another classical legend is
Abdel Halim Hafez, who is her male counterpart. Again his epic
songs about love and despair fill the Cairo air. Unfortunately,
Hafez died young at the age of 48. On the other side the new
rhythm of Amr Diab, Mohamed Foad and Hakim represent the pop
side of the Egyptian music scene. A massive drop from Um Kalthum
and Abdel Halim, nevertheless the younger generations seem to
love them.
Visual Arts
In the past Egyptian painting was
represented through the works of Ahmed Sabry and Hamed Abdallah.
In the realm of sculpture, Mahmoud Mokhtar wa s definitely on
the top of the list. All three artists are now long gone, but
their work still remains in the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art,
along with the work of many contemporary Egyptian artists.
Today, the Modern Art scene in Egypt, works in mysterious ways.
Most of the celebrated painters and sculptors can be divided
into two categories: those who have little to offer but
conventional, representational and academic work, and, on the
other hand, a more recent circle of contemporary artists who are
willing to explore and play with new medium and style. Their
work is new, Egyptian and interesting. Try going down town to
private galleries like Mashrabeya, Karim Francis, and
Cairo-Berlin for the more intriguing exhibitions. Among the
exceptional contemporary Egyptian Painters are, George Al-Bahgoury
, Adel Al-Siwi, Hassan Soliman, and Mohamed Abla.
Cinema
As for Cinema and Film, Egypt has been
considered the leader of the Arabic film industry for over five
decades now. Among the celebrated Egyptian Actors, are Omar El-Sherif
( who has achieved international recognition in films like Dr.
Zhivago ), Adel Imam ( Egypt’s leading comedian ), Adel Emam,
Nour El-Sherif, Ahmed Zaki and Mahmoud Abdel Aziz ( also a
comedian ). The most celebrated director is, by far , Yousef
Shahin, who just recently received an award at the Cannes Film
Festival for his film “ The Destiny ”. Another talented director
is Dr. Khairy Beshara, with films that focus on more
contemporary Egyptian issues. Nevertheless, Egypt’s reputation
as the leader of Arabic Film, is prone to challenge, and might
not last as a result of the apparent decline in quality during
the past few years. As with music, the latest productions,
involving young comedians such as Mohamed Heneidy, have taken a
large step back in terms of seriousness, content and subject
matter. Strangely enough, these movies still managed to receive
good reviews, and of course, massive support from the young
generations.
Dance
With just a few shows every now and then,
the Contemporary Dance scene in Egypt is definitely over
shadowed by belly dancing. Egypt is the belly dancing capital of
the world. With the local oriental music providing an ideal
rhythm, Egyptian belly dancers out-number actors, artists and
musicians. Some dancers achieve immense popularity and go on to
become movie stars. The two most celebrated belly-dancers are
Lucy and Dina. Both dancers put on virtually nothing during the
shows, and have a lot to offer! You can catch some belly dancing
shows at any of the five-star hotels, and the night-clubs at Al-Haram
St. You might even want to squeeze in some belly dancing
lessons. Furthermore, there is the male oriental dance performed
with wooden staves in a mock fight. There is also the Sufi
dance, which is performed by some adherents of a Muslim mystical
order, and is more a form of worship than a dance. In this Sufi
dance, dancers spin round and round wearing brightly colored
clothes. |