March 19, 2017 23 Culture Egyptian band expresses hope for better tomorrow Marwa al-A’sar ple who attended [because] they heard that we would play for those renowned artists,” Shahin said. Cairo Eskenderella eventually be- gan performing its own songs. It f you happen to visit Egypt, gradually included more singers, you will probably hear about bass guitar, oriental and Western Eskenderella, a band whose percussion, piano or keyboard and concerts are always fully several oud players. booked. The 10-member band now sings IEskenderella is one of the best- lyrics written by late legendary known independent bands in poet Fouad Haddad, contempo- Egypt that has succeeded in con- rary ones written by his son Amin necting music with politics in a Haddad and his grandson Ahmed simple way that reflects the pains Haddad. and hopes of the country’s citi- “We are a group of friends who zens. The band became a symbol love their culture and homeland. of resistance through art. We gathered to create art that re- Last December, the band mem- flects truth,” said band member bers celebrated their 11th anniver- and singer Salma Haddad, a grand- sary with hundreds of their fans. daughter of Fouad Haddad. “We started as a group of musi- The band proved there is no con- cians playing and singing at our tradiction between originality and houses and people came over to modernity. Interestingly enough, listen to us, bringing their friends,” the old songs of Darwish and band founder, lead oud player and Sheikh Imam that Eskenderella at- Eskenderella oud players perform at a concert in El-Sawy Cultural centre. (Courtesy of Sarah Shady) singer Hazem Shahin said. tempts to revive, which tackle the “At that point, I thought why not themes of persecution, injustice form a band. So in December 2005, and everyday life, are applicable to now and reviving the memories tled Safha Gedeeda, includes two “We sang for the uprising before we performed our first concert as current Egyptian life. of the revolution triggers grief and compact discs; one contains songs it even erupted, creating revolu- a band at El-Sawy Culture Wheel- The band members chose to despair along with entertainment made before the revolution, the tionary art. The songs we sing, centre.” swim against the current of com- and pride,” she said. the other disc’s songs were made whether old or new, criticised mercial, romantic songs. Among the band’s most well- after the uprising. the bitter reality and the political Eskenderella seeks “Eskenderella seeks to link mu- known contemporary songs with “Yet the songs in both CDs re- situation Egypt had been going sic with the reality of Egyptian musical compositions by Shahin flect the theme of the revolution,” through,” Shahin said. “So when to link music with citizens. Today’s songs mostly are: Hayyou Ahl al-Cham (Hail the Shahin explained. we joined the protesters in Tahrir the reality of the speak about love without touching People of the Levant), Safha Gedee- Eskenderella has always been Square singing for hope and free- Egyptian other social issues unlike Eskend- da (A New Page), Hanfdal Thawrag- part and parcel of the uprising. The dom, people believed us.” citizen. erella that discusses the daily life eya (We Will Remain Revolutionar- band members would go down to Yet frustration found its way to of Egyptians as well as causes that ies), El’ab Seyasa (Play Politics) and Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the symbol their hearts. Fathy al-Khamisy,” music critic are important to their homeland,” Youhka Anna (Once Upon a Time) of the revolution, and sing among “It is true we got frustrated after music critic Fathy al-Khamisy said. in which they sing about the “Arab protesters and share with them the the revolution hasn’t achieved its At that time, the band an- “Hazem Shahin’s oud together spring” uprisings. dream of freedom. goals but after all, it is a fact that nounced on a poster that it would with the poems and the singing “Sometimes we feel that it is Revolutionary poet Zain el- happened and there are people play in honour of legendary oud transform listeners to a different time to sing a specific song like the Abedin Fouad said Eskenderella who lost their lives for their home- players, singers and composers state of mind — one that they long case with Safha Gedeedaand El- represents the uprising “which land. The revolution still goes on Sayed Darwish and Sheikh Imam for and miss in real life,” Ghada Horeya Lel Shohadaa (Freedom for continues till now”. and its fuel is poverty, which is on as well as celebrated Lebanese Mahmoud, a teacher and a fan of the Martyrs) that we sang on the “The band played a key role in the rise,” Shahin said. singer, composer and pianist Ziad the band, said following its latest occasion of the January 25th upris- preparing for the uprising since it Rahbani. concert. ing of 2011,” Shahin said. first appeared on stage in 2005,” he Marwa al-A’sar is a Cairo-based “The concert was full of peo- “This is why listening to them Eskenderella’s first album, ti- said. journalist. Rules challenged as Tunisia street theatre grows in influence Roua Khlifi tions. That is how we can reach out of “assault on good morals”. The role of street art, which is to protect downtown Tunis is nothing like to them.” performance, titled Guetlouh (They our newfound freedom of expres- working in the courtyards of El Kef Tunis Street theatre was a rare sight be- Killed Him) was a tribute to promi- sion, and promote new outlets for or the market place in Kasserine,” fore the 2011 revolution and Fanni nent Tunisian leftist Chokri Belaid, repressed ideas and thoughts. We he said, “I was surprised to discover ix years after the revolu- Raghman Anni faced an uphill battle who was assassinated earlier that want to decolonise Tunisians’ ideas that people in rural regions are more tion, Tunisia’s streets have in breaking the traditions of stage- year. and thoughts.” open-minded than in big cities.” undergone a radical cul- bound theatre. “It is hard to ask the audience to Following in the steps of Fanni Bahri said K’Art-Na is playing an tural transformation. Once Its members have been harassed accept new genres that are highly Raghman Anni is K’Art-Na, a theatri- important role in providing young viewed as restrictive and by the public for their controver- experimental,” said Jlassi. cal street group that has been tour- people with interactive cultural ac- Sprecarious, these public spaces are sial messages and they have faced “Our work is also controversial ing Tunisia by bus since last Sep- tivities and events. now a major site of artistic expres- issues with law enforcement. Dur- as we deal with different taboos… tember. Equipped with props and sion, particularly for street perform- ing a 2013 performance in El Kef, 19 At times it feels like society refuses sound equipment, K’Art-Na’s bus The collective Fanni ers. members of the collective were ar- to face the reality it denies in art. It has trekked through various regions Raghman Anni One of Tunisia’s leading street rested after a squabble with Salafist takes time to see some change but of Tunisia, stopping to provide theatre groups is Fanni Raghman protesters. Initially arrested to en- as long as we avoid extremism and workshops and performances. The reaches youth from Anni, (Artist Against My Will), a col- sure their protection, the members violence, we will manage. group offered workshops to more all walks of life. lective aimed at promoting street of the collective were later accused “We will remain faithful to the real than 150 participants in six south- art as a forum for artistic, cultural ern towns in 2016. They also pre- and political expression. sented 14 shows during the journey. “Our bus was the centre of at- Founded in 2011, the collective The project is directed by theatri- tention,” he said. “We presented provides training and workshops cal artist and actor Chokri el-Bahri, our work in the markets and in the for young people in marginalised who said his aim was to train mar- city’s communal place where peo- neighbourhoods. They were award- ginalised youth in different theatri- ple gather for the weekly market. ed the Arabic Award for Peace and cal forms — from visual comedy to We also changed the space depend- Creativity in Cairo last November. pantomime to commedia dell’arte. ing on our target audience, women “Our work stems from our aware- “Street theatre is about leaving or men.” ness of the marginalisation of young the restrictions of the conventional Bahri added: “Even when we talk artists in poor neighbourhoods and space of theatre behind,” Bahri said. about security issues, the streets our faith in their right to practise “I used to work in a theatrical com- have their own conditions. A stam- citizenship and defend their free- pany that performed in theatres and bali show, for instance, requires dom of expression,” said Seifeddine not all theatres had technical con- a certain dance aspect. We talked Jlassi, Fanni Raghman Anni’s presi- ditions favourable for shows. That about racism, access to culture and dent. encouraged me to go to the streets the importance of art in society. The collective reaches youth from instead of limiting myself to the re- Some shows were about illegal im- all walks of life. Street theatre gives strictions of the stage.” migration. Each of these themes re- them a positive outlet for their en- “There are villages and towns in quired a different theatrical vision.” ergy and attention.