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The Children of the Pharaohs: Egyptian music's ancient past resurrected

The Children of the Pharaohs: Egyptian music's ancient past resurrected
Region: Egypt
Created: Aug 08, 2010, modified: Jan 12, 2012, overall rating: 0.000



Last Wednesday, ancient met modern at El Sawy Culture Wheel, when the band- Welad el-Faraana (Children of the Pharaohs), wearing jeans and t-shirts and playing pharaonic and Nubian instruments, resurrected the music of their Egyptian ancestors.

Welad al-Faraana signals a trend in contemporary Egyptian music, which has steadily begun welcoming pharaonic and Nubian music back into the scene. 

Nubian heritage is also a vital element of Egyptian society. Nubia refers to the area in the south of Egypt along the Nile and in northern Sudan. When the Aswan Dam was constructed in the 1960s, over 100,000 Nubians became displaced. Some moved north into Egypt, and others south into Sudan.

Nubian sounds are kept alive today by artists like the Salamat band, Sayyed Gayer, Ahmed Moneib, and Mohammed Hammam. 

Last Wednesday, at El Sawy Culture Wheel, many melodies were rising and falling as softly as calm breathing and transported listeners to ancient Egypt. The instruments, in earth colours and primitive designs, looked better suited for a museum than the El Sakia stage, which normally hosts electric guitars and hip-hop. 

One pharaonic song in particular, called 'Reincarnation', seemed timelessly Egyptian. It skillfully and poignantly reflected life’s melancholy, the twinge of death, and the gift of rebirth.

Another pharaonic song called 'Constructing the Pyramids' matched its steady rhythm to the choreographed steps that workers must have followed, while building the massive structures. An instrument made of strands of turquoise beads called to mind - the crackle of the desert sand.

Nubian songs were more upbeat and familiar and were enthusiastically received by the audience.

To the audience’s delight two men and two women (in Nubian dress) began gliding across the stage.  One of the drummers moved to the lower part of stage, enthusiastically striking his drum, while other members of the band happily clapped their hands in celebration of Egyptian music, both past and present.

Al Masry Al Youm

#LISA

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