Wow, what a great resource this website has become!
I'm really excited to be going to Cairo this June for my first time. Going oud shopping is top priority. I'm definitely going to pay Mr. Shehata's
shop a visit. Also, I want to visit Farid's grave site. Does anyone know where it is located exactly?
Also, anyone have any tips on where to catch really good live arabic ensemble music?
Thanks,
FareedMike - 2-28-2006 at 10:54 AM
Try checking out what is going on at the Cairo Opera House in Zamalek. If you're lucky, the Cairo Orchestra will be performing when you're visiting.
Ask Mo when you see him about possibilities as well.John Erlich - 3-3-2006 at 12:16 PM
Hi Fareed,
When I was in Cairo in 2000, I had fun shopping and browsing in the huge Khan Khalili bazaar. (In fact I still have dreams about it!) Three cool
music-related things I experienced there:
2) Outdoor cafes in the big square outside Khan Khalili (Al-Azhar Sq., if I remember correctly) where groups of young men sat out at night playing oud
and percussion and singing old songs.
3) A small cassette shop on the left side just inside one of the entrances off the big square (see above). They had a wide selection in their jumble
of a stall and sold me an obscure recording of amazing Saidi music.
There is also a street near the center of Cairo (I forget the name) that has a number cassette/CD shops. Ask the locals. I bought a 8-tape Riad El
Soumbati retrospective in one of those shops, which seemed to sell a bit more "art" music than most stores.
Bon voyage!
All the best,
JohnMike - 3-3-2006 at 01:07 PM
Hey John,
Everything you mentioned is right on...especially number 2. Hey, did you ever buy a fez from the old dude that walks around selling them there? He is
there every single time I go to Khan el Khalili. I love that guy. We always take pictures with him after we buy our fezzes.
Take care,
Mikestringmanca - 3-3-2006 at 03:49 PM
We're hoping to go in November to catch the Arabic Music Festival, but are having trouble finding out what the festival dates are this year. If
anyone has insider info at the Opera House, please let me know! They only have the schedule through this month up on their Web site so far.
Thanks,
Nathanstringmanca - 4-11-2006 at 11:13 AM
Update:
I've heard from a couple of different sources that the Arabic Music Festival dates are November 1 - 10 this year. Hope to see you there!
Nathanjshead - 4-12-2006 at 12:30 AM
There is also a performance space on gomorea street. I will need to check the name. Smaller group. Often a singer/riq, oud trio play at the
Kerbobke restaurant the Shereton in gazira.stringmanca - 10-18-2006 at 10:40 AM
The Cairo Opera House kindly sent me a fax of the Arabic Music Festival schedule, but it's in Arabic and not a very clear copy. Sorry for the poor
quality - it's a scan of a bad fax! Can anyone make anything out? We're leaving next Thursday (the 26th) - can't wait! Anything look especially
good and not-to-be-missed?
Also, I've seen this question come up several times with no specific answer - what part of town is the Shehata shop (Al-Aseel) in? I've got the
address but I haven't been able to locate in on a street map.
Thanks,
Nathanstringmanca - 10-18-2006 at 10:41 AM
Here is the info on Mourice Shehata's shop. I actually called him from my hotel. He met me at my hotel (surprisingly punctual, too!) and drove me
to his shop in the Hadayek El Koba area, which is north (northeast?) from the center of Cairo. Afterward, he dropped me off at the metro station.
Al-Aseel
80 Masr we El Sudan St. ,
Hadayek El Kobba,
Cairo, Egypt .
My advice for Cairo and shlepping: Unless it's rush hour, more taxi trips, less on foot. I nearly plotzed trying to carry my new Shehata oud in the
"trunk case."
Bon voyage!
Best,
Udi Johnstringmanca - 10-20-2006 at 11:50 AM
Thanks, John!
For future reference, here's a real estate map that shows where the Hadayek El Koba area is. If you click on a district, it takes you to a map
(street names are in Arabic). You can right-click on the map to zoom in and out or print (prints a full-size page).
We were able to get enough of the schedule translated to find out who was playing when. Looks like the big star is Hani Shaker on the final night.
No solo oudists, but Maged Serour will be doing a kanun concert.
Nathanbillkilpatrick - 10-20-2006 at 02:09 PM
badra -
man, i wish i were going as well ...
if, in your travels, you happen to meet a luthier named mourad el turki, please tell him there's someone in italy with one of his instruments who
wishes him well on a daily basis.
- billstringmanca - 10-20-2006 at 02:52 PM
Bill,
I wish we had time to visit Italy!
If I see Mourad El Turki, I'll tell him hello for you - do you know where his shop is?
NathanHosam - 10-20-2006 at 04:49 PM
Murad Al-Turki has a small shop off the Mohammed Ali street in the old part of the city "Al Qala". His ouds will be available on many musical shops in
the same street. I have two of his ouds and I really love the sound of both. Good luck!Marina - 10-21-2006 at 05:25 AM
If anybody will be at Arabic music festival, in Cairo Opera House, I'll be there for the concert at 09.11. , 20:00 hours, to listen to Michael Maroun.
So, I'll be glad to see somebody from the forum. ;-) You can recognise me as tipical, thin, light hair European women - that plays oud. Ha, ha, ha!
See you! )stringmanca - 10-23-2006 at 12:49 PM
We're planning to be there, Marina. Hope to see you!
Four of us will be going (Sarah, Nathan, Yosifah and Zaid) - here's what we look like:
Originally posted by Marina
Nathan,
I saw the site & picture ...
me too.
watch yourself, marina ...stringmanca - 10-24-2006 at 09:03 AM
Zaid's the single one...Marina - 11-12-2006 at 03:40 AM
Hi!
I was there, in Cairo Opera House, but did not see you!
Anyway, Cairo is the most beautiful city! I had such a nice time in Egypt, great country! I hope to come again & buy ouds, ouds, ouds.
I visited Al Aseel - Morice, one of my friends bought his good quality oud. My friend is very happy with the purchase. I saw the oud that he is making
for, I think Bruno - somebody from Scandinavia? The oud with dark face and very delicate shamsia. It's very beautiful.stringmanca - 11-13-2006 at 04:02 PM
Sorry, Marina, we could not get tickets for either Thursday or Friday night, so I missed you. We went to 5 of the previous nights, though (Nov. 3,
5-8), and really enjoyed the festival. The Opera House is beautiful and the music was outstanding. Not much oud, though. There was one in the
orchestra, but he didn't get much solo space and was mostly inaudible. The qanun and riqq players were great, though!
We went to a performance at the Culture Wheel that we really enjoyed by Ahmed Wahdan. Does anyone know anything about him?
I didn't make it to Al Aseel, although I think I figured out where it was on the map. I didn't have the budget for one of Maurice's ouds so I
couldn't justify a trip to his shop just to look. Next time!
We went to the Gawaret El Fan shop on Muhammed Ali Street to buy some drums and I also picked up an inexpensive oud from him.
We enjoyed Cairo, except for the traffic! Sorry we missed each other!
Nathanstringmanca - 11-13-2006 at 04:11 PM
Oud and drums:oudplayer - 11-13-2006 at 04:20 PM
hey nat
hows it goin ???
what kind of oud is that looks very nice.
i love black on ouds. the best i have seen is ebony and bone oud it was awesome the oud was very heavy. if i find a pic i will post it i have it
somewhere.
the peg box the ribs and finger board was ebony and the pegs and shams were bone and the face was like dark dark dark ceder i think . but it was out
standing .
thx sammystringmanca - 11-14-2006 at 01:56 PM
I was told that it was ebony, but the wood is very thin and the oud is very light. I'm not sure what the lighter colored wood is. Here's the shop's
Web site, but I don't see this particular oud on it:
I have seen similar designs on this forum, so I'll have to do some hunting...
The proprieter, Nasser, was very nice. We spent an afternoon at his shop, Gawaret El Fan, trying out drums. Once we had picked out drums, drunk tea
and had a bit of their fish dinner, he took us up to their warehouse and we talked ouds and drank more tea. He told us that their factory makes both
the ouds and drums, so I'm not sure who the actual designer/maker is.stringmanca - 11-14-2006 at 01:57 PM
Here's the back - sorry it's a bit fuzzy!stringmanca - 11-14-2006 at 01:59 PM
And the shop at 160 Muhamed Ali St. (Nasser on the phone):oudplayer - 11-14-2006 at 02:20 PM
hey man
the back is out standing
unbalivable wow. sound file would be great man
thx sammySamirCanada - 11-14-2006 at 02:22 PM
I like the one thats hung up on the left... simple and elegantjdowning - 11-16-2006 at 05:36 AM
I imagine that Cairo has changed quite a bit since I was living there - briefly - over 40 years ago working as an engineer on a power station
construction project.
I did have time to attend a concert at the Cairo Opera house. It had a very impressive red plush interior in the fashion of an Italian opera house
with 'private' balconies surrounding the stage. I seem to recall reading in the press some years ago that this building burned down but could be
wrong. Is the Cairo Opera house a new building or is it the one that I remember? Just curious.
Beautiful city.jshead - 11-16-2006 at 05:54 AM
The old opera house did, indeed, burn down.
I enjoyed see the pictures of the shop in Cairo. We use to go every other year but haven't been back for 3 years and I miss it. No city like Cairo.stringmanca - 11-16-2006 at 01:41 PM
The old Opera House burned down in 1971. The new one opened in 1988.
Ticket prices for the festival shows ranged from LE35 to LE150 ($7 - $30 US)!jdowning - 11-17-2006 at 04:31 PM
Thanks for the update about the Opera House. That is a sad loss for the city of Cairo as the old building was attractive and historically important -
but nothing lasts for ever - even in Egypt!
I downloaded a few maps of the city and environs and was able to recognise a few of the landmarks that I remember back then in 1964.
I lived in a rented house in Ma'adi (after first spending a couple of weeks in a hotel in Helwan). The power station site where I worked (Cairo South)
was located on the opposite side of the Nile from the Saqqara pyramid - which could be clearly seen from the rooftop of the power station.What
impressed me most about working in Cairo, however, was the open friendliness and kindness of those that I lived and worked with - a culture where the
poorest labourer ( then paid only 50 piastres - or half an Egyptian Pound a day, with a family to maintain) would, without hesitation, offer to share
his lunch with me (an outsider who could not even speak Arabic) as a matter of human brotherhood and courtesy. And even when I visited a store in the
city to purchase a souvenir , the first courtesy of the owner was to ask me to take a seat and to offer a cup of coffee (you know - the small cup so
thick with coffee/sugar that the spoon might stand up in the cup unsupported!). I hope that nothing has changed since then. Quite refreshingly
different
from Western society norms.
)
