Several Egyptian institutions celebrate the centenary of the departure of the people’s artist, Sayed Darwish (1892-1923), who is described as the “renewer of Egyptian music”.
Several institutions, including the Ministry of Culture, through its various sectors, organize a number of various cultural and artistic events and activities, on the centenary, within the framework of the Ministry of Culture’s program “to celebrate the symbols of Egypt, in honor of their memory, and in gratitude for what they have presented, and in a way that aims to preserve our cultural vocabulary rich in treasures.” Art and knowledge.
In this context, the Egyptian Opera House organizes events on its theaters in Cairo, Alexandria and Damanhour. On the stage of the Institute of Arab Music, a concert is being organized by the Arab Music for Heritage Ensemble on Sunday, September 17th, while the small theater will host a cultural symposium with the participation of the “Friends of Sayed Darwish” Association, and the Sayed Darwish Heritage Ensemble, on Wednesday, September 13th, and a cultural salon on Sayed Darwish’s musical heritage. This Wednesday, September 19th.
The Alexandria Opera will host a concert for the children and youth choir class of the Talent Development Center, on Saturday, September 16th, and a concert for the Alexandria Opera Ensemble for Arab Music and Singing at Sayed Darwish Theater, Thursday, September 21st, and a concert for the Sayed Darwish Heritage Ensemble, Saturday, September 23rd, and a cultural salon. It talks about the biography of the artist Sayed Darwish, which includes an artistic presentation of some of his songs, and talks about the history of each song. The Cinema Club will also show the movie “Footprints”, about the biography of Sayed Darwish, and host a group of specialists to present the history and works of the “People’s Artist”, on Wednesday 27 September.
A promotional poster for one of the activities of Darwish’s centenary (Egyptian Ministry of Culture)
Fawzi Ibrahim, Secretary General of the Egyptian Association of Authors, Composers and Publishers, believes that “the Egyptian celebration of Sayed Darwish is natural; Because he lives in us with his immortal works.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Ibrahim confirms that “Darwish’s artistic value lies in the fact that he has the first imprint on the Egyptianization of music and melodic sentences after they were hollow Turkish, relying on showcasing the voice and dancing.”
And he adds, “Although a hundred years have passed since his death, his art remains to this day.” He explains that “Darwish toured all parts of Egypt, among the simple and the workers; To extract Egyptian melodic sentences of meaning and value.
He emphasized that “Darwish, the pioneer of the school of expression and the voice of the simple, undertook a arduous journey in order to fight the spirit of Turkish music, and to replace the authentic Egyptian spirit and identity with it, and the late musician Baligh Hamdi, who laid a new brick in this project and lived with his art as well, followed in his footsteps.”
Among the events celebrating the late, the National Books and Documents House organizes a number of activities on this occasion, as the house holds a documentary exhibition in the lobby of the Supreme Council of Culture, which includes the most important things written about the artist Sayed Darwish in newspapers, magazines and periodicals, during his life and after his departure.
Theatrically, the Artistic House for Folk and Performing Arts continues to present the theatrical show “Sayed Darwish” at the Academy of Arts, until September 10.
Darwish died at the age of 31 (Egyptian Ministry of Culture)
The Qubbat Al-Ghouri Creativity Center, affiliated to the Cultural Development Fund Sector, will host a concert by the “Sayed Darwish Heritage” band, affiliated with the Association of Friends of Sayed Darwish Music, at 8:00 pm, Saturday, September 17.
On the sidelines of the celebration, a portrait and caricature exhibition inspired by the works of Sayed Darwish will be organized in the lobby of the Journalists Syndicate building in downtown Cairo.
It is noteworthy that Darwish traveled to Cairo and rose to prominence at the beginning of the twentieth century, and composed for all theatrical groups, such as the bands of Naguib Al-Rihani, George Abyad and Ali Al-Kassar, and formed an artistic duet with Badi Khairi that produced many of the best timeless heritage songs, and he died in 1923 at the age of 31 years.
