Mezzo-soprano Farrah El Dibany and Scottish-Egyptian multi-instrumental duo the Ayoub Sisters performed in a sold-out charity concert at Cairo Opera on Sunday night.
They were accompanied by the Cairo Symphony Orchestra and Alexandrian maestro Nayer Nagui in a unique "crossover" show of classical, operatic and Arabic tunes.
The experiment was a success, judging by the positive engagement from the audience, who swayed in recognition to Sayed Darwish’s El Halwa Di, clapped to upbeat songs like the Algerian Abdul Kader and sang along with the finale mash-up of Dalida’s Salma ya Salama and Helwa ya Baladi.
El Dibany and the Ayoub Sisters — who play the violin, cello and piano — performed four songs together and split the remaining 16 in the Eternal Egypt concert at the opera’s 1,200-seat main hall.
“I was really, really excited to team up with the Ayoub Sisters and to collaborate on the songs that we did together,” El Dibany tells The National.
“I love that they do crossover and yet classical too. And I felt that what I do also resembles their line of work.
"Because, yes, I am an opera singer, but I also do crossover and I really felt that we could create something together.”
They certainly have a lot in common. The three have been honoured by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, performed at the Cop27 UN climate change conference in Sharm El Sheikh in November, and have won international acclaim.
Farrah El Dibany
El Dibany, 34, is the first Arab singer to join the Paris Opera Academy, in 2016, and has several accolades to her name, including the prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French government.
Born in Alexandria, she moved to Europe in 2010 to continue her studies and started her career at the Berlin and Paris opera houses.
El Dibany has since performed all over the world, including at the Bolshoi in Moscow, Dubai Opera and the Venice Art Biennale.
She sang the French national anthem at President Emmanuel Macron’s re-election ceremony in April last year, and at the Fifa World Cup Final match between France and Argentina in December.
Her recent performances in Egypt include a solo show at Cairo Opera in June 2021, a celebration at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina library last May to mark the 20th anniversary of its revival, and the Cop27 gala evening in November.
It was at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina where she performed with maestro Nagui, who has been the principal conductor of the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra since 2019.
The Ayoub Sisters
The Ayoub Sisters — Sarah, 30, and Laura, 27 — have also made the rounds internationally.
They have performed as soloists with some of the world’s leading orchestras, such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
Born in Glasgow to Egyptian parents, the pair showed musical inclinations at an early age. Classically trained, Sarah plays the cello and Laura the violin, while both play the piano.
They had their big break when their viral classical cover of Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk caught the attention of its composer Mark Ronson in 2016.
That helped them score a deal with Decca Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2017, which was recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at London’s Abbey Road Studios.
It premiered at No 1 in the UK’s Official Classical Charts.
In the Middle East, they played the Egyptian national anthem at the World Youth Forum in Sharm El Sheikh in November 2018 and performed at Dubai Opera and Cairo Opera in January 2019.
The sisters released their second album, entitled Arabesque, in July.
Eternal Egypt concert
On Sunday, the Ayoub Sisters started off the evening with Csardas by Italian composer Vittorio Monti, which was on their first album.
Laura then explained in her broken Arabic — at which she poked fun — the story behind the next piece, Egyptian composer Mohamed Saad Basha’s Mouled El Sheikh.
She said Basha had presented the sisters with this piece just a few days before their 2019 Cairo Opera performance.
They agreed to play the song, even though it is in quarter tone, contrary to their training, and have since included it in every show.
Most of the other songs were from their latest album, including Darwish’s El Helwa Di and the mix of Abdul Kader and Sidi Mansour.
Among their original pieces were Lamma Bada Yatathana and The Scottish Egyptian, which Sarah described as a “musical joke” that includes the sound of the “kallax” car horn in Cairo.
They also did not hesitate to include classics, such as Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca.
The Ayoub Sisters and El Dibany tag-teamed their performances, ending part one and part two of the programme with their collaborations, such as Habanera from Opera Carmen.
It was really a very fruitful and very rich collaboration artistically and personally
Opera singer Farrah El Dibany
El Dibany’s solo songs spanned a vast repertoire, including Mexican composer Agustin Lara’s Granada and Argentine composer Astor Piazzola’s Yo soy Maria, and opera pieces from Carmen and Samson et Delilah.
“I sang a lot of new repertoire that I haven’t sung before in Egypt, so it was also exciting for the audience who already knows me,” El Dibany says.
At the same time, there was a sense of “Egyptian pride” in the audience, she says.
She sang her heartfelt tribute to her hometown, Alexandria from Greek singer Alkistis Protopsalti.
Her most popular crowd-pleasers were undoubtedly Dalida’s Histoire d’un Amour and the combination of Helwa ya Baladi and Salma ya Salama, performed with the Ayoub Sisters in the finale.
“I felt really well supported by the audience. I felt that they were enjoying it. I saw joy, I saw excitement, I saw curiosity,” El Dibany says.
“It was really a very fruitful and very rich collaboration, artistically and personally.”
Charity cause
The concert and accompanying silent art auction was also for a good cause, raising money for the Kheir Wa Baraka and New Woman Association.
Kheir Wa Baraka (meaning “goodness and blessings”) was founded in 2004 with the aim of advancing the lives of Egyptian families in need through educational, health and economic projects.
The non-government organisation recently combined with New Woman Association, an institution founded by pioneering Egyptian feminist leader Hoda Sharawi in 1919.
Most of the concert ticket prices were about 2,000 Egyptian pounds ($65), going up to 5,000 pounds.
The artwork by contemporary artists ranged in price from 30,000 pounds to 600,000 pounds .
The 23 painters and sculptors included well-known names such as George Bahgory and Mohamed Abla, as well as up-and-coming artists.
Nevine Elibrachy, founder and chairwoman of Kheir Wa Baraka, tells The National the main goals of the concert were to publicise the organisation, raise funds and put a spotlight on talented Egyptians.
“We have so much to be proud of. Why would I get a foreign star when I have so many Egyptians that are so successful worldwide that I can tap into?” Elibrachy asks.
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
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5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
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