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El Gato Negro
By
Juergen Stryjak
Even if some traveler guides want you to believe this: The
nightlife scene in Cairo does not only consist of belly dance
clubs and five-star hotel facilities. While it is true that belly
dance performances are worth visiting, if only because of the
opportunity to watch some of the most famous belly dancers in the
Middle East. It is true, also, that nearly all five-star hotels
offer their own discotheques, but nevertheless, there is, of
course, a local nightlife out there, and how! The tourist
definitely has the opportunity to mix with locals and expatriates,
away from the somehow artificial environment of the tourist
places.
El Gato Negro is a club that changes its atmosphere
nightly. If you ask ten young people, which kind of place you can
expect there, you will get at least five different answers. The
club is many-sided like the city itself. On Thursday night, the
high-school kid will argue, you find there the highest density of
baseball caps and goatees allover Cairo. On Wednesday, the full
beard will tell you, the place belongs to worn out Levis and
bleached ZZ Top tour-shirts. On Sunday, the student
advises, don't forget to bring your guitar with you, the drum or
the harmonica – it is Free Night and everybody is invited
to make music. But be careful! This is not a set schedule! The
events are subject to change, and it’s best to call the club in
advance or have a look into an English-language weekly, the
»Cairo Times« for example, which gives you a calendar of events,
as accurately as possible in a fast-moving city like Cairo.
The club, formerly known as Fat Black Pussy Cat, has
nightly "Theme Nights", currently every Thursday a Club
Night with hip hop and dance floor, popular among students
from the plethora of international schools in Cairo and among
westernized Cairenes. On Tuesday and Saturday, Salsa parties
follow Salsa dance classes, and on Wednesday is Rhythm'n'Blues
Night. Monday night belongs to Nubian and Raï music and on
Sunday, the Free Night, you will find the crowd singing and
dancing like a boy scout meeting.
Stella, a local beer brand, sponsors the bar. The cheapest
Stella goes for LE 12 per bottle ($ 3.40), a bottle of local wine
for around LE 60 ($ 17). The ticket prices vary between LE 15 and
LE 35 ($ 4.20–$ 9.70), including two free drinks. On some days,
the admission is free. The club offers food, too, but it is not
the food for which the place is famous. The rooms are often
crowded and therefore a great place to meet new people.
El Gato Negro. 32, Jeddah Street, Mohandessin, Cairo, west of
the Shooting Club, right next to the restaurant Tia Maria.
Telephone: 76 16 888. The club opens daily at around 7:00 pm.
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