Let the Festivities Begin
7th Cairo International Song Festival
By Dr. Maged El Bialy
On The 20th of August and at exactly 9:00 p.m. the 7th Cairo International Song Festival was officially opened under the auspices of the Minister of Tourism, Dr. Mamdouh El Beltagy and the guidance of Ambassador Salah Selim director of the Cairo International Convention Center. The opening ceremony commenced with an opera sung in three languages, Arabic, English and French. The stage of the Cheops hall was beautifully decorated and the emblem of the song festival was centered in the middle of the stage. Dancers from the ballet schools performed while the three singers explained in a beautiful ballad the reason why the tourists come back to Egypt. The all-Egyptian performers were well synchronized in order to present the introductory song of the festival.
After the introductory song, "Whats the Secret", Ambassador Salah Selim spoke on the efforts spent to present a successful ceremony. He stated that there is no better way to spread peace except through the language of music. Ambassador Salah Selim said that the an artistic ambiance would prevail through local and international participants in the festival.
In a speech given by the Minister of Tourism it was also pointed out that the art and music are very important in the promotion of tourism because of Egypt's cultural past. The minister considers the festival one of the main items in the touristic agenda.
Following the ministers speech, some leading Egyptian singers were presented with trophies for their endless contributions to culture. The head of the FIDOF (International Federation of Festival Organization), Mr. Armando Marino, was also presented an honorary trophy of the song festival.
Shimak Davar
The main attractions at the opening of the song festival were the talented energetic performers of Shimak Davar. Shimak Davar is not only a talented singer but also an imaginative choreographer of dances. He turned the Cheops stage of the conference center into a wonderful little India, where all his beautiful, fit and well-directed dancers performed. Shimak has the ability to dazzle his audience and leave them no choice but to sit without blinking an eye. One feels compelled to jump on stage and dance with them. Shimak has won endless awards for his capabilities as a singer and a choreographer.
Following a 30-minute break, Egyptian singers performed simultaneously until the end of the opening ceremony. Stay tuned to Tour Egypt for more coverage on the 7th Cairo International Song Festival. Let the festivities begin!