Cairo, the 9th November, 2009

"Feeling good"

We often forget about the blessings that surround us.

Whenever I feel really tired, disappointed or simply down for no reason - or for rightful reasons - I remind myself of ALL the blessings the Universe has offered me and then a huge smile rises from me.

Feeling GOOD is not an act of positive attitute but an act of Intelligence and Awareness.

I go to my window, look at the clear, blue sky and breath deeply. Another wonderful day has just started and I am able to enjoy it.

Feeling good...

Cairo, the 6th November, 2009

"Moments"

Cairo, the 5th November, 2009

"Videos...moving forward and grounded "

I will not talk about recent success in order not to call for more of that famous "evil eye" but I can fairly say that I have the drive and the grounded feet in order to grow and never get caught in the illusion of circumstances.
I know success is more a matter of circumstances that come together than talent. There are very talented people with no success and others who get famous for all the wrong reasons and receive the applauses of people for odd, VERY odd reasons. Everything is relative, actually...

Yes, TALENT and WORTH are very important but they do not assure success and this one is fluid and mutable like the winds. Allowing your ego to get caught into the traps of applauses is a dumb mistake and if there's one thing I am not, that thing might be DUMB.

While my musicians celebrate our applauses and laugh with no worries in the world, I sit by myself in the backstage room right after the show, close the door separating me from the "outer" world and simply take the time to figure out how can we do BETTER tomorrow.
I breath, I drink my water and sit in silence reviewing the whole "thing" and searching for more interesting solutions for the songs, the themes, the feelings, the whole experience.

I am happy but I don't jump and brag. My celebration is subtle and my priority is always the NEXT step, what to do next and how can we do EVEN better.
What comes next?! That's my priority, all the time. Even if, inside, I am jumping in celebration of the success which came from God, never directly and just from me. It's good, really good to be aware of how it all works out.
It keeps me grounded and hardworking.

I thank God, always.

To watch some more of my "spontaneous" kind of videos, follow the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91zq80j7Oc8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJLx9Pvk_dQ

Cairo, the 4th November, 2009

"RED CARPET SALSA Night"

This Friday at JAYDA "The Green Jade Lounge" @ Conrad Hotel!!

At 10:00 pm, walk down our red carpet and flash your smile to the camera and fans – it’s your night to be a star and dress like a diva!!

The salsa paparazzi will be there only from 10:00 pm – 11:00 pm so don’t be late if you want your celebrity photo taken!!

This is one of the several events being organized by SALSA CLUB EGYPT in Cairo and I am totally besotted with their energy, dreams and strenght to organize and actually DO stuff that nobody else cares/dares to do. Taking risks, having not much support and struggling to see their passion for dance growing.

I support and admire their efforts because I understand what it means and what it takes to fight for your passions and dreams so... these guys have my total support.

I am sure this will be a hell of a night!

Cairo, the 3rd November, 2009


"Some cute portraits of me at work"

Cairo, the 3rd November, 2009

“Watching Randa Kamel at the “Nile Maxim”


Wow…this was a weird experience.
Tonight I dared to go with a group of friends to watch the Egyptian dancer – the only one whom I consider worth that NAME – Randa Kamel at the “Nile Maxim”, the same place where I perform.
Not only we share the same performing place but we also share half of the orchestra.
PLUS the only reason why we don’t share the WHOLE orchestra is my permanent refusal to do so (it’s common to receive musician’s requests to work with me and I often decline these requests). Different dancers search for different things in their musicians. I KNOW what I search for in my work and they do NOT have it.

Not the artists I am looking for.
I need SOUL, not employees.

Watching Randa’s show from the perspective of the audience also gave me a better idea of how I look up there and what I have to improve in my own work.
I am usually on that stage, not outside. The staff, musicians and the dancer herself must have been very surprised to see me there in the quality of audience. It’s not common to happen between competitive dancers.

Randa didn’t seem inspired and even a bit out of mood – my presence there may have contributed for it, maybe not! – and the musicians were average, as usual.

There’s a spark lost somewhere in that stage. Maybe the sadness of not being recognized as an artist, maybe just a state of “being tired from your depths”, I really cannot define what is it but I will do my best in order not to fall into the same hole.

After Randa, we jumped a bit into Salsa Night at the “Veranda”. Only stayed for a while, though… my mind was totally immersed on my work, what I will do to improve myself and how many things will change in the “Nile Maxim”, with God’s help.

Cairo, the 2nd November, 2009

"Unveiling the mind..."

This is a Nawal el Saadawi's expression that I couldn't pass over.It's just too good.

When discussions about religious extremism (may I remind you that there have always been religious extremism used in all religions and not ONLY in Muslim religion) erupt from all sectors of cultured life in Egypt and abroad, all that comes to my mind is not the increasing number of women wearing the "hijab" in the Middle East. What worries me the most is the "veiling" of their minds as well as the veiling of their men's mind.

Freedom means that everybody should be able to express him/herself and dress as they please. I am not against the use of the veil. Who am I to decide what's proper or not for others to wear?!

Everyone should be free to dress as they want and feel more comfortable with. As I refuse to wear the veil or cover my body as if it was the shameful proof of a crime I didn't commit, I also understand that anyone who DO wants to cover herself should be able to do so.

What scares me the most is not a fabric on or off a specific body but what lies beneath it.

Veiling the mind, the ability to think and question is much more worrying than the veiling of a face or a body (although these two are often together).

In confused times like this when my beloved Egypt seems to be turning back time and refusing to evolve (presuming that extremist Islam is the solution to all the country's problems), ALL that matters is people's inability to THINK. Their illiteracy, their blind acceptance of prejudices, tortures (like female circumcision and so many forms of repression and violence) dressed up as traditions and such.

Keep your eyes on the crime of UNVEILING the MIND, not the body.

May one be the mirror of the other.