Cairo, the 31st May, 2009
“ Two interviews on YouTube and new MUST READ books”
*** If you are not an alien recently visiting planet earth or some bearded, eccentric person living in an isolated cave somewhere indesert of Arabia, you must have noticed, by now, that YouTube isbecoming a big thing in the world!Stars have been made and destroyed by it and political campaigns havealso been braided and succeeded through it and yet it is still new tome (“Yes, I am a kind of an alien although I have no beard and no plans to move to any cave, not yet!…”).
Check both interviews on YouTube following these liks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o9HaTw0WOA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRV8SY33_oQ
***Trying to keep up with the times – just a bit, though…- I am happy to inform my students and fans that two of my most recent television interviews are on line and you can ckeck them on the supra cited YouTube just by searching :Joana Saahirah of Cairo interview. Those were made in Portugal during my last visit to my country and are, obviously, spoken in Portuguese but you can still get a glimpseof Hosny Watatak – whom I took with me to Portugal for seminars andshows – and me doing a bit of one of our tabla solos. No musical background, no support, just me and him and all our craziness (I canfairly say that’s a lot to go for us!).
*** Promise to upload some GOOD dance videos really, really soon. I´ll keep you all posted!
*** MUST READS (arabic world):
1. Friendly Fire, Alla Al Aswany (author of Chicago and The YacoubianBuilding ) . This was yet his best book, as far as I am concerned.Egypt is seen with crude, even cruel eyes but there´s a lot of truth in it and a veiled love for Egypt. Only the ones who really care about this country have the courage to denunciate its flaws and, by doing so, hopefully change a bit of reality. The writing is also more human,even dark but in a tender, always realistic way. My favourite!
2. The Voice of Egypt , Virginia Danielson.Being a self confessed crazy fan of Om Kolthoum, this book is an obvious pick for me as it speaks about…you guessed!... Om Kolthoum!It´s a study tracing the diva´s life and all kinds of impacts her work and persona had on Egypt and all the Arab World. Not a genius kind ofwork but, for sure, a MUST READ if you´re a musician or a dancer in the Middle East.
3. Samarkand, Amin Maalouf (Lebanese writer).I am still reading this book which was recommended to me by a friendbut, so far, I am loving it. It´s the story of the famous poet, sage and philosopher Omar Khayam traced back to a time when knowing and speaking up the truth was a death crime (we´re not so distant from that, are we?!). Loving poetry and philosophy as I do, this was also a clear YES to me!
4. Muhamad, Prophet for our time, Karen Armstrong
For someone critic and higly suspecting of the way most muslims live their own religion in the Middle East, I have to admit that this book let me fascinated and much more informed about this man's life and character. Knowing about everything that's distant and incomprehensible to you is not letting go of your own convictions and ideas but a truly humble exercize of learning and enriching yourself.
5. Popular Culture in the Arab World, Hammond
This book is an essential must read to anyone who lives or feels interest in the Middle Eastern culture and the way things got to be the way they currently are (chaotic!).
Reading reliable, good books about my own reality helps me to understand most of what I live (frequently crazy, nonsense stuff I try to understand with no avail...)
“ Two interviews on YouTube and new MUST READ books”
*** If you are not an alien recently visiting planet earth or some bearded, eccentric person living in an isolated cave somewhere indesert of Arabia, you must have noticed, by now, that YouTube isbecoming a big thing in the world!Stars have been made and destroyed by it and political campaigns havealso been braided and succeeded through it and yet it is still new tome (“Yes, I am a kind of an alien although I have no beard and no plans to move to any cave, not yet!…”).
Check both interviews on YouTube following these liks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o9HaTw0WOA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRV8SY33_oQ
***Trying to keep up with the times – just a bit, though…- I am happy to inform my students and fans that two of my most recent television interviews are on line and you can ckeck them on the supra cited YouTube just by searching :Joana Saahirah of Cairo interview. Those were made in Portugal during my last visit to my country and are, obviously, spoken in Portuguese but you can still get a glimpseof Hosny Watatak – whom I took with me to Portugal for seminars andshows – and me doing a bit of one of our tabla solos. No musical background, no support, just me and him and all our craziness (I canfairly say that’s a lot to go for us!).
*** Promise to upload some GOOD dance videos really, really soon. I´ll keep you all posted!
*** MUST READS (arabic world):
1. Friendly Fire, Alla Al Aswany (author of Chicago and The YacoubianBuilding ) . This was yet his best book, as far as I am concerned.Egypt is seen with crude, even cruel eyes but there´s a lot of truth in it and a veiled love for Egypt. Only the ones who really care about this country have the courage to denunciate its flaws and, by doing so, hopefully change a bit of reality. The writing is also more human,even dark but in a tender, always realistic way. My favourite!
2. The Voice of Egypt , Virginia Danielson.Being a self confessed crazy fan of Om Kolthoum, this book is an obvious pick for me as it speaks about…you guessed!... Om Kolthoum!It´s a study tracing the diva´s life and all kinds of impacts her work and persona had on Egypt and all the Arab World. Not a genius kind ofwork but, for sure, a MUST READ if you´re a musician or a dancer in the Middle East.
3. Samarkand, Amin Maalouf (Lebanese writer).I am still reading this book which was recommended to me by a friendbut, so far, I am loving it. It´s the story of the famous poet, sage and philosopher Omar Khayam traced back to a time when knowing and speaking up the truth was a death crime (we´re not so distant from that, are we?!). Loving poetry and philosophy as I do, this was also a clear YES to me!
4. Muhamad, Prophet for our time, Karen Armstrong
For someone critic and higly suspecting of the way most muslims live their own religion in the Middle East, I have to admit that this book let me fascinated and much more informed about this man's life and character. Knowing about everything that's distant and incomprehensible to you is not letting go of your own convictions and ideas but a truly humble exercize of learning and enriching yourself.
5. Popular Culture in the Arab World, Hammond
This book is an essential must read to anyone who lives or feels interest in the Middle Eastern culture and the way things got to be the way they currently are (chaotic!).
Reading reliable, good books about my own reality helps me to understand most of what I live (frequently crazy, nonsense stuff I try to understand with no avail...)
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