Mawawil @ CJC

If you want to break away from the omnipresent Electro scene and reconnect with the fertile sounds of the Nile Delta, Cairo Jazz Club is hosting Makan regulars Mawawil on Saturday February 8^th for an evening of traditional music born out of the Egyptian countryside.  Combining poetic narratives of love and belonging with folkloric instruments such as the rababa , the kawala and the mythical arghoul, Mawawil has all the ingredients to send listeners into a trance, infused with images and sounds of ancient times.

The band regroups musicians from the Nile Delta and is composed of singers Reda Shiha and Mohamed El Shahhat, Salama Metwally on rababa (a double-stringed spike fiddle made from half of a coconut shell covered with fish skin and a bow strung with horse hair) ; Amin Shahin on arghoul (an ancient double clarinet characterised by two pipes of unequal length) ; Ramadan Mohamed on kawala (an end-blown, oblique flute with six holes) ; Ragab Sadek on tabla and Mohamed Kholoussy, on hana and sagat.

The arghoul is a particularly impressive instrument that can trace its roots back to Pharaonic times. Today, the woodwind instrument has the unfortunate fate of being condemned into quasi extinction. In fact, Amin Shahin is one of the few remaining arghoul players around since the death of Moustafa Abd al Aziz in 2001, who was widely regarded as the master of instrument.

Makan has been a leading cultural hub with emphasis on protecting traditional music and folkloric narratives in an increasingly modernised and digitalised musical landscape. Recently, they have been teaming up with Cairo Jazz Club to introduce traditional music to a wider audience. 

Like the Zar, Mawawil is said to have powerful transcendent elements stitched into its rhythms and melodic patterns so prepare yourselves for an immersive experience this Saturday.

Book your spot at this unique event using Tazkarty.