In an effort to forge Egyptian and American cultural connections, the United States Embassy is organising a concert of American and Egyptian artists to collaborate as part of the American Music Abroad program.

Staff Writer

Feb 22, 2017

Chelsey Green Joins Dina El Wedidi and Fathy Salama for a Concert at the Citadel

On February 28, American Music Abroad (AMA) will present 'Al Hakawateya' (The Storytellers), a performance at The Citadel in Old Cairo featuring Billboard-charting American Jazz artist Chelsey Green and her band The Green Project alongside two prominent Egyptian musicians — Grammy Award-winning musician Fathy Salama and folk singer Dina El Wedidi.
The United States Embassy's AMA program once brought Louis Armstrong to Egypt in 1961, and it continues to forge cultural connections through the power of music. Since the days of Armstrong’s visit until now, AMA has brought American musicians and artists to concerts and exhibitions in Egypt. Working closely with local cultural organisations, AMA reaches as wide an audience as possible from diverse backgrounds while adding richness to Egypt's cultural scene.
Green has been playing music ever since she was a small child, starting her career as a violinist at only five years old. Her prolific output and serious musical chops have opened up opportunities for her to share the stage with international stars like Stevie Wonder, J.Cole, Ruben Studdard, and many more. The Washington City Paper's Marcus J. Moore described her sound as "classical meets contemporary, blurring the lines between Jazz and R&B." Green’s collaboration with Grammy Award winner Fathy Salama and Egyptian folk singer Dina El Wedidi will create original material to be performed at the concert for the first time, fusing the world of Jazz with Egyptian folklore, directed and produced by Salama. El Wedidi and Green are both pioneers in their fields — we can’t wait to see what they can do together with Salama producing. Dina El Wedidi mixes Egyptian folklore and its traditional sound with Western instruments, played on an oriental scale. Her work is reminiscent of what Sheikh Sayed Darwish did to update Egyptian folk more than a century ago — modernising it while making it relatable to a much broader international audience. In the same manner, Chelsey Green is doing something similar with classic American Jazz in the United States, sublimating the sound by adding influences from genres as distant on the spectrum as Gospel and EDM.The concert’s location reinforces the spirit of the event. The Cairo Citadel is a place rich in history, and has been a meeting point of cultures for generations, with its various museums and tourist attractions. The aesthetic value of the venue is unmatched, and will provide a spectacular backdrop for the event. To help get your there, Uber is offering free rides to and from the Citadel for concert attendees.Tickets are EGP 70, and the event plans to attract informed cultural aficionados from different societal backgrounds, aiming to foster a friendly and inclusive environment. You won’t want to miss it!