My trip to Cairo

Have fun on your trip... I'm completely envious....

Please take lots of pictures and share them with the forum...

Gee, you must be independently wealthy. I have this pesky day job and a mortgage that prevents me from being the world traveler I dream of being. I can only get away for max 2 weeks at a time. Have a great time!!

haha! Well... without getting too personal regarding my circumstances - the truth be known. . . althought it has been my dream since 15 years (!) to live in Cairo for a while... but since the EU changed it's visa requirements - now canadians must leave the EU completely every 3 months and be OUT for 3 months. This situation has cause a lot of inconvenience for me since I basically live in Czech.

So at the moment i am using the situation to my advantage and getting in all the travelling I always wanted to do... in one way it is great because otherwise my partner would never agree that i would just take off every 3 months FOR 3 MONTHS IN SOME EXOTIC COUNTRY. ---but the clincher is something regarding marriage--- so in order to solve this problem we must make some BIG decisions.

regarding $$$ ---yes, in the meantime my living expenses have gone thru the roof. . . . therefore I will be looking to cut costs in any way I can, if possible. In istanbul I managed to get all the music teaching I could dream of for free. The main expense- as always- is accommodation... and this is really my main concern.

independently wealthy no... but I have no mortgage, and own no property, no debts, no obligations, no fixed job.... a real gypsy life

Hi Edward,

I am also jealous, and I DON'T have a mortgage (at least not yet!).

When I visited Cairo, I stayed at the Windsor Hotel ("Fundaq Windisor" fi'l 'Arabi), which is where Michael Palin (Monty Python) stayed during his pole-to-pole road trip film. (http://www.windsorcairo.com/) They are reasonably priced, but maybe not cheap enough if you are planning for 3 months.

I would recommend the Lonely Planet Cairo guide. They do have some info availble on-line, such as:

Cairo: Hotel El-Hussein (Hotel) 0.3 business Address:
Midan hussein, Khan al-khalili , Cairo , Egypt
Show on map
Lonely Planet Review
Terry Carter
Lonely Planet author
It's worn, it's old, it's pretty gritty, but this hotel is about the best option if you fancy a location right at the heart of the atmospheric Khan al-Khalili bazaar.

While this old hotel has the usual Cairo budget trademarks such as peeling paint, worn-out furniture and none-too-clean bathrooms, the character of the area goes a long way to make up for it. The beds are okay compared to the other budget hotels in Cairo and while the rooms have seen better days (an indeterminate length of time ago), they are reasonably clean and have great views of the square below. The big balconies are ideal places to sip a beer after a long day sightseeing. The public spaces of the hotel are institutional and dirty, and the carpets were ripped in places, but given the location you're either going to be out shopping in the nearby streets or hanging out on the balcony.

But maybe Lonely Planet has some info on finding sublet or longer-term apartments? Cairo Craig'sList?

Good luck,
John

THANK YOU

Hi Everybody....

well, I made it down here in one piece, and have actually managed to get myself settled into a pretty nice spacious double room overlooking Cairo's main drag

downtown. My hotel doesn't have Internet but I noticed that my laptop picks up a strong WIFI signal from the Hotel across the street so I went over there and

asked them if I could use their Internet in their lobby with my own laptop for 30 minutes............... :-)

Cairo is amazing... like a cross btw Istanbul and Calcutta. I have taken quite a few fotos of the streets and such but I think I will limit my posting to

fotos concerning music, ouds, and oud making in general.

So far I have been here just 3 nights and my time has been spent on searching for accommodation and an oud. I think I have a good enough room--- so that is

taken care of... and I just got back from purchasing an oud.

Mohammed Ali street, or "oud street" (as I like to call it), in fact does not have as many oud shops as I imagined, but still there are PLENTY! There are

basically no really good ouds there - or, just one quite good one. Most are hardly worthy of Faruk's "oud-like object" description. But what would one expect

for $20!!

There are also an astonishing number of bad sounding semi-profi level ouds there all for around 100Euro. My objective was to find something I could live with

for these 3 months and simply use for practice and the study of Arabic maqams - then sell later for a profit. Over the last 3 days must have tried at least

50 ouds. Only a few of them sounded halfway reasonable, and just 3 sounded quite good. One was way too expensive, the other, although having a great sound -

has an incorrect neck angle, and the third, I just purchased one hour ago :-)

I bought it at a shop called MARKO. This is the only shop on OUDSTREET that is run by musicians! In my opinion the only shop worth visiting in the whole

place. The instruments they have sound good and their prices are very low. They know music and can help with this also. In fact I got a very good lesson in

Arabic maqam from the guy who I bought the oud from, and I will go back there many times I am sure. Also, the first day I was there I met an entire Algerian

group that is performing tonight at the OPERA house (missed that)... but the point is that on oudstreet, this is the only place that has anything remotely

resembling a musical atmosphere, or a kind of 'hangout' for real musicians. If I am wrong PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE correct me and tell me where this musical

place is because this is what I am looking for. some thing like Ramazan's oud shop in Istanbul - a place where there is a constant and steady stream of good

musicians coming and going hanging out and playing.

Anyhow, now I have my room and my practice oud, so the next on the agenda is to learn a bit of Arabic, and also to start making contacts, and finding out

where all the cool concerts are happening :-)

...and to seek out and visit the really really good oud makers.

I also want to find someone who can teach me what is REALLY happening with Arab microtonalism. You know the Turkish official system there are 9 divisions to

the wholetone - this is still not completely accurate, but much more accurate than the official Arab system which only divides the whole tone into 4

division. I hope I can find someone to show me how the microtones are REALLY placed in Arabic music.

I hope you like the pictures from Oudstreet, Cairo!



[img]http://www.andreamurdock.com/CAIRO/ouddoc1 (2).jpg[/img]

Sounds like a very interesting trip....

Probably the resolution is very high, so you may need to resize the images...One way is to open them up in
photoshop and "save as" with half the resolution...

Start a new post too - am sure it will be worth it

View from my room




Outside the opera house in the morning


interesting tree!



twin towers?



After getting info at the Opera house - I went to a concert of Classical Arabic music at the National Theare yesterday evening. An excellent group led by riqq player YASSER MOAWAD. I met the whole crew after the performance and they were as extremely friendly and welcoming. The cello player is a very old man who was one of the original members of OM KALSOUM'S orchestra! Yasser made me kiss him twice! Yasser kept telling me again and again that I MUST tell people in my country that THERE IS MUSIC IN EGYPT!!!!

The oud player was excellent and also spoke English. I got his contact info and he said that he teaches also -

I loved the concert. During the last 6 months in Czech while building instruments I always had OM KALSOUM music going on the in background... so it was such a pleasure to be able to recognise a lot of this groups repertoire - in fact I recognised almost the entire program! What I realise is that I particularly love the Arabic language for singing...

making a new nut

Hi Edward...

I been going around in circles considering your kind offer to pick up this oud for me. Main problem is that I am in Australia - am not sure if you realised that...The other thing, even if its to be shipped directly from Egypt to here, it would most like arrive damaged. And for me it would be have to be a 615mm string length, not sure if you know the vibrating string length.

I'm just thinking of all the possibilities here, because at 500 bucks it would be a good buy...

How long are you planning to stay around in Egypt Edward?

Thanks again for your offer

Hi Edward,

Man I am following this dream travel with wide open eyes, can you please describe your feelings as you walking through this oud heaven with its sounds smells and surrounded by ouds in different size and shapes

I walk with you side by side through oud street in this post, but please >> please pay our friend Maurice Shehata a visit and show us his gems too, he is a great guy greetings to him from all of us here

I wish you all the best, sure this will be a great new year eve for you today so make the sound of oud ring the goodbye tune to 2008 and the welcoming ones to 2009.

Happy new year

Edward....

That oud I was talking about....I think that it is a Jamil Georges oud (the sons) - now that I look at the post and the links a little closer and although theres mixed opinions on the work of the sons here - the oud seems like a decent instrument.

I'm sure that the overwhelming presence of oud fever and Cairo fumes will balance out just fine in a few more days!!

And I send you U2U!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!\

regards..

Yeah it is pretty horrendous--- the air along the streets... there seems to be no pollution controls on any vehicles, - so many of them, and just spewing out clowds of toxic black smoke...

...but I also guess that I will get used to it in a while, and only being here 2 or 3 months, it is not going to kill me since, otherwise I live in a place with good air :-)

I am growing a bit attached to my room actually, I love being right on top and in the center of everything.... it's a bit addictive. However, I will check out those other areas too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

...funny, last night I went out for a stroll around 11pm, and after 20 minutes decided to avoid the fumes a bit and get onto some side streets.... well, 12 midnight came and passed without so much as an extraneous beep! I mean, in the Western world, it doesn't matter WHERE you are, you are going to hear SOMETHING at midnight on NYE... but right in the middle of CAIRO (20million people), on a sidestreet downtown, and... nothing!

obviously muslims are not too emotionally attached to the new year of the Christian calendar!

...now don't ask what Xmas was like here!!!!

Cairo

edward powell music

Hi Edward- this is slightly off topic, but I've just been looking at some of your youtube clips of you playing that double neck guitar and all I can say is amazing!
If anyone out there hasn't seen any of them, go check them out, like this one:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZZ_Jsqcx5g&feature=channel_page

I'd like to ask you if you sell these or similar double neck guitars, and all the details. regards, MW

Hi Matt

Thanks so much for the compliments and the plug! Much appreciated...

However the link you've posted doesn't lead to my clips ...but that is sure a cool clip regardless! Is it you playing? Bravo... Raga on OUD! Hey, we must be brothers!

Regarding seeing instruments like these... yes, recently I made something similar for a fine Russian musician nadishana.com ---this instrument is called a DZUDAHORD and you can see clips of it, and all my other stuff on:
http://www.youtube.com/edwardpowellmusic

So it is possible that I can make a custom instrument for others it I have time. For more details just send me a PM and I am more than happy to discuss - even just for fun to talk about possible new interesting instruments... this is my passion as you might have guessed

...thanks again bro for you kind words.
I am down here now with just an oud, and I looking forward to getting back to my Ragmakamtar, and I am sure that when I do you are going to start hearing some serious Arabic flavour forthcoming

PS- Joe has been here and he has helped me enormously! What a player! By far the best player I have seen around here. In fact the only one I've seen here that has inspired me in any kind if major way - - -

THANK JOE!

---more of your clips are upcoming!

Hey Edward

Great adventure, nice to see you've hooked up with Joe - I had the pleasure of meeting up with him a couple of years ago and he gave me one of those 'million dollar' oud lessons by the side of the river Thames. It is great you are getting this in Cairo - I love your double necked oud /sitar!!!

Give my best regards to Joe if you see him again. Good luck to you - I'm really enjoying this travelogue.

Leon

Quote:

Originally posted by Edward Powell Hi Matt Thanks so much for the compliments and the plug! Much appreciated... However the link you've posted doesn't lead to my clips ...but that is sure a cool clip regardless! Is it you playing? Bravo... Raga on OUD! Hey, we must be brothers!

Sorry 'bout that folks, I posted the wrong youtube clip which has now been changed to one of Edwards! Yes that was me messing about with a raga style approach to the oud, and I am sure we are brothers musically!

Amazing Joseph Tawadros and Mamdouh al Gibaley - The Art of Egyptian Oud

This is amazing! This is oud playing!

Edward has luckily put these up on "My trip to Egypt" but I think it needs a thread of its own.

Its also great because it has JT playing the JT signature model made by Faruk Turunz and Mamdouh is playing a Maurice Shehata

Enjoy!

Part One:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWn2ysvVUZU

Part Two:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9TV_3Z6-40

Excited James!

Hi James! I share your excitement, this is without a doubt some great oud jamming at its best.
For me however it's not a question of which oud sounds the best or which of these two top-notch players is the better- both ouds sound great to me (it's probably down to personal taste which sound anyone prefers... like apples and oranges), and perhaps if they traded ouds half way through the taqsim they might even sound a bit different due to individual playing techniques.
I think we'll get a lot of mileage out of these two excellent youtube clips. regards MW

Hello Guys,

This is Awesome!

But Luttgutt I cant agree with you there. I think Tawadros has incredible time and the quick finishes are actually adventureous but spot on exciting phrases. Anyone agree or disagree?
His rhythmic ideas are quite complex, but uses a beautiful traditional platform. Also, Tawadros' tone is very strong and present and the Turunz oud really compliments his playing. But I agree this will come down to personal taste and they are both outstanding instrumentalists. Apples and oranges. Edward said these are two of five, so looking forward to the others...
Great discussion!

Jas.

Hey Edward

maybe you want to put these clips in a fresh post - otherwise everyone else will get the credits as they hunt the clips down on youtube

Really great stuff -

Thank You

Hi James

I know what you say as a competition is slightly tongue in cheek but for me I don't even make ths comparison, what is going on here transcends trivial things like is this better than that, even apples and oranges.

These two have real chemistry and artistry together and it is a joy to here this.

Leon

I've always been a great admirer of Joe's playing since I started oud and I have great faith in his playing, its great to see him here and it has introduced me, and no doubt others on this forum, to Mamdoh - wow what a passionate player, just beautiful ... hey you two(three??* are a perfect match

Leon

hmmm...

I am not totally sure if the artists involved here would appreciate this discussion which (all due respect) sounds a bit like a sports commentation) (sorry)

to be honest, I would like to see comments relating to my thread kept on my thread... and also I would like to be given the authority to delete certain comments that I see as in appropriate (I get this authority on my own threads on other forums I am a member of)

not quite sure now how I feel about uploading the other clips, and even keeping the existing ones on line - if the public is not able to resist it's tempation to Judge and Compare. . . . . come on people, this is ART, not a MEAT MARKET

Hi Edward and James,

Even though I still havent had the previlge to see this great videos as I'm at work and no access to youtube here

I totally agree with yo Edward, we shoudn't be judging these great artists or this graet instruments, I think the vedios are here for us to see and share

So my first request would be for the admin to remove the title and some of the negative comments..

Thanks to you Edward for the trouble in making this materials available to us, with my best regards to JT & Mamdouh al Gibaley and the great oud masters Mr. Turunz and Mr. Shehata

Regards to all

Hey Guys,

Ive never been compared to apples and oranges, a watermelon maybe

Mamdouh and I are friends and I dont mind 'constructive' criticism, but I feel this thread may pin us up against each other and I dont think that its fair to compare.
We both have our own style of taqasim and we have a great chemistry together. Nice to come up in a thread but when I read the title, I instantly saw dangerous potential...its music, something very dear to us and I hope it can be appreciated as such and not as a competition that is sometimes and unfortunately done.
And as for the makers Oustaz Turunz and Oustaz Shehata, their work speaks for themselves.

Thanks for the enthusisam...All the best and happy ouding!

JT

Hello Guys,

I apologise if the thread was abit 'dangerous'. I have changed the title. I hope we can all enjoy now but still leave constructive comments.

Luttgutt, I think your drive to leave that comment wasnt to be constructive but because you feel a jealousy for people talking about or appreciating JT and Turunz, this is not called tenasity, but appreciation.
I will admit Im probably the biggest JT fan and hope I didnt upset him with this thread. Talking about JT, doesnt mean its not nice to other oud players, plenty of other oud players are talked about and can be talked about freely...anyone agree with me?

Alot of people forget JT is only 25 years old (I think, or 24) and he has done so much for oud playing bringing new and exciting projects for the oud and inspiring young players like me. So to leave a bad comment because hes getting attention is jealousy which is not nice...I also take responsibility for I also brought it on myself...sorry again, and sorry JT.

Thanks to all the posts guys, Im sorry again and Edward I look forward to more clips please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apologetic James

Its true, Joe is amazingly young for the maturit of his music, I remember meeting him as a rookie oud player but 40 years of age with two children and feeling old and young at the same time.

Good health to ya Joe

Gentlemen,

Im cool with it dudes...Mr JamesOud, Im not upset, your cool to post whatever you like and youve been a great support in the past, so thanks, but try and assess the thread before posting
Luttgutt has his opinion and I respect that, he's free (and I give him permission) to criticise my playing as long as Im not compared to my dear friends. Im sure theres others that may not like what I do, and to think otherwise would be really naive of me.

My only concern is when I maybe pinned up against my friends Mamdouh, Faruk or Maurice. The world is big enough for us to all co-exist and share each others music, except in planet of the apes (cant trust those monkeys I tell ya!

As for my age, I am 25, but look like Im 40...I guess the receding hairline and the hamburgers have taken a toll over the years

Happy ouding and keep smiling...lets not get caught up in to many arguments now...

JT