Cairo Opera House’s Small Hall witnessed an event on 24 March 2019 when Algerian singer Karima Nayt shared the stage with Fathy Salama’s Sharkiat for their ‘Wahdani’ album release concert.
“This album took us a really long time to release. I am happy we’re finally launching it. Thank you to Karima and everyone who participated in the album,” the Egyptian Grammy Award-winning Salama stated during the concert.
Fathy Salama thanked all ‘Wahdani’ album makers during the release concert, Sunday 24 March 2019 (Photo Credit: Ahram online)
In addition to singing and rapping, Nayt was keen to introduce some of her dancing steps on the stage, adding a visual dimension to the concert that gained noticeable appreciation of the crowd, who sang along with her.
“Are you happy? You sang a lot tonight, but I really hope you dance too,” Nayt told the crowd during her performance.
Dancing was a big part of Karima Nayt’s show during ‘Wahdani’ album release concert, Sunday 24 March 2019
Special feature rapper Damayan inserted another spirit to the night in addition to a drumming-dancing show performed by Fathy’s buddy percussionist Ayman Sedky during the performing of ‘Nora’.
Egyptian percussionist Ayman Sedky (C) with Algerian singer Karima Nayt (L) and American rapper Damayan dance during ‘Wahdani’ album release concert, Sunday 24 March 2019
They were backed by Arabic percussionist Ramadan Mansour and the drumming of American Miguel Merino, whose electronic samples produced flavorful grooves, thanks to the tightness of young bassist Peter Laurence and the solid rhythms and solos of experienced guitarist Mohamed Adel, in addition to the special feature of known violin soloist Nancy Mounir.
A special drumming show represented by famous Egyptian percussionist Ayman Sedky during the ‘Wahdani’ album relase concert, Sunday 24 March at the Cairo Opera House
Salama, who never tires of experimenting and reinvention, used various electronic synthesizers, in addition to his standard sounds of organs and pianos, using computer sampling to colour his sound.
Egyptian known violin soloist Nancy Mounir made a special appearance at Fathy Salama and Karima Nayt’s ‘Whadani’ album release concert held at the Cairo Opera House, Sunday 24 March 2019
The long repertoire not only included almost all songs on the album; including Assez Moi De Toi, Romeo Et Juliet, Hinna, April, Maqsoom and Tu Goul Pas, but also represented many North African Rai traditional songs like Wahran, Sallou Ala Alnabi, Zwit Rwit and others.
The event was sound engineered by Mafdy Thabet, who Salama thanked after the concert.
Egyptian known violin soloist Nancy Mounir made a special appearance at Fathy Salama and Karima Nayt’s ‘Whadani’ album release concert held at the Cairo Opera House, Sunday 24 March 2019
Nayt, who started her arts career in Cairo as a dancer with the Modern Dance Company of the Cairo Opera House in the late 1990s, started her collaboration with Salama in the early 2000s and they had been preparing this album since then.
Nayt has performed in festivals and on stages across the world, both as a singer and a dancer. Since she left Cairo in 2007, Nayt worked mostly in Europe, participating in different dance productions and recording her long-awaited solo album Quoi d’Autre, produced in Sweden. The album won the prize for best CD of 2012 at the Swedish Folk & World Music awards.
Miguel Merino (L), Ramadan Mansour (C) and Ayman Sedky (R) perform during Fathy Salama and Karima Nayt’s ‘Wahdani’ album release at the Cairo Opera House, Sunday 24 March 2019
‘Wahdani’ album released last week on various music platforms like iTunes, Spotify, Anghami, as well as YouTube, Facebook and other free streaming websites.
It was recorded and mastered at Ultra Sound Studio in Cairo by Alaa Al-Kashif, who also won a Grammy for his collaboration with Salama in 2004 in the ‘Egypt’ album.
Kaina Nayt entertained the crowd with many of Algerian, Tunisian and Moroccan traditional tunes, during ‘Wahdani’ album release concert, Sunday 24 March 2019
After cooperating with the biggest names of mainstream Egyptian pop in the 1980s, like Amr Diab, Mohamed Mounir, Ali El-Haggar, Medhat Saleh and Anoshka, Salama formed his band Sharkiat, gaining fame in the global jazz scene and collaborating with giants like Senegalese Youssou N’Dour, Cape Verdean Cesária Évora and the source band of Norway.
Salama became a pioneer in the alternative music scene, supporting many currently famous bands and musicians, like Masar Egbari, Cairokee, Sharmoofers, Dina El-Wedidi, Mohamed Mohsen, Black Theama and many others, through his workshops and training programmes.
Fathy Salama on his keyboards at the ‘Wahdani’ Album release concert at the Cairo Opera House, Sunday 24 March 2019
Source: Ahram Online
