Temple of the Heart

Last night I went to Sama'Khana next to Prince Taz Palace in the Citadel area and saw the wonderful Iva Bittova, who is a renowned singer from Czech Republic who works with a lot of gypsy and world songs; and Anwar Abudragh a singer and musician from Iraq presenting classical Arabic and Sufi music. It was totally amazing. I felt like I was in a healing temple of sound; there were times I wanted to cry, times I wanted I was smiling from deep within, times I wished to crawl on the ground and writhe and times of bliss and divinity. The venue itself was beautiful;practically all wood with carved Arabic design and in a round with balconies. I was stunned that anyone managed to find the place though as it was tucked away down a small, historic street but then this is Cairo and when one is lost one becomes found.

There are performances on throughout the next week; all part of the Spring Festival 2010 including the poet Benjamin Zephaniah and many other international performers.

I begin another new writing class tomorrow; it will be weekly at Diwan for one month and then I start a second class at Darb 1718 as demand was high for the 1st one. I also hope to start my copy editing work for a new publication and not forgetting my post as 'writers' recruiter' for The New Hermopolis situated in Middle Egypt.

The family have been here for one week and will stay until 16th and I then hope to be accommodating a film crew who will be making a piece on The City of the Dead; an area here where people live in tombs. The poet and writer Seni Seneviratne will come end of May and Amira Hanafi will be also staying (she liked it so much the 1st time) :-) with a poet friend of hers. I am organising a reading to hopefully take place at Darb 1718 in early June and this will be Seni, Amira, myself and also Mohamed Salem Obada and Marwa Abu Diaf who will be reading in Arabic.

Soooooo... it's all go!!!! :-)