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Beyond 1932: Cairo Congress of Arabic Music

Hosted by the Consul of the London Middle Eastern & North African Group
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Took place 2 months ago
Mon 31 Mar 18:45 - 20:45

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Beyond Protected content Echoes of A Sonic Monument

This is an in person only event in the British Library Pigott Theatre.

Tickets are free but booking is required.

Join us for a multidisciplinary live performance that brings to life Sara Hamdy's groundbreaking research into the history of electronic music and experimental sound in Egypt, with a particular focus on the legacy of Egyptian-American composer Halim El-Dabh.

The performance draws on rare and previously unheard British Library recordings of the Protected content Congress of Arabic Music exploring the intersections of Egyptian folk culture, modernism, and the early pioneers of electronic music.

It sheds light on the soundscapes of post-Ottoman and experimental music that followed Protected content brings Halim El-Dabh’s sonic innovations into dialogue with contemporary performers - while highlighting the importance of archival materials in preserving Egypt’s sound heritage.

Halim El-Dabh Protected content was an Egyptian-American composer and ethnomusicologist, whose innovations in electronic music made him one of the early pioneers. El-Dabh’s career spanned both electronic composition and ethnographic study, with particular focus on Egyptian folk music & mythology.

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