Egypt
The fourth International Festival for Drums and Traditional Arts is underway in Egypt.
The sounds of the beating drums filled the streets of Cairo and cultural streets, as drummers performed routines skilfully.
With acts from about 20 countries, the festival is aimed at spreading a message of peace and cultural awareness between nations.
During the opening ceremony on Tuesday, nations performed their music and dance skills.
The festival also had first timers like Masaoud Mohamed from Tunisia and his band.
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“It is the first time for me to attend this festival in Cairo. I think it is delightful and it spreads joy and allows for an exchange of cultures between Tunisia, Egypt and all other participating countries,” said Mohamed.
Participating countries will have the chance to perform in several of Cairo’s historic sites during the festival.
“First, it’s very special, because in Switzerland that’s normal, we have approximately three thousand drummers and here we are very exotic, and we like it, all the culture, to see and play with all the cultures in Egypt,” said Swiss drummer Martin, who is participating in the festival.
On Tuesday the bands performed at the Citadel of Saladin on of the most popular historical sites of Cairo. The show attracted thousands.
“I always attend the opening and closing of the festival for this reason. I get to see all of these bands from different cultures perform together, and they sound like one single symphony, and this is wonderful,” said Nadia Hassan an audience member.
The festival is also a boost to the country’s ailing tourism industry which is a vital source of income for the country.
However, since the 2011 uprising which toppled Hosni Mubarak’s government, the industry has been struggling to return to its hey days.
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