- Title: EGYPT: Group of young Egyptian brass players bring jazz tunes to Cairo streets
- Date: 21st September 2014
- Summary: BAND MEMBERS WALKING WITH THEIR INSTRUMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) "HASSABALLA" SAXOPHONE PLAYER, LOAY KHALIL, SAYING: "We all agreed on playing in the streets, and when it comes to how difficult the instruments are, anything can be learned with practice."
- Embargoed: 6th October 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Egypt
- Country: Egypt
- Reuters ID: LVA4HJVAV02BQGPZ2BKNAQD06QXF
- Story Text: A group of 11 young musicians take to the streets of Cairo with upbeat tunes, reviving a tradition by a band called "Hassaballa", which is the musicians' adopted name. The original "Hassaballa" was an Egyptian band of 36 members who played in Cairo during the 1950s.
When a marching band hit Cairo's Maadi neighbourhood recently, curious crowds gathered around and soon some started to dance and clap along with their upbeat tunes.
With classical brass instruments and percussion, the young 11-member band are trying to revive an old tradition by the original "Hassaballa", which is the modern band's adopted name.
"Hassaballa" was an Egyptian band of 36 members who played in Cairo during the 1950s. Named after Hassaballa II, who took the band over from his father and gave it the fame it eventually garnered across Egypt, the original band dressed in specially-made gold embroidered suits and performed on the streets as well as for King Farouk, who ruled Egypt from 1936-1952.
But today's "Hassaballa" could not look more contemporary.
Dressed in jeans and black T-shirts, the band's manager told Reuters one of their main goals is to bring a smile to people's faces.
"The whole idea is that we used to play at shopping malls, then we decided to start up a marching band on a larger scale and we began contacting musicians playing brass instruments and percussion. Now we are eleven musicians performing in Hassaballa band," manager Ayman Bakar told Reuters.
"We called it Hassaballa after the traditional band that used to play on these same instruments, such as the brass instruments and drum instruments. Our goal is to improve the general taste in music in Egypt and make people in the street happy," Bakar added.
Bakar hopes "Hassaballa" can launch the marching band culture in Egypt, adding the original Hassaballa played royal music for the king, but they play upbeat Jazz tunes to attract the younger generation.
Saxophone player Loay Khalil said band members agreed to make the streets their stage in order to reach people, an approach uncommon in Egypt.
"We all agreed on playing in the streets, and when it comes to how difficult the instruments are, anything can be learned with practice," he said, adding that music can help release daily frustrations.
Dancing to the music, a girl from Maadi said the band's repertoire was just right to appeal to the public.
"The type of music must be chosen carefully. For example this music is upbeat, but it's not too noisy. It gives people joy without overwhelming them," she said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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