Ali El Helbawy sings at El Sawy Culturewheel on Friday 6 November
The singer, known for setting Sufi poetry and religious chants to modern arrangements, plays Wisdom Hall in Zamalek at 8pm, with tickets from EGP 200.
Ali El Helbawy is back on the El Sawy Culturewheel stage in Zamalek this Friday, 6 November, for a two-hour concert in Wisdom Hall from 8pm to 10pm. Tickets start at EGP 200 on the Culturewheel's own website, according to its November programme.
El Helbawy is one of the best-known voices in Egypt's modern inshad scene. He is the son of the munshid Sheikh Mohamed El Helbawy and learned religious chanting from his father, starting out as a teenager in the family group before going solo. His concerts mix ibtihalat, Sufi qasidas and songs, and he is known for carrying the classical Arabic maqamat over arrangements that borrow from Western music. He has also worked on projects that set Islamic chants beside Coptic hymns.
El Sawy is one of his regular homes. He has played the venue many times over the past years, and his nights there tend to draw a mixed crowd, from families who know him from Ramadan programmes to younger listeners who came to him through his recent work with a full band.
The Culturewheel's November calendar is busy around his date: the same weekend brings Sol Band on Thursday, the Drummers Team on Friday in River Hall, and Karim Heraje and Ahmed Hamada on Saturday, so it is worth booking early if you want a good seat.
Seats are numbered, so the place on your ticket is where you sit. Book on culturewheel.com or at the box office on 26th of July Street under the 15th of May Bridge in Zamalek. Tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged. Children aged 6 and over need a full ticket, and children under 6 are not admitted to concerts unless the event is meant for them. Photography, filming and outside food and drinks are not allowed in the halls. Arrive a little early: the Zamalek streets around the venue fill up on Friday evenings, and parking is limited.