Amira Selim sings for Dalida and Najat Al Saghira during her performance at the closing of the "Egyptian Cultural Week"

 

 

 

 

For 90 minutes, the world-renowned soprano Amira Selim captivated an audience of nearly 30,000 in Qatar during her performance at the closing of the "Egyptian Cultural Week" held at "Darb Al Saai" in Umm Salal. She presented 12 diverse songs, ranging from Egyptian heritage to global arts, performed in Italian and French. She was accompanied by her fellow musicians and friends, Salah Abdallah, Ahmed Osman, and Jamal Alaa El-Din, who played the piano, double bass, and percussion instruments.

 

Amira began the concert with the song "Eh Al-Abara" by the great composer Sayed Darwish, which she had previously performed in a new musical arrangement titled "Nostalgia" in a "vocalise" style—singing without words. She concluded the concert with the famous "Hymn to Isis," following the audience's enthusiastic request, as they were captivated by everything she presented throughout the event.

 

Amira also surprised her audience with new renditions of classic songs, including "Bahebak Wahshani" (I Miss You Terribly), originally sung by Najat Al Saghira and composed by Hani Shenouda in 1979, but presented in a fresh arrangement. She also performed "Helwa Ya Baladi" (Sweet My Country) by Dalida, composed by Jeff Barnel, which was also released in the same year, as well as "Ya Zahra Fi Khayali" (A Flower in My Imagination) by the late Farid Al Atrash. Among the international songs she performed were "La Vie en Rose" by French singer Édith Piaf, the jazz classic "Summertime" by George Gershwin, "Over the Rainbow" by Harold Arlen, and "Torna a Surriento" by Italian musician Ernesto De Curtis, among others, which resonated deeply with the audience.

 

Amira said, "Music is the soul that brings audiences together from all over the world. It doesn’t need words or a specific language for people to love it. This is what happened at my recent concert in Qatar, where I met a new audience who connected with the diverse program I prepared. I extend special thanks to the audience for being present and engaged with every moment and emotion. They truly made me happy, and I was delighted by their interest in asking about global music and how it is presented."

 

The concert was attended by Ambassador Amr El-Sherbini, Egypt's ambassador to Qatar, Engineer Hamdy El-Setouhy, head of the Cultural Development Fund sector, and several ambassadors and public figures.