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Music/Modern History
Um Kulthum museum to finally open
The long-awaited Um Kulthum museum is set to open this Friday -- on the 103rd anniversary of the birth of the Arab world's most famous singer. The museum -- located in the Manesterly Palace on the banks of the Nile at Manial -- will house personal artifacts belonging to the grand diva of Arabic song.
Multimedia displays will allow visitors to watch recorded concerts and learn more about her life. An impressive archive of press clippings about Um Kulthum from 1924 to the present day will also be available
The museum's display cases will feature things like her dresses, and the famous scarves that she used to always hold while in concert, as well as microphones she used, her oud, shoes and hand-bags. Photos of Um Kulthum with some of the most prominent people in history, as well as her collaborators -- the poets and musicians who helped make her voice legendary -- will also be on display, along with the medals and honors she received over the years from Arab presidents and kings. History buffs will also get a kick out of examining her diplomatic passport, glasses, and the contracts she signed with the record and broadcasting companies of the time.
(December 26, 2001)
Economy/Health
Price hike for locals
Local pharmaceutical companies have been granted permission by the government to raise the prices of five of each company's products, beginning February 5th, according to a tiny item on the front page of Al-Wafd. The decision comes after intense wrangling in parliament, with local companies complaining that the prices of production had gone up, especially when medicines required raw materials from abroad, and in light of the rise in the price of the dollar vis a vis the pound.
(December 26, 2001)
Miscellaneous
Even the snakes are cold
A 6-meter long circus snake has come down with a severe cold, reports an item on the back page of Al-Ahram. The snake -- which is part of the Russian-European circus act here in Cairo -- is being cared for by Faten El-Helw of the famous El- Helw circus family. Nine days of careful treatment are required to bring the highly dangerous snake back to its full health, so it's ready to perform again.
(December 26, 2001)
Movies
Limby goes it alone
One of the most memorable characters in last year's hit film Al-Nazer (The Principal) starring Alaa
Walieddin, was the tough guy El-Limby, played by Mohamed Saad. The loveable Limby literally stole the show from Walieddin with his tough guy thug antics. Now, the producers have gotten smart and decided to give Limby a film all his own. And, as fans of Saad will attest, the actor certainly has it in him to hold his own as a solo film star. The new film will tackle Limby's life from an earlier stage, and of course, will feature a happy ending where he will renounce violence and
"baltaga" (thuggery). Scriptwriter Ahmed Abdalla is putting the final touches on the script, reports
Al-Wafd, and the film is set to begin shooting in a month or so.
(December 26, 2001)
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