Although the jury of the 10th Arab Music Festival and Conference withheld the first prize at the event's closing ceremony on Saturday, women managed to make off with most of the remaining top honors, said reports.
It is the first time that female singers have monopolized the festival awards.
Women grabbed the spotlight at the closing ceremony at the Egyptian Opera House in Cairo, as the head of the jury, Egyptian musician Helmi Baker, announced that prizes would go to four female Egyptian singers.
Marwa Nagi and Walaa Ibrahim shared the second prize, while Huwaida Salah and Muna Abdel Rahman each received a share of the third prize.
The participants in the contest performed two songs, Ad Ma Bahebbak Zaalan Minnak (I’m Angry With You as Much as I Love You) composed by Mohammed Othman, and Ana Hawet Wa Intahet (I Fell in Love and I Came to an End) composed by Sayyed Darwish.
Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni and head of the National Cultural Center at the Opera House Samir Farag, presented the prizes to the winners and the medals to the honored artists, Syrian singer Sabah Fakhri, Egyptian singer Sharifa Fadel, Moroccan researcher Abdel Aziz Abdel Jalil and Egyptian poet Ahmed Kamel. Ashraf Abaza accepted an award on behalf of his mother, the late Egyptian singer Laila Murad.
The Arabs performed a number of folksongs, led by Bahraini singer Nagma, Syrian Safwan Al Bahlawan, Kuwaiti Abdullah Rweished and Egyptian Ghada Ragab.
Ten Arab countries participated in the event, which opened Nov. 1.
The Arabic Music Conference addressed many issues including musical improvisation, pop tunes in children’s songs, and the theory of Arabic music through the books of Abi Yaacoub Al Kindi – Albawaba.com
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