Female DJs find the beat in Beirut
Sarkis has female company in the nightlife scene now, but that was not always the case. When she started in 2000, she found herself an anomaly in what was traditionally a man’s world in Lebanon. Since then, the Lebanese DJ, who grew up in Nigeria and only planned to be here for two years and has stayed for 15, has helped push the music scene forward, perpetuating the recent rapid growth of women behind the decks.
This growth was not without its obstacles. Even in Lebanon, a country known in the Middle East for its nightlife, particularly in Beirut, societal acceptance of female DJs came slowly. But taboos still exist, Ghebris said, something he hears often from his students.
“The social aspect is really something. I have my students who say they are learning just for them, because their parents would never allow for them to play until seven in the morning. People will start talking. You have this taboo. It is a cultural thing,” he said.
“Nightlife is not only a place for men now, it has been democratized. When you see men putting aside their macho thing and really listening to a female DJ and getting their kicks, it is really cool. Especially in Lebanon, sometimes the men that are listening are really macho, so when a woman gives them this and they feel it, it is like we’re gaining a point,” Chidiac said.
Sarkis emphasized that just as Lebanon’s nightlife will never burn out, female DJs are not a trend that will pass, but are now a fixture and will always be part of the scene.
Source: Al Monitor
The Islamic State’s Strategy in Libya
Early media coverage of the Islamic State (Daesh) in Libya has centered on the group’s swift seizure of territory and the expansion of the caliphate’s authority into an increasingly lawless Libya. Yet IS’s efforts in the North African state have not lived up to these fears, as the organization—once thought to command control of cities such as Derna and Sirte—remains only one of many factions vying for power in these areas.
Lacking close ties to Libyan social groups, the Islamic State’s strategy focuses on accelerating state collapse rather than acquiring territory.
Many in Libya and abroad believe a decisive battle that will settle the fate of IS in western Libya is looming in and around Sirte, but past behavior suggests the group is too strategic to pursue such a confrontation right now. More likely, IS will continue to position itself between the country’s warring parties, advance its outreach among marginalized and aggrieved communities, and seek to degrade state capacities to further state collapse and advance its own national vision. In the short term, controlling physical territory will be secondary to these primary objectives.
Source: Sada
Ballet in Egypt
Ahmed Yehia is one of the leading Ballet dancers in Egypt. He was chosen by the late director, Youssef Shahin, to play a role in the epic film “Alexandria- New York”, featured at the Cannes Film Festival, and was awarded many local and international prizes. When I started dancing Ballet in the 1990s, most people were convinced that Ballet wasn’t a suitable art for our eastern societies for both girls and boys. After establishing the Cairo Opera House, performing about seven Ballet shows monthly made people more familiar with this kind of art.
Unfortunately, the High Ballet Institute encounters many problems nowadays as it doesn’t receive enough attention from the government. I believe that there will be no Ballet in Egypt after 20 years, if the High Ballet Institute remains the same as it is right now! I also noticed that 99% of the Ballet students are girls and most of them learn Ballet for the sake of enjoyment and fun, not for professionalism or building a career. Actually, we lack caring, concentration and professionalism! I think the media must play a crucial role in raising people’s awareness about such non-commercial art and address the officials asking them to pay greater attention to it.
Source: Egyptian Streets
