Egypt: Bahgaga to play Zamalek Theatre in Cairo

The five-piece, all-female band will cover classic musical monologues and newer original pieces. They will be accompanied by musicians playing the bass guitar, accordion, keyboard, oud and percussion.

Founded in 2015 by Egyptian composer and oud player Ayman Helmy, Bahgaga, which means ‘joy’, addresses themes such as love, politics and equal rights. The group is known for the song ‘Depression Is Forbidden’, which encourages listeners to shun negative thoughts and look on the bright side of life.

“Usually, monologues are monopolised by men, a concept I thought I wanted to change,” Helmy told The Arab Weekly in 2018. “The idea of monologues for us is a way to represent the people of today, their hopes and frustrations, and not the aspirations of those who lived over half a century ago. A monologue is a difficult combination of many talents. A monologist needs to know how to sing and act at the same time.”

Musical comedy monologues in Egypt emerged with the opening of theatres in the early 20th century. Although the art form developed an audience in the 1930s due to radio broadcasts, the film industry’s development in the 1940s allowed it to expand by taking the form of visual performances.

Well-known Egyptian monologists include Omar El Gizawy (1917-1983) and Mahmoud Shokoko (1912-1985).

Meanwhile, religious singer Sheikh Mahmoud Zain will play at Zamalek Theatre on 24 April. Ticketing information is available here.