Egyptian ambassador hosts a memorable evening on Revolution Day

The night was to honour 1952’s July 23 revolution and also 2011’s January 25 revolution.

ISLAMABAD:

It was a night filled with excitement and surprises as Egypt celebrated Revolution Day at a hotel here on Friday.

At the entrance of the hotel, Egyptian Ambassador Magdy Amer and his wife stood out as they personally greeted guests.

Unlike many such receptions, the guests were not escorted to the main hall; rather, they had to wait in the lobby for a surprise. Some were curious as to why they were there. Others were told that they are just aligning, waiting for the chief guest to arrive.

When the wait got longer than usual, guests started assuming that the chief guest was probably some high-profile official. The chief guest turned out to be Communications Minister Arbab Khan, whose arrival an hour late kept the audience in suspense.

However, as he arrived and the doors of the hall opened, guests were rather confused to see the seating arrangement. Instead of tall tables set for drinks and snacks, there was a stage set and seats were arranged for a concert. The Egyptian ambassador had planned to organise an event that would honour the night and make it a different and more entertaining reception, something he was quiet successful in doing.

The event began with a cake being cut and the national anthems of both the countries.

It was announced that the night was to mark the significance of not just the 1952’s July 23 revolution but also 2011’s January 25 revolution, which proved to be a great success for the Egyptian people.

An Egyptian troupe “Abudl Halim Nowera” had flown in especially for the event. The music ensemble is a part of Egypt’s most famous Cairo opera, established in 1967.

The troupe was lead by singer Hany Amer and traditional Arabic instruments- “May”-flute, “Ood”-lute, “Kaman”-violin, “Raa”-tambourine. During the performance, the Raa performer’s solo stole the show. Amer sang songs that moved the Egyptians in the crowd and got the audience to sing along, clap and cheer. The expected formal evening was turned into a fun night.

Ambassador Amer announced that the event was organised to surprise the guests and make the night memorable.

He said that the troupe is going to perform once again at Pakistan National Council of the Arts on Sunday and will also perform
in Faisalabad for the very first time.

Parliamentarians, government officials and members of civil society were all present to celebrate the day marked by an unforgettable event.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2011.