Metro al Madina (located in Hamra) presents this Wednesday a musical “3awalem Shari3 3imadeddine”, which is a recital of popular songs sung by renowned performers in the period between the end of the 19th Century and the early 20th Century. The show seeks to revive the role of women in the music industry during that era. It highlights the involvement of women described by some orientalists as simply prostitutes, whereas in reality they were highly-proficient vocalizers, like for example, Munira al Mahdiya, Aziza Hilmi, Bahiya Mahlawiya, Aisha Nada and Samha al Baghdadiya. Among the popular hits to be auditioned, are ‘Eh ra’yak bi khafafti’, ‘Ala baladi balad ummi’ and others. Recalling, that Imadeddine Street in Cairo, Egypt, was the hotbed of the main theatres of that period (Opera Malak, Metropole, Al Rihani, Al Shaab). (Al Akhbar 13 January 2020)