Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) The Cairo-based Al Nour Wal Amal (Light & Hope) orchestra comprising 38 visually-challenged women musicians will enthral listeners with the music of Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and other classical composers.
The group begins its week-long India tour from Tuesday at the Kamani auditorium.

Addressing a packed house at the Egypt embassy, Ambassador Mohmmed Higazy said the “Egyptian Blind Girls’ Orchestra was happy to play in India for the first time.”

“Egyptian artistes love to perform in India because Egypt and India share an affinity for arts, culture and colour which is the best way to forge people-to-people links,” the ambassador said.

In 1954, a group of women under the leadership of Istikial Radi established the first centre - Al Nour Wal Amal (Light and Hope Association) in Egypt for education, vocational training and care of visually-impaired girls.

In 1961, the centre set up a music institute which later gave birth to the Egyptian Blind Girls’ Chamber Orchestra - a choir of 15 girls, which over the years grew to a 38-member repertory. It was founded by the Samha El-Kohly former president of the Egyptian Academy of Arts, Ministry of Culture, and the former dean of the Cairo Conservatory of Music.

The goal of the orchestra and the institute is to introduce the girls to an art form that many visually-challenged musician excelled in to hone “their musical talent and abilities - and to provide them with a creative way to express their emotions”.

“During the last 20 years, the orchestra was conducted by the late maestro Ahmed Abul Eid, who had succeeded in developing special techniques to enable girls to perform an orchestra without reading notes while performing - and without the very essential dependence on the baton of the conductor. The orchestra is conducted by Aly Osman,” said a spokesperson for the troupe.

Al Nour Wal Amal Orchestra has four sections- strings, woodwind, brass and percussion - comprising visually-challenged musicians from school to university level. The orchestra, which was patronised by the Egyptian government, started travelling abroad in 1988.

It has toured Greece, Austria, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, France among several countries.

Their performances include music of Mozart, Beethoven, Bizet, Mendelssohn, Ravel, Purcell, Weber and Tchaikovsky and several other classical composers.

Amal Fikry, vice president, Egyptian Blind Girls Association, said: “We feel proud that the orchestra has emerged as a strong group which can display its ability and talent and perform in different parts of the world. We take this opportunity to showcase their talent now in India.”