BY CHITRA KALYANI

Cairo: Keeping in their own Ramadan tradition, Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy this year will feature alternative female voices from the region. And in keeping with tradition, Al-Mawred has some trump cards up their sleeve this year.The Ramadan “Hayy” program, which first began in 2004, will kick off this year with Lebanese artiste Oumeima El Khalilpresenting her music at the Azhar Park’s Geneina Theatre on the weekend of July 26 and 27. Unlike previous years, some artistes this season will give two performances. The culture center is “doubling some artists” this year, said Charles Akl from Al-Mawred, since it is expensive to get these renowned names in Cairo.Khalil’s singing has found teachers and audiences alike since an early age. Born into an artistic family, she was also trained under renowned Lebanese composer, singer, and oud artist Marcel Khalife. Starting as a singer in his band “Al Mayadin,” Khalil has continued her kinship with the artist throughout her career that spans almost three decades, and featured on several albums with him. She is slated to release another musical production with Khalife.Her first solo album, “Khalleeni Ghanneelak” (Let Me Sing, 1994), and the last two albums — Oumeima (2000) and “Ya” (2005) — were produced in conjunction with her husband, musician Hani Siblini, who himself was born into a musical family.

The second star of the Ramadan nights to follow on Aug. 2 is Palestinian singer Rim Banna. Political to the core, Banna’s music is a means of cultural self-assertion. Focusing on reviving children’s songs from early on in her career, Banna participated in a production with other artists singing traditional lullabies, also translated to English, in the album titled “Lullabies from the Axis of Evil.” More recently, Banna has featured on the feel-good post-revolution Quincy Jones production “Bokra” (Tomorrow).

What distinguishes her sound is the assertion of a political and cultural identity, an assertion of being Palestinian.

This year’s spot for home-grown talent in Al-Mawred’s Ramadan line-up is deservedly taken by Dina El-Wedidi, playing on Aug. 3. El-Wedidi’s unfettered voice sways as confidently into songs that criticize what is forbidden in “El- Haram” as into a bluesy muse over loneliness in “Wehda.”

Again, rightfully so, El-Wedidi was just recently found singing her Egyptian Bossa Nova alongside Brazilian Gilberto Gil at the Back2Black Festival celebrating African-Brazilian music.

The card trumping the already impressive line-up that in the weekend finale is none other than Lebanese artiste Yasmine Hamdan aka Y.A.S. In a happy coincidence, last month saw Hamdan’s former partner in the renowned underground act Soapkills, Zeid Hamdan, performing at Darb 1718 with Maryam Saleh.

Yasmine went on to perform solo starting from 2006 following the famed encounter with the man that also produced Madonna’s albums, Mirwais Ahmadzaï. Hamdan released her first solo album “Arabology” in 2009 under the label of Universal Music. Her music still bears traces of the indelible electro-trance style of Soapkills.

Akl revealed that the artist was also on tour with her new self-titled album. Of all the featured acts in the Hayy program, Hamdan, slated for Aug. 9-10, is expected to raise most controversy, said Akl. –The Egypt Monocle