The sixteenth edition of the International Sama Festival for Spiritual Music and Chanting will start next Friday in Cairo, featuring around 30 groups from 14 Arab and foreign countries, including Syrian musical groups residing in Egypt. This year, the Republic of Congo has been chosen as the guest of honor, and there will be tributes to the late South African bishop Desmond Tutu, Italian orientalist Giuseppe Scattolin, and American monk Thomas Merton. Additionally, the Museum of Memory and Tolerance from Mexico and the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai will be recognized.
The performances will take place at the northern Cairo wall theater near Bab al-Nasr, Beit al-Sennari in Sayeda Zainab district, and the Artistic Creativity Center in Qubbat al-Ghuri. The festival is known for attracting wide audiences in Egypt, with its outdoor performances coinciding with the end of the summer vacation.
Festival founder and president, artist Intisar Abdel Fattah, stated in a press conference on Sunday that the festival administration received many requests for participation this year, but only a limited number was selected based on the days and locations of performances and hospitality capacities. He added that a major celebration will be held on the occasion of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday on September 26 under the title "Let Me Whisper to My Beloved," while the "Interfaith Forum" will hold its ninth edition coinciding with the closing ceremony on September 28.
The festival is organized by the Dialogue Foundation for the Arts and Cultures of Peoples under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and the Prime Minister.
