FWD: "Midnight in Cairo: The Divas of Egypt's Roaring 20's " [Community Presentations]
In this afikra FWD, Hasheemah Afaneh talked about 'Midnight in Cairo: The Divas of Egypt's Roaring 20s' by Raphael Cormack. Cormack unveils the rich histories of independent, enterprising women like vaudeville star Rose al-Youssef (who launched one of Cairo’s most important newspapers); nightclub singer Mounira al-Mahdiyya (the first woman to lead an Egyptian theater company) and her great rival, Oum Kalthoum (still venerated for her soulful lyrics); and other fabulous female stars of the interwar period, a time marked by excess and unheard-of freedom of expression. Buffeted by crosswinds of colonialism and nationalism, conservatism and liberalism, “religious” and “secular” values, patriarchy and feminism, this new generation of celebrities offered a new vision for women in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.
About the afikra Community Presentations
A community member delivers an in-depth presentation on a topic related to the Arab world’s history and culture during a one-hour online event. The presentation is the culmination of a month-long afikra coaching process to help identify a topic, find research, and develop the presentation. The goal is to showcase the presenter’s curiosity, research, and share some knowledge. Each presentation is followed by a moderated Q&A with questions coming from the live virtual audience on Zoom.
Sources and Further References
Midnight in Cairo: The Divas of Egypt’s Roaring 20s - Raphael Cormack
Note: All community presentations are prepared & presented by non-experts on the subject. They are sharing information in the hopes of spurring interest in that subject.