Meet Egypt's Top Social, Cultural & Humanitarian Icon!
Eng. Mohamed El-Sawy is the Founder and Director of the Culture Wheel (Sakia), situated in Zamalek, Cairo. He will eventually develop branches all over Egypt. He is also the General Manager of Alamia Publishing and Advertising Co. since 1980, as well as General Manager of Alamia Road Signs Co.
Born in 1956, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from Helwan University. While growing up in the 1960s and 70s, his father was considered one of Egypt’s brightest journalists and culture promoters. He was twice elected to head the journalists’ syndicate, and under President Anwar El-Sadat, he served as Minister of Culture and Information. An accomplished novelist, Abdel-Monem encouraged and funded the work of other writers and artists. “Always working,” his son recalls. “He was always on his feet doing something, and encouraged me to do the same.”
Mohamed El-Sawy named his center “The Culture Wheel” in honor of his father, who is best known to most in Egypt as a former minister of culture, but took his greatest pride in his work as a novelist and journalist. His most ambitious effort, a five-part novel cycle called El-Sakia (The Wheel), was complete except for the last novel at the time of his death.
His son, by giving his cultural center the same title, is symbolically finishing his father’s legacy.
Since its opening, it has attracted audiences from all walks of life and has become a hub for all types of arts at affordable prices. It also organizes festivals and contests, making it the place to go to for any person.
“We enjoy attracting very sophisticated, cultured people at the Culture Wheel,” he says. “But we are here to add other parts of society to this group. At first, some people feared to enter a place that says ‘culture.’ So I work at broadening the public’s awareness and understanding of a variety of cultural events. Ticket prices are low, with the top ticket for some events set as low as LE. 15, and other events for much less. Many events are even open to the public for free,” he said.
With the concept of ‘encounters with culture and knowledge,’ the Culture Wheel was launched in 2003 underneath the 26th of July Bridge, or rather under the 15 May Bridge, where once it used to be a gathering place for the homeless, petty criminals and garbage dumps, and the stench of rot. Nobody dreamt that such a disreputable place would be transformed to a place that generates culture and knowledge.
Egyptian literature and poetry has traditionally been the mainstream of the Culture Wheel, and now hold events that cross the former boundaries of artistic genres by coupling poetry readings with performing arts. Those types of events are free to the public with the aim of building and expanding their audiences’ interest. El-Sawy Culture Wheel aims at healing the wounds of society and solving its difficult problems by doing what it can to enlighten and educate the public with art and culture.
El-Sawy’s passion for art led him to write and produce ten marionette plays. I asked him if he ever went to the Cairo Puppet Theatre, and he said he has, but has never worked for them. His future project is to try to gather all the existing retired puppet makers and puppeteers with the purpose of forming a school at the Sakia, in order to teach new generations the fine art of puppetry before this craft expires.
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Sakia’s Mohamed El-Sawy….the Puppeteer!
There is something very pure and endearing about a grown man ‘playing with puppets’. Mohamed El-Sawy is originally a professional puppeteer, even though it started as a hobby. What makes it more amazing is that he is also a very sharp businessman and manages his Culture Wheel staff with a soft glove, but somehow combines his passion for this refined art, while promoting and juggling other types of art at his Culture Wheel center.
Not only does he craft most of the marionettes and puppets himself and performs in the puppet shows, but he also writes and produces all the plays, such as the life stories of the icon singers Om Kalthoum, Farid El-Atrache and lately Abdel-Halim Hafez. He also made a Beatles show, as well as other types of educational or comic shows.
Q. When did your love of puppets and puppetry first start?”
A. It was at the German school in Cairo, and I was about15 years old. The classes would prepare marionette shows at the end of each school year, and my love for puppetry is in my veins ever since.
Q. What type of puppets?
A. There are many types of puppets, as you probably know, such as the gloves, the sticks, the strings, shadows, and the ‘aragoz’. We used the string marionettes at school. I call myself a puppeteer because I have been doing this now close to 38 years.
Q. But, are you still involved in this craft? Do you make the actual puppets?
A. Yes, and I still do the shows as well as craft the puppets by myself. I also write the scenarios and am on stage for the performance of the marionettes.
Q. When do you have time to do this, and do you have a special workshop?
A. I am physically involved since two years now. We have a Sakia workshop for the puppets.
Q. Have you ever been to the Puppet Theatre? Did you ever work professionally in puppetry?
A. Definitely! I’ve been many times to the Puppet Theatre, but I have never worked with them. However, I assisted in two puppet shows twice in the early 80s, with the great puppeteer Rahmy (who passed away) for the Egyptian television. After the first month of working ‘officially’ for the TV, their administration asked me why I didn’t go and ‘collect my salary.’ I explained that I hadn’t done anything yet, but they told me I was supposed to get paid anyway – even though I didn’t ‘deliver anything.’ This made me feel that I was getting paid for doing nothing. I didn’t like this system, so I resigned the following month.
Q. It wasn’t your fault. It must have been frustrating to wait for your turn to do something, but the television was apparently not organized or coordinated in their air time.
A. You know, at the German school in Cairo, we had teachers who came and left after their contracts expired. Our puppetry teacher was Mr. Mast. When he left the school, everybody expected that the young school puppeteers would dissolve as well. They did not know that after Mr. Mast left I went to the Director of the school and asked him, “Why don’t you keep the puppetry class and give me the responsibility to be in charge of it and its forthcoming shows?” He answered, “But you’re not a teacher.” Furthermore, he had to have the approval of the School Board. But for the first time in the history of that school, he agreed, without taking permission from the school board members.
Q. So, apparently at the Sakia you had your first puppet performance, maybe twenty years later. What was the name of your first private puppet show?
A. My career as a puppeteer lasted for 10 years after graduating from school and then the group dispersed. It was only with the establishment of the Culture Wheel ten more years later that I decided to return to performing, and I producing a play called “El Masoora El Kabira” (The Big Pipe) which centers on street kids who live inside the large sewage pipes situated near construction sites. This story was inspired by Ibrahim, a boy who used to live next to a pedestrian walk near El Sakia.
The second show I wrote and produced, and my favourite one, was called “Mutassif and Mutashakkir” (Sorry and Thank You) because that is how I feel about things in general, starting with the plight of the street children, as well as other bad situations. “Mutassif wa Mutashakkir “ is always what I am. I harboured the dream of producing this play for 20 years, because if I could say only two words, it would be “mutaassif, mutashakkir.” Mutassif, Mutashakkir is about two undervalued brothers who eventually find recognition through art. The message emphasizes that human behaviour and values are what counts.
Puppetry is a beautiful craft that should not be forgotten. El-Sawy’s future project is to search for the remaining old or retired puppet craftsmen and hire them at the Sakia, in order to make a school for teaching puppetry craft to new puppeteers.
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Sakia’s String Orchestra - the New Kid on The Block!
By Hoda Nassef
Launching the “Sakia String Orchestra”!
On the 19th of October, Mohamed El-Sawy’s Culture Wheel launched its first String Orchestra. In fact, Egypt’s second orchestra. Witnesses vowed that they are excellent and equal, if not better, than the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. The Conductor’s name is Mohamed Saad Basha and the First Violinist is Mohamed Raouf. Once again, this is thanks to the efforts of the real maestro, Mohamed El-Sawy!
Sakia’s String Orchestra inaugural performance at the Culture Wheel on 19 October 2010 – with Conductor Mohamed Saad Basha & First Violinist Mohamed Raouf
One day when I was at the Culture Wheel center to see the bazaar there, I found out that they were having two shows the same evening at the same time, but in separate auditoriums. I decided to attend the visiting band from Germany, so I got my ticket, but landed in the wrong show! Furthermore, it was a newly-formed Egyptian band.
A bit disappointed, I decided to stick around for a while before returning home. Boy, was I surprised! I stayed till the very end – to the tune of the standing ovation!
Not only did I did I ‘stick around’, but I also met the director of the Culture Wheel, Mr. Mohamed El-Sawy for the first time, and congratulated him for his ‘new baby’, the “Sakia String Orchestra”.
After the concert, he took the stage and made a speech of appreciation. Luckily I grabbed the moment and made an appointment with him to talk about his new orchestra.
• What made you think about making an orchestra in the first place and why was it necessary? Nobody thought about it before…
Because I think that Egypt needs to gather qualified musicians in one place to promote their talents, as well as cover the country’s thirst for attainable culture and refined music.
• How did you combine the musicians in the Sakia String Orchestra?
About a year ago I thought about forming an orchestra that would play regularly and start attracting a younger audience to the culture center and was told about a good and decent young man, the conductor Mohamed Saad Basha. When I met him I felt how serious and honest, so I discussed this project with him. We then selected many very fine musicians for the newly-formed string orchestra, which was launched on the 19th of October.
• Did you hear him play or see him conduct before?
No, but I asked around and was confident with the selection of musicians. We spent prior to the inaugural show about six months only in discussions about the show, what we needed, and how to make the contracts.
• But this is a ‘string’ orchestra, and its type of music is a bit limited.
We thought about adding gradually more musicians with different instruments, and even adding a singing choir, especially for the forthcoming Xmas carols. We are planning beautiful things for Xmas, insha Allah. We need a brass section – but that doesn’t mean for every concert, only for special events – so for the moment we can hire them per event, or whenever we need them.
• How long did they practice to have such a successful outcome for their inaugural concert?
At least 13 rehearsals; each rehearsal lasted over three hours. These young musicians are very good, and they worked hard.
• I attended the concert, and was truly impressed by their professionalism. The Conductor Mohamed Saad Basha and the First Solo Violinist, Mohamed Raouf, in my opinion, were fantastic.
Yes, and we will keep on using this orchestra, because Egypt needs it.
• The impression I have of you through my research, is that not only are you an important culture and social promoter aiming mainly promoting our youth, but also an altruistic humanitarian icon in Egypt.
Alhamdullillah. If you don’t collect these talented young musicians in one respectable place, they would have had no alternative but to join a cabaret’s band with belly dancers, and so forth.
• I have heard the Philharmonic and Symphony orchestras of the Opera, and believe me, they are equal to them.
Thank you. Yes, I was told the same thing by many spectators who attended the concert.
• The violinists had their ‘bows’ synchronized and perfectly aligned together with not one up and the other down, like we see at other orchestras. To reach that level of perfection, it must have taken hours of training and practice.
We also have started another line, called ‘Sakia Opera’. We interviewed many singers to see if they had the basic opera training. We have now a pianist and about two singers. They will be hired to perform on special occasions.
• About the conductor, does he also play an instrument?
I can’t confirm that, but I know that Mohamed Saad Basha is writing the music notes of the concerts.
• Where did he learn or get his training?
I’m sure at the ‘conservatoire’, like most of the authentic musicians.
• Did the Sakia do anything special for the Eid holidays?
From the Wakfa (day before the Feast) we had free programs in Creative Designs for all ages, clowns for the children, acrobats, music, songs, and other entertainment!
• Is it true that you will have fantastic shows in December for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, with the String Orchestra?
El-Masreyeen Band led by Hani Shenouda will have a show in a couple of days in commemoration of our great poet Salah Gahine, on November 20th. But our new ‘Sakia String Orchestra’ will be performing for the second time, on 30th November. For Christmas or Christmas Eve, we will have a choir for Xmas carols. As for the New Year’s Eve event, we will have Nasseer Shamma, our regular Iraqi ‘oud’ player, with his own group of about 25 musicians. They will be performing until midnight. After midnight, we will have another show by a band of percussionists, with festive decorations and food stands.
• How much will it cost to attend the New Year’s Eve events?
For Nasseer Shamma, tickets will be LE 60, and for the other group after midnight, tickets will sell also at LE 60. In other words, there will be two shows (LE.120), and we can attend either one, or choose to attend both of them.
• Apart from Xmas and New Year, are there any special events in December?
Yes, on the 14th/15th of December, we will have our “Chocolate Festival”, which will last about 9 days till the 22nd or the 23rd of December.
• What is it about, exactly?
Actually, my older daughter came to me five years ago and asked, “Pappy, why don’t you make a chocolate festival?’ I smiled at the idea, because she loves chocolates. And then I thought, why not? So, we had chocolate festivals ever since. Several international factories display their chocolate products. However, only once (one year) I let the children mold their own chocolates by themselves, but later the Ministry of Health forbade that and told us it was not hygienic or safe, due to the Bird’s Flu at that time.…
• Of course they are right. But the children could wear gloves or use cookie molds, without touching anything. Or, you can even craft bigger molds to have bigger chocolate figures and statues.
That’s a good idea! I will make a note of this now and have a factory make some very large molds of different sizes and shapes immediately. Thanks for the inspiration!
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Origin of chocolate:
By the way, the origin of chocolate, which is derived from the Theobroma cacao tree, stretches back to at least 4000 years ago. The plant is believed to have originated in the Amazon or Orinoco basins in South America and was regarded by the Aztecs as being of divine origin ('Theobroma' means 'food of the gods'). They used the tree's beans as currency - 100 beans would buy a slave, 12 beans the services of a courtesan and 10 beans a rabbit.
Although Christopher Columbus was the first European to carry beans back to Europe (around 1502) they were as curiosities but it is his fellow countryman, the conquistador Herman Cortes, who is credited with introducing them to the Western World a little over 40 years later. Hernan Cortes recognising its potential he took a load of cocoa beans back to Spain. These were used to seed plantations in Trinidad, Haiti and the West African island of Fernando Po and gave Spain a virtual monopoly of the cocoa market for almost a century.
Chocolate drinks were developed in Spain that were seasoned with pepper, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon or mixed with beer or wine. They became such a hit that Spanish society ladies had them served during Mass. When the French latched on to it, they immediately hailed it as a wondrous aphrodisiac and, by slapping heavy taxes on it, further enhanced its status as a drink for the rich and decadent. In 17th and 18th century England, the drink became so popular that chocolate houses threatened the existence of the traditional English pub.
The first commercial chocolate factory in the UK (J.S. Fry) began in Bristol in 1728. The first primitive version of the chocolate bar is again credited to J.S. Fry and Son, when in 1847 they mixed sugar and cocoa butter with chocolate powder to produce a dry, grainy and not particularly tasty solid slab. Milk chocolate was a much later invention and the eating chocolate of today began in 1876 when Henri Nestle and Daniel Peters added milk and extra sugar to create the world's first milk chocolate bar. Later still the American Milton Hershey became the first to mass produce chocolate when in 1894 he began selling the world's first Hershey Bar for five cents.
• Since you apparently know so much about chocolates, you probably have a sweet tooth like your older daughter! So, what is your favourite brand?
I like all the brands of black chocolate, especially the ones with mango fillings – or plain black chocolate! (He mentioned a few brands, but I will not write it down so as not to make unfair propaganda for them, leaving out the other brands.)
• Did you know that black chocolate is actually good for the heart?
I do, and there are black chocolates without sugar too, which is even healthier!
Sports and Marathons:
Not surprisingly, Mohamed El-Sawy believes that sports is also a form of culture. In his words, ‘sports can provide opportunities for exchanges between different people, in a friendly non-political atmosphere, regardless of who wins or loses.’
He ran in Prague, but his personal best record is 3 hours and 40 minutes accomplished at a race in Germany. Since a marathon usually covers 42.195 km, El-Sawy’s speed averaged 12 km per hour. Marathon running has provided him with “patience, and the ability of changing your mood.”
Many charity organizations and NGOs use the Culture wheel’s facilities, such as the auditorium, stages, projectors, sound systems, screens, etc.
The most recent campaign was Breast Cancer Foundation of Egypt marathon in late October this year. Mohamed El-Sawy joined the 10,000+ participants in the short race at the Pyramids plateau for the ‘BCFE’. Furthermore, the Sakia premises were used before the actual race for documentary film screenings, lectures, and afterwards for speeches, awards, and distribution of gifts for the ‘cancer survivors’. The Race was a huge success and was aired on local and international television, including CNN.
Chess Championships:
• What about this other passion you have – the number one ‘mental sport’ – chess?
The National Chess Championship is organized by the Egyptian Chess Union, under our patronage. I call Chess the multi-layered thinking device. Unfortunately, kids don’t use their brains anymore with their ‘play stations’, internet games and other useless gadgets. No use of brains any more…just reflexes! Anyway, we have a chess championship soon.
Sakia’s Health & Charity Campaigns:
The Good Samaritan
Mohamed El-Sawy’s main campaign is against smoking, knowing how really terrible smoking is to people’s health. He was never was a smoker, and never even attempted to smoke as a school boy, with all his classmates trying it at least once. With his strong willpower even at a tender age, he ignored his friends who tried to tempt or coax him into smoking, and says now, “But it is so stupid to smoke when it is very obvious how harmful it is!”
The White Circle
Mohamed El-Sawy’s main campaign is against smoking, knowing how really terrible smoking is to people’s health. He was never was a smoker, and never even attempted to smoke as a school boy, while all his classmates tried it at least once. With his strong willpower even at that tender age, he ignored his friends who tried to tempt or coax him into smoking, and says, “But it’s so stupid to smoke when it is very obvious how harmful it is!” The White Circle, created by El-Sawy Culture Wheel, is a ‘smoke-free environment’ and all at the premises, even in the gardens or cafeterias, are forbidden to smoke. The White Circle is now adapted and applied by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Merits and Awards:
Last year, German Ambassador to Egypt Bernd Erbel bestowed the prestigious Order of Merit from the German government upon Mohamed El-Sawy, for his relentless efforts in supporting the cultural relations between Egypt and Germany.
The El-Sawy Cultural Wheel was also granted the Honorary Shield of the 42nd Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF) for its significant cultural role achieved in the last seven years. Head of the General Egyptian Book Organisation Mohamed Saber handed the shield to Culture Wheel’s director, Mohamed El-Sawy, who reaffirmed his intentions of opening new branches of Sakia all over Egypt.
Mohamed El-Sawy is married and has two daughters, 18 and 25. He’s a member of the American Chamber of Commerce, the German Chamber of Commerce, National Youth Council, the Rotary Club Rhein-Nile, Motorsports Committee of the Automobile and Touring Club of Egypt, the LCE Board Member, the Union of the German Graduates in Cairo, Egyptian Advertising Committee, a board member in Gezira Club, co-founder of the EJB (the Egyptian Junior Businessmen), President of Zamalek Development Committee, as well as a member of other clubs and NGOs.
Cairo – 20 November 2010
Interviewed by Hoda Nassef
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