the jerash festival celebrates its silver jubilee with the 2007activities
The silver jubilee celebrations for Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts will commence this year on Wednesday 25 July with an official opening at the south theater featuring Jordanian female vocalists including Rose Al Werr, Caroline Madi, and Samah Bassam (who lives in Cairo); they will be accompanied by the National Jordanian Orchestra conducted by Maestro Haytham Sukkariyah from Jordan.
The festival will carry on its activities until Friday 17 August 2007 and it promises a versatile cultural and artistic program that will feature broad local, Arab, and international participation. Ms. Lubna AL-Farr, Acting General Manager, of the Festival also announced that this year's festival is to be remembered as a joyous summer celebration welcoming Jordan Families as well as Jordan's Arab and foreign visitors, "This year Jerash festival is commemorating its silver jubilee by extending the festivities to 24 days for the first time".
The activities of the festival will be as follows:
The South Theatre
As usual the south theatre opens its arms to renowned Arab singers and other famed foreign performances such as the American three time Grammy award winner "Ozmatli Group"; they will also be performing at International Kurtaj festival, Hani Shakir from Egypt, Latifa Al-Tunisia from Tunisia, also coming from Lebanon singer Najwa Karam, Fadil Shakir, Assi AL-Hilani, Nancy Ajram and Fares Karram. From the Gulf the festival is hosting Hussein Al-Jasmi, in addition to Kazem AL-Saher and Majed Al-Muhandis from Iraq. The infamous Wadi'e alSafi and Jose Fernandez will also be performing at the south theatre. The National Music Conservatory will be holding a Jordanian night, in addition to honoring leaders in Jordanian Songs that will combine traditional and modern music. Furthermore, Al-Jil Club for Cercasian Folklore, the Chechen Waynakh group, and Singer Omar al-Abdallat will also be performing.
The North Theatre
The north Theater will host a variety of classical and folkloric Arab and international performances including: Al-Hannunah Group, Moscow Ballet – Cinderella, MESTO Orchestra conducted by Arab Maestro Dr. Nabil Azzam; they will be performing a song made especially for Jordan using lyrics by Poet Henry Zughaib, Al-Asalah Al-Tarabiyyah/Al-Darawish Group and singer Kinan al-Basha from Syria, Ara de Madrid – Spain ، Zaha Children Center Choir, Bahrain Orchestra conducted by Dr Ahmad al-Jumayri, Angel Padilla Crespo- Harp- Mexico, Al-Dumari Play by Jollanar troupe from Syria, Gold Star Dance-Armenia, Aisi Folklore Group-Georgia, Molaya Popular Dance Group from Lebanon, Singer A'ishah al-Wa'd and Mahdi Abdo from Morocco.
A night of Egyptian singing for artist Ahmad Jamal Aldeen AlSherbini and Al-Isma'iliyah Popular Arts Group, fashion show by world-renowned designer Basim al-Shaykh Jawad, Keiko Koma – Japan (Poetry & Music) their will be live translation into Arabic, Apama cultural groupe-Nigeria. Opera Jasser from Netherlands touching on the Arabs suffering in foreign countries, singer Bashar Zarqan and singer Nisreen Hameidan from Lebanon, Jordanian Play for the Jordanian Artists Association troupe, Arab Music Forum performing movie songs for Leila Murad.
Artimes Theater
Ms. Al-Farr also added that Jerash festival has constantly given special attention to children while preparing the program since this festival is intended for the whole family. Many plays for children will perform on the Artimes Theater from Jordan, Lebanon and other foreign and Arab countries. The following local and Arab plays will be performing:
Sunduk Al-Farah Play- The Jordanian Child Theatre, Singer Dunya Mas'ud/ -Egypt, The Jordanian Artists Association- a play for children and another for adults, Al-Kunud Group –Sultanate of Oman, a play for children-Shadi Sweiss, Deon group-Al-Husun in Jordan, Philadelphia University group, "Al-Qina" (The Mask) Play- Majd al-Qasas, a play for children " Baytik Ya Sitti" – the Lebanese Puppets Theatre, Children's interactive theatre /Mimi Malik/ Light and Sound, " Qif" (Stop) play – the Performing Arts Centre, and "Ard al-Wafa" Play ( land of loyalty) play by artist Fu'ad Hijazi and Laylak group.
The Forum
The main square for the ancient Jerash city is considered the heart of the festival where it will host various musical and artistic evenings throughout the days of the festival featuring local, Arab and international groups; some of which are participating for the first time. These groups include: The Orchestra of the Armed Forces and Jerash municipality group, Al-Majd Al-Nasrawiyah Group, Won Chu Chinese group for Karate Performances, Gold Star Dance-Armenia, Aisi folklore-Georgia, Karapty- Slovakia, Kalarrytes- Greece , Yambul group-Bulgaria, Al-Awdah group from Nazareth, Al-Asayel-Dayr al-Asad group from Palestine, Apama group-Nigeria, Al-Hannunah group, Al-Kunud Group-Oman, and Al-Isma'iliyah group from Egypt, and from Jordan Almahabish group, Al-Aqaba group and Al-Ramtha Folkloric Group.
Amman Activities
Renowned Arab Artist Adel Imam will be performing the "Bodyguard" play in Amman on the Arena theatre for three days starting July 30th. The following activities will also be held in Amman: Bernanrda Alba's House by Husayn Nafi'- the Royal Cultural Centre, Sa'd Abu-Tayih and Nancy Petro- Al-Hussein Cultural Centre, Mesto Orchestra-USA, Bahrain Orchestra conducted by Dr Ahmad al-Jumayri – The Royal Cultural Centre, Al-Dumari Play- Jilnar group from Syria/Al-Hussein Cultural Centre, Tarab evening by Dr Ayman Tayseer from Jordan –Al-Hussein Cultural Centre and opera Jasser –Netherlands-Royal Cultural Center. In addition to a seminar on the status of Arab songs- The Royal Cultural Centre that is taking place on August 11th and 12th.
Poetry Festival
The poetry festival will commence on July 31st with a session by Kuwaiti Poet Su'ad Al-Sabah and Lebanese Poet Mohammad Shams AL-dein moderated by Poet Jeries Sammawi Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture. The poetry festival is introducing new concepts this year, as foreign poetry recitals are introduced with immediate Arabic translation. Many poets representing the various poetry schools in Jordan, the Arab region and the world are participating in this year's festival. Poets will be performing in Amman and other major Jordanian cities such as Karak, Irbid, Jerash, Zarqa and Mafraq till August 10th 2007.
The visiting poets include: Las soud Yarberg/ Sweden, Angela Garcia/ Colombia, Zilhad Klotshnin/ Bosnia, Keiko Koma from Japan performing a musical poetry recital on the North Theater/ Jerash. As for the Arab poets, they include: Huda Ablan/ Yemen, Amal Mussa/ Tunisia, Elias Lahoud/ Lebanon, Mohammad Abu-Doma/ Egypt, Rasha Emran/ Syria, Yousef Razouka/ Tunisia, Toufiq Mohammad/ Syria, Adel Al-Karshouli/ Syria, Ahmad Al-Shahawi/ Egypt, Ghassan Zaktan/ Palestine, Ahmad Al-Ajmi/ Bahrain, Reem Qais Kuba/ Iraq, Hassan Najmi/ Morocco, Hassan Al-Louzi/ Yemen, Fatima Na'out/ Egypt, Saif Al-Rahbi/ Oman, Abdullah Basher Ehbail and Mayson Saqr/ UAE.
As for the Jordanian Poets, they include: Ahmad Al-khatib, Mahmoud Fadil Al-tal, May Sayiegh, Mohammad Lafi, Ahmad Kanani, Habib Zioudy, Abdullah Radwan, Musa Hawamdeh, Rashed Issa, Mohammad Obeidallah, Yousef Abdelaziz, Mohammad Maqdadi, Hakem Aqrabawi, Nawal AL-Ali, Issa Qunsul, Jeries Sammawi, Hikmat Al-Nawaiseh, Ammar Al-Junaidy, Abdelkarim AbuSheih and Ali Lobani.
Al-Nay Festival
As usual the Jerash festival holds parallel to its activities sessions to study and appreciate Arab musical instruments, this year Al-Nay was chosen as the target instrument to be appreciated under the supervision of renowned Jordanian Nay players Sakher Hattar and Hassan Al-Faqer and with the participation of Major Nay players in the Arab world and the region including: Markos Scolios/ Greece, Sameer Sablini/ Lebanon, Russel Packard/ USA, Muslem Rahal/ Syria, Salahal-deen ALmane'/Tunisia, Hussein Omumi/ Iran, Mohammad Fouda/ Egypt, Nabeel Shourah/ Egypt, Yasser Al-Shafi'i and Ellie Kasrawani/ Lebanon, Yousef Al-helo/ Lebanon. From Jordan the festival will be hosting the following nay player; Dr. Abdelhamid Hamam, Hassan Al-Faqer, Laith AL-Thaher.
The International Oud Day will also be commemorated during the 25th Jerash festival on August third 2007.
The Jerash festival For Culture and Arts since its inception by her Majesty Queen Nour Al-Hussein, chairman of the festival's Higher Committee in 1981, has become over the years a cultural and artistic landmark which Arab and international audiences eagerly await every year. This festival which has become one of the arms of national culture gave the Jordanian citizen the chance to get to know world culture by featuring some of the finest international cultural and artistic activities.
It should also be noted that the festival has become an important means to enrich culture and arts, for it is a window through which the world can see Jordan's culture, civilization, and tourism in addition to enhancing dialogue and interrelation of civilizations by attracting literary, artistic, and cultural activities that satisfy Arab visitors and the Jordanian family.
The Jerash Festival had stopped its activities twice over the past 25 years, once during the Palestinian Up rise, and the second during the Israeli war on Lebanon last July.
Ms. Al-Farr, also stated:" The Jerash festival for Culture and Arts is well-known that it represents a cultural and artistic gathering because it invites and attracts local, regional, and international artists, art groups, and intellectuals. Thus it has achieved a qualitative leap in the cultural and artistic arenas in Jordan".
Ms. Al-Farr, Whom has worked with the Jerash festival for the past 13 years as programs manager and deputy GM, pointed out that the Jerash festival through out its 25 years has built a solid ground for itself and is considered one of the top tiers of cultural festivals in the region, and this year it aims to carry on its success through originality and innovation to maintain its role in cultural bridging. She also added that the colonnaded streets, plazas, and theaters of Jerash all provide unique venues for the activities that are not rivaled by all the satellite stations and modern technology that brings entertainment to your door step, emphasizing that the entire city of Jerash will open its arms for the general public to attend this celebration of Joy.
The administration of the festival this year sought to engage the private sector to activate the partnership between the private and public sectors. According to this partnership, the festival has contracted the Golden Bridge Corporation which will market the festival in a professional manner and with high efficiency and at the highest levels. The Golden Bridge Corporation is considered one of the leading companies in Jordan specialized in the field of organizing exhibitions, conferences, and marketing. The company won huge confidence in the wake of the good reputation it achieved locally and regionally since its launch seven year ago.
