Egypt s culture ministry is launching a performance entitled Laila Fi Hob Mahmoud Reda ("A Night For the Love of Mahmoud Reda") at the Balloon Theatre, starting Sunday for one week.
The performance is designed to celebrate the work of pioneer Egyptian folkloric dance icon Mahmoud Reda, founder of Egypt’s Reda Troupe, who passed away in July at the age of 89.
Laila Fi Hob Mahmoud Reda is directed by Adel Abdu, accompanied with the orchestra of conductor Hisham Nabawy, will feature singers Mohamed El-Helw and Mai Farouk in Wahed Mennena ("One of Us"), a song written by Medhat El-Adl and composed by Salah El-Sharnouby.
The show also include an exclusive video speech for Reda, an act by Mido Adel and a documentary by journalist Ayman El-Hakim with the night presented by Bosy Shalaby.
Born in 1931, Reda, who participated as an athlete in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, founded Reda Troupe in 1959, finding wide success that led to official adoption by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture in 1961, with the troupe performing in all over the country and in many important venues abroad.
Reda Troupe collaborated with numerous musicians and starred in many films like Agazet Nos Al-Sanah in 1961, directed by his brother Ali Reda, in addition to other films like Gharam fi Al-Karnak in 1967 and Harami El-Waraqa in 1970. Mahmoud Reda worked with the troupe until he retired in 1990, although he continued to supervise it artistically.
Egypt resumed public culture activities in July as part of the country s cautious reopening following the Covid-19 lockdown, with all events held under strict measures that include social distancing, obligatory face masks, and sanitising.
