Brise du Nil : Ensemble Azbakiyya

Presented by Mandapa (L.1030148) Nesma Nilea is an encounter between music and dance, brought to life by four artists gathered around the Egyptian repertoire. The show is a search for shared emotion between the artists and the audience. It explores tarab, that state in which music and movement unite in deep intensity. It offers a journey to Egypt through sounds, rhythms, and gestures, inviting the audience to a sensitive immersion and an inner voyage between listening, body, and emotions. John Samy Megalaa trained at the Higher Institute of Arabic Music in Cairo where he specialized in the nay flute. He then joined the Arabic music orchestra of the Cairo Opera House and became a nay professor while winning several honors, including first prize in the Egyptian Ministry of Culture competition in 2018. An internationally recognized artist, he has performed in numerous countries across Europe and the Arab world and collaborated with prestigious ensembles and renowned artists. Mervat Adly Henein is an Egyptian musician and professor specializing in teaching piano and oriental rhythms. Born in Egypt, she dedicated a large part of her career to the Higher Institute of Arabic Music in Cairo. Julien Coulon is a first-prize winner in classical guitar; he also combines jazz training (bass and double bass) with a master's degree in musicology. His musical horizon extends from classical to jazz, from French chanson to rock, and from oriental to Celtic music... Gradually, he explores the world of plucked strings and develops a passion for ancient and oriental instruments: lute, Baroque guitar, oud, saz, mandolin, kwîtra, theorbo, bouzouki, cetera, orpharion... He has produced several albums as a performer, arranger, and composer. Sarah Rhea is an oriental and gypsy dancer, conservatory-trained in classical, jazz, and modern dance before specializing in and dedicating herself to traditional dances of Egypt and the Romani world. Passionate about passing on knowledge, she teaches and leads workshops, dances, and artistic projects with diverse audiences. Also a history teacher, she develops artistic and cultural education initiatives linked to her research into world dances and cultures.