(Photo by Joel Gulhane)
Berlin is famous for its electronic music; DJ Tim Vita hails it as the birthplace of the genre. The party goers at the Temple Bar on Sunday night showed that Egypt, too is a hub of electronic music. Tim Vita joined up with Egyptian DJs Tito and Ismael to showcase their talents on the Nile; the pumping beats and effects thrilled the hundreds of electronic music lovers, only to be stopped short by the curfew.
The event, organised by 100Copies Music and Club Commission, is part of the German embassy’s Cairo-Berlin Project. The project’s aim is to share urban culture between Berlin and Cairo as way of enhancing the bond between the youth of both cities.
The electronic house music got the young crowd dancing right from the start of the night. The movement of the crowd, coupled with the top of the range sound system, caused the floating Temple Bar to shake at some points. This did not worry anyone, however, as the electronic sounds engulfed the room and the party continued.
Tim Vita, who has been involved in a similar project in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was impressed with the club night and the turn out in Egypt. Vita says he is not a fan of the mainstream electronic music heard on the radio or in commercial clubs around the world. Instead, he prefers to experiment and develop his sound, which can be described as “tech-house.”He added he was happy to be bringing it to Cairo.
Tito’s use of the decks combined sampled sounds and effects, and then he dropped the beat in prompting the crowd to whistle, cheer and shake the bar.
The event followed a workshop held on Saturday, by Tim Vita and Club Commission at the 100Copies Music studio. Young and aspiring Egyptian DJs were invited to the studio to be introduced to a brand new system created by Native Instruments. Tim Vita showed the young DJs how to use the equipment and they were then able to try it out for themselves to create their own sounds.
Lutz Leichsenring, press officer for Club Commission explained how the new equipment is affordable and can be used in any location, be it mixing in your bedroom to hosting an electronic music night in a club. Club Commission have sponsored the workshop and the brand new equipment will stay in the 100Copies Music studio to allow young DJs to come and try it out for themselves in an environment that can nurture their talent and help them produce a high-quality and personal sound.
The Cairo-Berlin project is ongoing and more information can be found on the German embassy’s website.
