GRENZENLOS TOUR 2003
Hubert von Goisern and Mohamed Mounir
Following an invitation from the Goethe Institute in Cairo, Hubert von Goisern and his band toured Africa in 2002. In the Egyptian city of Assiut, he played a joint concert with the Nubian pop star Mohamed Mounir in front of an audience of more than 15,000 people. In 2003 the return invitation was made and Mohamed Mounir joined Hubert von Goisern for a three-week tour through Germany. The audience confirmed what the two artists had already discovered: music is a language that helps overcome cultural differences.
Superstar from Egypt on tour with Hubert von Goisern!
Mohamed Mounir is more than the most enigmatic figure of Egyptian pop heaven. He often performs controversial opinions on politics and philosophy with his thought through and therefore inevitably provocative lyrics. The former art student began his career in the Cairo of the 70s and advanced quickly to an outcast artist, but not without rubbing everyone up the wrong way. He became a synonym for a liberal way of thinking and the longing for reform with his music and its contents. And also here [in Germany] Mohamed Mounir has long been a term for a liberal-thinking Muslim and left intellectual, and at the same time a perfect example for the dialogue between cultures.
From 19th June to 6th July, the popular Nubian is touring with Hubert von Goisern. Goisern and Mounir will present their contribution to the subject of "intercultural dialogue" together - in the best sense of the word - and not as usual exclusively "one after the other". The decision to do this joint tour came about a year ago, immediately after a concert from the two, initiated by the Goethe Institute in the former fundamentalist stronghold of Assiut. More than 17,000 people proved what the two artists had already noticed for themselves: music is a language which helps to overcome the cultural differences. Now, more than a year later and more up-to-date than ever, the two international commuters are kick-starting the understanding between the Orient and Occident. Ambitious and more important than ever! - The press sees it the same way and is reacting with massive publicity for the tour and records.
Mohamed Mounir
Mohamed
Mounir was born in Aswan. His pop-oriented music unmistakably has its
roots in the various genres of Arabic and African music. And his lyrics
are without exception social and political, with which Mounir sees himself
as a mouthpiece for the cultural and religious togetherness of the Orient
and Occident. His music is also great to dance to: his songs are played
with pleasure at weddings or other celebrations, and so Mounir is the
darling of the Egyptian, secular-oriented youth.
Mounir, like Hubert von Goisern, has also gathered experiences in film: the film Destiny from Youssef Chahine, a prominent outsider in Egyptian cinema and at the same time its most internationally renowned representative, is a reckoning with the growing fundamentalism of his country. Mounir plays the singer Marwan from the 12th century, who escapes an attempted assassination by stirred up fanatics the first time, but succumbs the second time - a reference the Algerian Rai singer, but also Egyptian literary figures like Nagib Mahlus or Farag Foda.
After the attacks of 11th September, he brought out the album Earth ... Peace. The video to the title song Give Me Strength, O Messenger of God could not be shown on Egyptian television for a long time. Earlier this year (2003) Mohamed Mounir gave a concert in Berlin. "They are sad days for the whole of mankind," he says regarding the Iraq war. "But we are the majority. We are those who love peace, justice and music."
