Choir captures Tahrir revolution’s Utopian vibe

By Mai El-Wakil

Ever since Egyptians took to the streets on 25 January to
overthrow the Hosni Mubarak regime, people have tried to document
events and capture the dynamics among Tahrir Square’s protesters.
Accounts from the square describe a mini “Utopian” community,
united by a common cause despite differences in ideology as well as
social, cultural and economic backgrounds.

For 18 days, a real sense of citizenship was created at the
square. Photographic images, video footage, documentary films,
graffiti, caricatures and music were all employed to capture these
moments.

The Utopia Choir–which performed twice this week at Downtown’s
Rawabet Theater and Al-Hanager Theater on the Cairo Opera House
Grounds–stands out among these attempts, as it seeks not to
document but highlight positive values from the square that its
members hope will endure. The Utopian theme was conceived by choir
members in early January, before the uprising began.

“The idea was originally to find alternative ways to critique
the status quo by imagining a different future, despite the
constraints at the time,” explained Salam Yousry, artistic director
of the Choir Project.