This one is a huge throwback from the eighties back when Ramadan was still not the merchandising orgy it is today. To be honest, growing in the Eastern part of Beirut with zero contact with a Moslem population the whole concept of it was a little surreal with no one properly explain it. But above is the intro to Sherihan's fawazir of 1986 (Alf Layla w Layla) - Sherihan in case you don't know was one of Egypt's most talented and celebrated entertainers. A fazzroura (plural fawazir) means a riddle, and every year there would be a show spanning the whole month of Ramadan with a riddle every night but mostly entertainment as in acting and dancing.
Whereas other people did try their take on the fawazir, it was mainly Sherihan's trademark. Even till now, I can still remember the wartime in Beirut in 1986 (at the time and I checked the internet, Ramadan fell in May, so no wonder I remember long days and mild weather) with the Fawazir going on and that catchy tune of the outro... "a2ollak eh, a2ollak ah"....
Just as a side note, my favorite photo of Sherihan was taken by the incredibly talented Lebanese photographer Fouad El Koury in Cairo and shows all the glamour, mystery, sensuality and innocence surrounding her persona.
Photo credit: Fouad El Koury
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