Egyptian violinist Mohamed Adel took to his Cairo balcony to give an evening concert for the neighborhood amid a curfew and a shutdown of cultural activities.
The two-week-long curfew has been in effect since Wednesday 25 March (from 7pm to 6 am) as part of stricter measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in Egypt.
Adel explains that the idea for the balcony concert was given to him by his relative Mahmoud Saad, who plays saxophone and who joined Adel in segments of his balcony performances.
"Mahmoud showed me videos of musicians performing on balconies in other countries and I loved the idea," Adel revealed to Ahram Online.
"At the same time, as a musician I found it a great way of playing my part during the situation we are in," Adel said.
"I began studying violin in my final school years," reveals the 24-year-old musician and graduate of the faculty of commerce at Helwan University, adding that he studied violin and composition with numerous musicians in Cairo and took online master classes.
The first balcony performance was held immediately after the curfew went into effect.
"My brother and I placed speakers on the balcony and I began playing."
The music attracted the attention of neighbors who stood at the windows of nearby buildings to listen to Adel play the violin.
"I did not expect such a positive response, many people began to applaud the idea vigorously. People were very happy."
Though at first Adel planned for a limited repertoire, he soon expanded it.
"I decided to continue in the following days. Currently I perform every day at 7:30pm and stream the concert online so the initiative can reach people outside my neighborhood," Adel adds.
Adel s livestreams are available on his Facebook page Mohamed Adel - OBIT
"With everyone staying at home, especially during the curfew hours, musicians can play a role. I hope more musicians perform their repertoire on balconies," he said, adding that such small gestures can mean a lot to people who are shut in behind closed doors.
