JEDDAH/LONDON: Egyptian composer, singer and guitarist Hamza Namira will make his London debut in a concert “Honesty meets Audacity” on Feb. 11. The concert will be held at London’s Logan Hall.
Namira is one of the most celebrated faces of modern Arabic music. A songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist from Egypt, Hamza has become a luminous expression of his homeland’s resilience and ambition.
During his London debut show, Hamza will perform a special selection of songs from his three authentic, fresh and bold albums.
Hamza has held many sold-out concerts in Alexandria and Cairo, while also performing internationally, across the Arab world and beyond. Broadcasted until recently on Egyptian media, his songs of freedom, full of hope for a better future, garnered tens of thousands of views online within hours after their release. Influences in his music include Egyptian traditional and folk music, as well as light rock, jazz, and Latin music, to which he adds his memorable tonality and charisma.
His debut album “Ehlam ma’aya” (Dream with me) was released in 2008.
In 2011, in the wake of the revolution, Hamza released his second album “Insan” (Human), hopeful, innovative, and deep in scope and subjects. In 2014, Hamza released his highly anticipated third album “Esmaani” (Listen to me), in which he investigates once more a variety of themes, from issues of identity to traffic jams, generation gaps, and oppression.
The concert is organized by Marsm, an events company that promotes the rich and diverse culture of the Arab world across the UK, and is sponsored by Alaraby TV Network.
Egyptian singer Hamza Namira to make London debut
Egyptian singer Hamza Namira to make London debut
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
