Gemeza

One main idea led to the formation of Gemeza the idea of beginning a mission to bring back an Egyptian character to contemporary Egyptian music The band tries to represent an Egyptian spirit through their music which they compose and put lyrics to by doing workshops in which they create their music Guemeza is funded by the poet Nasser El Nubi He founded the band upon publishing his first book Mirror of Water which pushed him to search for the real Egyptian

Gemeza [The sycamore tree]

The Book of the Dead portrays two divine sycamore trees as the tree of heaven and the tree of earth The sycamore was also regarded as a manifestation of the interchangeable goddesses Nut Isis and Hathor Sycamores were often planted near and depicted on the walls of tombs
They belong to one of earths oldest family of trees Platanacea [over 100 million years old] can live as long as 600 years and in favorable conditions can grow as high as 100 feet
They symbolize an eternal protective life force – offering shade and fruit to anyone in need
The word symbol is derived from the Greek word meaning to throw with or to throw together A symbol is a visible representation of an idea and Gemeza is the group of artists gathered together by poet Nasr Elnubi to celebrate the vibrancy of the Egyptian spirit His mission by way of the alternative band Gemeza is to reflect how in the shade of a single tree the people of the village would gather to pass on their wisdom experience and heritage
Born in the picturesque village of Maris [beloved village of Thebes] into an extraordinary family of traveled educated men and women who were at the same time deeply connected and involved in village life Nasr was forced to stop playing by his beloved Nile and start taking his schooling seriously at the age of twelve It was then that his powers of analysis began to blossom
Any authoritarian stance that thwarted creativity became the subject of his poetic development – from his school through college and on to local and national government His poems however sang with the rhythms of his childhood and earned him the Cervantes Prize for Poetry in 1995
Working as a Spanish tour guide Nasr was particularly interested in the transitional period between the Old and Middle Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt A time when like the Mubarak period there were no symbols a time in waiting for the artists and thinkers who would give rise to the following period of creativity
Nasr set to work Saving his earnings in order to form Gemeza whose poetry and music would reflect the vibrancy of Egypt modernize without neglecting the character and spirit of the country Gemeza is an organic expression of Egyptian music that uses among other devises jazz and blues to frame an instantly recognizable heritage
After 7 years and with a large fan base Gemeza is ready to take its message to the rest of the world
Offering concerts poetry and music workshops poetry recitals and lecture talks on Upper Egypt – the essence of the Egyptian cultural enterprise