The Sayed Darwish Museum in Alexandria.. False promises renewed every year

Although more than a century has passed since the death of the people’s artist Sayed Darwish, Alexandria—his birthplace—still has no museum to house his collection and immortalize his artistic legacy. Over the years, there have been repeated promises to establish a museum for the artist in the Kom El-Dikka area, but these have not gone beyond statements and individual efforts, and his rare possessions remain locked away in family homes between Cairo and Alexandria.

The decision by Minister of Culture Dr. Ahmed Fouad Hanno to designate September 15 of each year as Egyptian Music Day has been widely welcomed. This date marks the anniversary of Sayed Darwish’s death. Alexandria witnessed multiple events on this occasion, most notably at the Mahmoud Said Museum, the Freedom Center for Creativity, the Alexandria Atelier, the Shatby Cultural Center, and the Alexandria Opera House (Sayed Darwish Theater). In addition to the popular festival in the Kom El-Dikka area and other cultural salons.

Sayed Darwish.. a short life and a great artistic legacy

Dr. Hassan Wasfi, president of the Alexandria Artists’ Union, said in a special statement to Bab Masr that the artist Sayed Darwish changed music throughout the Arab world. He made it expressive of all segments of the population, which is why he deserved the title “artist of the people.”

Despite his short life, he left behind a great artistic legacy. He was very interested in nationalist works and supported the 1919 revolution and Saad Zaghloul. However, he passed away before returning from exile. Wasfi added that Sayed Darwish was persecuted by the British because of his nationalist works and his constant thinking about the renaissance of Egypt.

Nevertheless, he left a clear mark that influenced the music that came after him.

He praised the decision to dedicate a day to music in memory of his death, but called for more efforts to immortalize his memory through stronger events. Such as uniting the efforts of official bodies and organizing a whole week of performances of his plays and operettas and presenting his melodies. He emphasized: “The idea is not to have a passing encounter, but we need to showcase his novels, songs, and dramas.”

People’s Artist… A well-deserved title

In his interview with Bab Masr, musician Dr. Hani Al-Hamzawi praised the association of Egyptian Music Day with Sayed Darwish, saying: “Despite the momentum of musical history with great artists, this day is only befitting of the People’s Artist. He was credited with establishing the Egyptian musical identity and transforming it from the influences of Ottoman colonialism to pure Egyptian music.”

Al-Hamzawi spoke about the most prominent stages of his life, starting with his upbringing and childhood in the popular neighborhood of Kom El-Dikka and the struggle against colonialism. He also spoke about how he was influenced by international performances at the Alexandria Opera House. He also discussed his travels to the Levant and his exposure to Halabi arts, leading up to his move to Cairo. There, he worked with famous theater troupes such as Awlad Okasha, Ali Al-Kassar, George Al-Abeid, and Naguib Al-Rihani, which helped him revolutionize Egyptian music.

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The impact of Sayed Darwish’s art surpassed that of Saad Zaghloul on the revolution

Hamzawi asserted that the impact of Sayed Darwish’s art on the 1919 revolution surpassed that of Saad Zaghloul’s speeches. He was the true inspiration for the masses, just as Abdullah al-Nadim was the orator of the Urabi Revolution. He pointed out that there are many rumors suggesting that his death was not natural, but rather the result of an assassination by the British occupation, which considered him a threat.

He concluded by saying that Sayed Darwish represents the dividing line between music before and after his era. His music was characterized by its pure Egyptian and sweeping nationalistic style, which may have cost him his life. He called for traditional melodies to be restored to their original spirit without change, warning that even a slight modification could alter their identity over time.

Celebrating Sayed Darwish’s family at the Shatby Cultural Palace

The family of the people’s artist Sayed Darwish received a warm welcome from the audience during their attendance at an event held at the Shatby Cultural Palace in Alexandria. Khaled Al-Bahar Darwish delivered a speech by the musician Omar Khairat on this occasion. The artist’s mother received a special welcome from the audience due to her rare appearances at public events.

Darwish expressed his happiness at the Minister of Culture’s choice to commemorate Sayed Darwish, emphasizing that the family did not seek this decision, but welcomed it with great joy. He explained that the family’s long-standing request has been to establish a museum to display the people’s artist’s possessions, all of which are still in the family’s possession today in their homes in Cairo and Alexandria. These include his cane, oud, records, musical notes, and complete play scripts.

Individual efforts and false promises

Darwish pointed out that the recent announcement of the establishment of a museum on the land where Sayed Darwish lived in the Kom El-Dikka area is completely unfounded. These are all just individual efforts that have not been presented to the family. An event of this magnitude must be carried out through official channels such as the Ministry of Culture, not through individual decisions.

He went on to explain that the idea of establishing a museum for Sayed Darwish’s collection has been on the table since 2010 as part of a plan to develop and upgrade the entire Kom El-Dikka area through the Ministries of Culture and Antiquities. He himself reviewed the drawings for the project, which was later halted. He added: “I will now seek to present a proposal to establish this museum inside Sayed Darwish Theater (Alexandria Opera House). Building it on the artist’s property is no longer appropriate. If this event is not at a level befitting Sayed Darwish’s value, it is better not to hold it at all.”