Introduction to Amira Selim

Egyptian soprano Amira Selim aims to introduce people to the art of opera and opera singing, which she believes is repressed in the Arab world. Through her program "Opera Remix" on social media, she seeks to achieve this goal and correct misconceptions about the world of opera.

The Concept of Opera Remix

Amira explains that the idea for "Opera Remix" came from the existence of social media and people’s connection to it, especially the new generation who are interested in creating content. The program is an important project linked to the artistic message, aiming to shed light on the art of opera and classical music in a different way. This approach helps people to approach this art, which includes the opera industry with its world, history, events, and narratives, making it more accessible and understandable.

Correcting Misconceptions About Opera

Amira confirms that correcting misconceptions about the art of opera is one of the foundations of her program. She believes that opera is not associated with the elites, citing Italy as an example where opera art is considered street art, involving important and rich elements such as ballet, music, decoration, direction, and orchestra.

Choosing Characters and Topics

When choosing characters and topics for the program, Amira uses scientific standards, the foundations of opera art, and presents influential figures of this world. She tells stories about their makers and the historical events associated with each work to convey the idea that this art is close to us and our world.

Tarab Singing and Opera

Amira discusses the difference between opera and tarab singing, highlighting many differences in singing and musical techniques. In opera art, the dance voice is used, while in tarab, the chest voice is utilized. Opera singing also makes more use of the borrowed voice, developed over years to enable singing without a microphone until reaching the end of the stage.

Acting and Opera

Amira explains that the idea of entering the acting industry was possible because singing and acting are parallel in terms of character embodiment, direction, and movement. As an opera artist, she has worked on theater performances, and acting is part of her training, work, and journey.

Festival Songs and Opera

Amira believes that the art of opera is suppressed in the Arab world and its rights are neglected. She thinks this is due to some people’s thinking, which is far from their culture and only refers to Western culture. Amira points out that many things in daily life, including writers and scholars, would not be adopted if this mindset persisted.

Collaboration and Future Projects

Amira expresses her desire to perform duets with several stars, including Amir Eid and the "Masar Egbari" team, as well as international artist Tamino. She has been preparing songs with the Tunisian music composer Iskandar Guitari and has already completed the song "We Love the Egyptian." Amira is also working on presenting other seasons of the program "Opera Remix," which she considers her life’s project.

Bringing Opera Closer to People

Amira confirms that "opera love stories, melodies, and even the orchestra are full of instruments of Egyptian origin, such as the harp, flute, rababa, and violin." If people are convinced that opera is not far from their culture, its importance will increase in the Arab world. However, this takes a lot of time, and Amira’s program is a step towards bridging this gap and bringing people closer to the art of opera.