U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Herro Mustafa Garg attended the closing concert of the 2024 SheArts Festival on September 29 at the American University of Cairo (AUC). The concert featured American singer/songwriter Julie Odell, whose visit to Egypt was sponsored by the U.S. Embassy, and Egyptian singer Yousra El Hawary, who participated in Center Stage, a U.S. exchange program specifically for those in the performing arts.
“The U.S. Embassy has been a proud supporter of the SheArts festival since 2022,” said Ambassador Mustafa Garg. Speaking about Odell and El Hawary’s fusion performance, she added, “I hope that you see in their performance what I see: the power of music to build bridges between our cultures.”
Through a collaboration with the Nvak Foundation and SheArts, the U.S. Embassy sponsored Odell’s one-week visit to teach, learn from, and collaborate with Egyptian female artists. Odell’s visit included two performances, a songwriting masterclass, and two workshops with Egyptian female artists.
Odell’s visit exemplifies the U.S. Embassy’s commitment to fostering collaboration between Egyptian and American artists, offering unique musical experiences to Egyptian audiences. This initiative follows the successful Beatbox House tour of Egypt last April and the commitment articulated by Egyptian and U.S. officials to strengthen cultural links between our countries during the recent meeting of the U.S.-Egypt Strategic Dialogue Working Group on Cultural and Educational Cooperation, held in Cairo on September 18.
