WASHINGTON – 18 September 2018: Two Egyptian artists, Dina el-Wedidi and Youssra el-Hawary, experienced special evenings on Sunday and Monday, as they performed with their bands at one of the most prestigious venues in Washington D.C., the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Both artists are currently in D.C. for one month as part of their participation in the fourth edition of the cross-cultural program, Center Stage, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Last week, Mohamed Abo Zekry, the founder of Karkade, and the third Egyptian participant in this season of Center Stage, performed at Kennedy Center as part of his individual tour.

Founded in 1971, the Kennedy Center serves as a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, and it hosts a wide range of different performances including: theater, dance, ballet, jazz, popular and folk music.

The center provides live recordings of the concerts it hosts so audience can tap into the website and check the live streaming.

The Eisenhower Theatre where the artists performed includes seats for dozens of attendees placed not close to the stage.

Although different from the acoustic and engaging environment experienced Saturday at Tropicalia, a neighborhood club and bar, the Kennedy Center still had its splendid reflection on the two bands.

There is no shortage of free theater in Washington, DC, from shows with no admission charge to events and concerts. Some of the city’s most prestigious venues offer free opportunities, including the Kennedy Center, most notably, its Millennium Stage.

Having performed on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, Dina and Youssra said they were proud of the experience and happy with the audience who actively reacted to their songs. Although some of the attendees said they only understood a little bit of the songs, they enjoyed the music and the rhythms, proving that music can go beyond language barriers. One of Youssra’s songs that she likes to sing on the program and gets huge engagement from the audience is called “Jessica”. She usually starts by telling the audience the story of the beautiful Italian girl named Jessica that everyone fell in love with.

On her experience singing in different venues in Washington, Dina said: "It was a different feeling and I was glad to perform in Kennedy Center. The sound, the venue and the audiences' interaction with us were all great. I also liked that we had the chance to meet our Middle East fans coming to us in Tropicalia."

Alicia Adams, the vice president of the international programming and dance at the Kennedy Center, told Egypt Today Monday that the center has a very different mission from other cultural institutions in the United States in that it brings the best of the different cultures to its stage. Youssra el-Hawary

A mix of innovative original music in content and style, a charismatic charm and lithe composition paved Song-writer and accordionist Youssra el-Hawary's way to fame.