Dina el-Wedidi's band perform at Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York - Photo by Nourhan Magdi.

Dina el-Wedidi lights up stage at St. John Cathedral in New York

By: Nourhan Magdi

Sun, Sep. 30, 2018

New York – 30 September 2018: Dina el-Wedid and her band gave a breathtaking concert Saturday at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York city. 

 
Dina el-Wedidi's band perform at Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York - Photo by Nourhan Magdi

This came as part of Wedidi's one-month tour with the fourth season of U.S. Center Stage program that took the band to several states across America, where they held concerts and attended workshops. The program brings for the first time three Egyptian bands, including Youssra el-Hawary and Karkade, beside Wedidi’s band. 

 
Guitarist Sherif performing with Dina el-Wedidi's band at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York - Photo by Nourhan Magdi

The participating bands experience different audiences and venues across American cities. One of these venues is the historic Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. 

 
Dina el-Wedidi's band perform at Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York - Photo by Nourhan Magdi]

The cathedral’s cornerstone was laid in 1892, and it is considered the world’s fifth-largest church. It hosts lots of concerts and choirs. During the concert, attendees were amazed by the Egyptian music, and reacted to Wedidi’s performance. 

 
Oud Player Balqees performs with Dina el-Wedidi's band at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York - Photo by Nourhan Magdi

Attending Wedidi’s concert, Katherine Rankin was delighted with the performance, and expressed her excitement to come to the church where she used to sing in the choir as a high school student and where her grandparents got married in the 1940s. 
Rankin, who used to live in Egypt, knew about Wedidi’s music, and was happy to bring her daughter with her to the concert, “it’s a good timing that her first time here will be to hear Egyptian music, from the country where she was born.” 


About Dina el-Wedidi 

Wedidi became an international icon for her delicate fusion of local and global styles of music that allowed her to gain a leading spot among the underground musicians in her country, Egypt. Wedidi’s voice caught the sentiments of Egyptian, Arab and foreign audiences, with her lyrics, music and performance on stage. It all started for Dina in 2008, when she decided she had to explore the beauty of music.