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SESSION I | Bridging: Perceptions and Reality

Ramy Essam | Speaker

Musician and Activitist

Egypt

The musician and activist Ramy Essam from Egypt is the City of Malmö's first safe haven musician. Malmö has been a safe haven for writers since 2010 and the safe haven program was expanded last year to also include artists focusing on other forms of art. The program includes a two year residential stay in the city. Ramy Essam became known for a wide audience both in Egypt and the rest of the world when he was just 24 years old and stood with his guitar on a simple stage in Tahrir Square in Cairo during the Arab Spring and got the crowds to sing along to morale-boosting songs. He has been called the man who "provided the soundtrack to the Egyptian revolution." Ramy Essam has won many awards, such as the Freemuse Award in autumn 2011 for his role and the role of music in the revolution.