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Daily Star - Lebanon
Oct 8 2005
Prince Claus Awards honor two Middle Eastern artists
Lenin El-Ramly and Ibrahim Nabavi recognized for the political,
social and ideological satire
By Ramsay Short
Daily Star staff
Saturday, October 08, 2005
BEIRUT: For the second year in a row two artists from the Middle East
have been honored in the annual Prince Claus Awards for Culture and
Development. Egyptian comic dramatist Lenin El-Ramly and Iranian
satirist Ibrahim Nabavi will both receive $25,000 in recognition of
their work over the last 30 years, the Fund announced on Thursday.
The principal award of $100,000 goes to South African cartoonist
Jonathan Shapiro (more famously known as Zapiro) for his role in
stimulating social and cultural development in South Africa. Zapiro's
satire in cartoon form is edgy, cutting and subtle, scrutinizing
eloquently the current social and political realities of South
Africa, the African continent and the global arena. This year the
Prince Claus Fund opted for the theme of "Humor and Satire" and not
without reason.
Around the globe writers, musicians, artists, comedians and
cartoonists are using humor and satire to critique and express their
views on the conditions in which they live, and many are virtually
unknown outside their own countries.
Last year famed Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish won the principal
award for his life's work under the theme "The Positive Results of
Asylum and Migration," and in what seems to be a continued theme for
the awards, an increasing number of Middle Eastern figures are
gaining recognition every year.
"The Fund is focusing on and looking for quality, and because in the
Arab world there is a lot of artistic/cultural quality, it is on that
criteria we decide to give an award," the Fund's media spokesperson
Christine Wagner said.
Both Ramly and Nabavi are deserved winners.
Ramly was born in Cairo in 1945 and is a man who, as a comic
dramatist, audaciously questions the social conventions, hypocrisies
and bigotries of both Egyptian society and the Arab world. His work
encompasses popular television dramas, experimental theater, and an
oeuvre of approximately 40 plays and 12 films. His dramatic
techniques vary from farce and parody to satire and the absurd.
Wagner indicated that Ramly was given the Prince Claus prize for his
emphasis on political satire and comedy, and for maintaining a
balance between popular entertainment and serious social, political
and ideological satire.
A satirist who believes his job is to unmask those who propagate
fallacies - be they politicians or clerics - Nabavi was born in1958
in Iran. He deploys his incisive wit to parody official speeches and
statements, and to undermine allegations and rationalizations.
Through his work in the Iranian press, Nabavi has single-handedly
reinstated a long tradition of political satire despite the risk of
imprisonment. In 2002 he was sentenced to 18 months in jail.
For the first time this year, recognition was also given to an
Armenian, the poplar 50-year-old actor, singer and comedian Michael
Poghosian, for using comedy and satire to stimulate the creation of
an open society and democracy in Armenia.
The Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development was established to
mark the 70th birthday of Prince Claus of the Netherlands on
September 6, 1996, with the purpose of "expanding insight into
cultures and promoting interaction between culture and development."
This year is the ninth year of the awards, which are chosen by a
distinguished panel of judges and former laureates.
The other honorees are Kenyan dancer and choreographer Opiyo Okach,
Brazilian archaeology professor Ni¸de Guidon, Indonesian contemporary
puppet master Slamet Gundono, Tanzanian cultural historian
Abdel-Sheriff, Zimbabwean stand-up comic Edgar Langeveldt,
Argentinian cartoonist Joaquin Salvador Lavado (alias Quino), and
Congolese painter Chˇri Samba.
For more info on this year's Prince Claus Awards go to
www.princeclausfund.org
Oct 8 2005
Prince Claus Awards honor two Middle Eastern artists
Lenin El-Ramly and Ibrahim Nabavi recognized for the political,
social and ideological satire
By Ramsay Short
Daily Star staff
Saturday, October 08, 2005
BEIRUT: For the second year in a row two artists from the Middle East
have been honored in the annual Prince Claus Awards for Culture and
Development. Egyptian comic dramatist Lenin El-Ramly and Iranian
satirist Ibrahim Nabavi will both receive $25,000 in recognition of
their work over the last 30 years, the Fund announced on Thursday.
The principal award of $100,000 goes to South African cartoonist
Jonathan Shapiro (more famously known as Zapiro) for his role in
stimulating social and cultural development in South Africa. Zapiro's
satire in cartoon form is edgy, cutting and subtle, scrutinizing
eloquently the current social and political realities of South
Africa, the African continent and the global arena. This year the
Prince Claus Fund opted for the theme of "Humor and Satire" and not
without reason.
Around the globe writers, musicians, artists, comedians and
cartoonists are using humor and satire to critique and express their
views on the conditions in which they live, and many are virtually
unknown outside their own countries.
Last year famed Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish won the principal
award for his life's work under the theme "The Positive Results of
Asylum and Migration," and in what seems to be a continued theme for
the awards, an increasing number of Middle Eastern figures are
gaining recognition every year.
"The Fund is focusing on and looking for quality, and because in the
Arab world there is a lot of artistic/cultural quality, it is on that
criteria we decide to give an award," the Fund's media spokesperson
Christine Wagner said.
Both Ramly and Nabavi are deserved winners.
Ramly was born in Cairo in 1945 and is a man who, as a comic
dramatist, audaciously questions the social conventions, hypocrisies
and bigotries of both Egyptian society and the Arab world. His work
encompasses popular television dramas, experimental theater, and an
oeuvre of approximately 40 plays and 12 films. His dramatic
techniques vary from farce and parody to satire and the absurd.
Wagner indicated that Ramly was given the Prince Claus prize for his
emphasis on political satire and comedy, and for maintaining a
balance between popular entertainment and serious social, political
and ideological satire.
A satirist who believes his job is to unmask those who propagate
fallacies - be they politicians or clerics - Nabavi was born in1958
in Iran. He deploys his incisive wit to parody official speeches and
statements, and to undermine allegations and rationalizations.
Through his work in the Iranian press, Nabavi has single-handedly
reinstated a long tradition of political satire despite the risk of
imprisonment. In 2002 he was sentenced to 18 months in jail.
For the first time this year, recognition was also given to an
Armenian, the poplar 50-year-old actor, singer and comedian Michael
Poghosian, for using comedy and satire to stimulate the creation of
an open society and democracy in Armenia.
The Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development was established to
mark the 70th birthday of Prince Claus of the Netherlands on
September 6, 1996, with the purpose of "expanding insight into
cultures and promoting interaction between culture and development."
This year is the ninth year of the awards, which are chosen by a
distinguished panel of judges and former laureates.
The other honorees are Kenyan dancer and choreographer Opiyo Okach,
Brazilian archaeology professor Ni¸de Guidon, Indonesian contemporary
puppet master Slamet Gundono, Tanzanian cultural historian
Abdel-Sheriff, Zimbabwean stand-up comic Edgar Langeveldt,
Argentinian cartoonist Joaquin Salvador Lavado (alias Quino), and
Congolese painter Chˇri Samba.
For more info on this year's Prince Claus Awards go to
www.princeclausfund.org