Frontline World

EGYPT - Inside Cairo's Living Room, December 2003
a FRONTLINE/World Fellows project
Cairo's Cafes: Taste and Tradition
Man gestures in conversation, tea in foreground
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"You know what is saying that song?" Mohamed Essam asks later. Across the street a candy and nut store is still celebrating its grand opening. Loudspeakers blast an exceptionally squawky Arabic pop song, with lots of synthesized Eastern sounds.

"It's a famous guy, oddly famous, because he is not very good," Essam says. "But everyone really likes this song. He's singing, 'America, America, you are so strong ... America, America, we just want peace.'"
Cairo's Streets: Go