Thursday March 28th, 2024
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Ahmed Wahdan The Renaissance Man

The connoisseur of successful parties divulges his ambitious plans for the summer, and let’s just say Ahmed Wahdan has gotten us raring to go...

Staff Writer

Ahmed Wahdan The Renaissance Man

He sits comfortably in his office chair, a smug look on his face because he knows, like anyone who's attended his iconic venues and the unforgettable events he puts on, that he’s cracked the code for nightlife in Egypt. His bright blue eyes ooze ambition as he begins to tell us his grand plans for the summer with one goal and one goal only in mind: to make our summer sizzle.

We listen intently as if he were telling a fairytale. Though he may not fully realise it, Ahmed Wahdan, the mastermind behind Tabla, Gu Bar and more, has brought back to life the almost extinct art of belly dancing, introducing new homegrown dancers and encouraging more to come. For the long Eid weekend, there will be a different belly dancer to hit the notorious Tabla Sahel venue with names we’ve grown addicted to; Farah, the Samakmak dream team, Sahar and more. “These bellydancers are ticking bombs, each one is a master of her craft and has a distinctive style in her approach to belly dancing...” says Wahdan as he talks about belly dancing as a true art form.

Wahdan is all about encouraging different art forms and tapping talented individuals and he has continually recruited a myriad of divergent entertainers to keep things fresh and fun, from violinists to percussionists, all of whom that add that extra something to the night. And he pulls out all the stops - flying from overseas Wahdan will be bringing The Batuka Parade, a group of skilled artisans who will turn up the venue into a real summer fiesta before your eyes for the whole Eid break. And then of course, the beating heart of any club; the DJs. The fantastic four, DJs Tayseer, Shinzo, Omar Sherif and Tahawy will be giving it their all, full force, on the 22nd of July with a night dubbed 4Play.

When talking about Tabla, Wahdan’s eyes light up. “Tabla is my passion. Going out and about for so many years, I picked up on what spoils an otherwise good evening, so I decided to conjure up the venue that would turn into a nightlife essential where people can be carefree and seriously have a good time,” he says. Wahdan also reveals a surprise; “Tabla has been given a complete makeover, you won’t even recognise it. Everything is new, fresher, cooler and let’s just say no walls...Walking in, it will be the same feeling you get after you have had a long hot stressful day then suddenly splash your face with cold water.” The menu will be our filled with our favourite Gu Bar delicacies and a world of cocktails: “we will have two extra bartenders specialised in cocktails, pushing people to try new things and step out of their cocktail norms.”

Tabla will be capturing the heart of summer with the one, the only, the original White Party - the party people still talk about when mentioning their best summer moments. Wahdan, the inventor of the theme, struggles whether to tell us the surprises that will be a part of this summer’s White Party; “other than Dina and being the hottest summer party...let’s just say an international superstar will be making an appearance...I can give you a clue...she’s collaborated with Pitbull,” teases Wahdan. We don’t mind having to go see for ourselves. The mastermind behind explains that his secret to success is constant innovation. “It’s when I think I have achieved and am proud that I surprise myself by being able to bring hotter things to the table. I mean, look at Tabla: it’s a venture I conjured up because I simply wanted people to go out have fun and be themselves a place I would enjoy, so I'm really looking forward to this summer,” continues Wahdan.

Promising to dominate this summer, Wahdan is also introducing Mistiqa which is set to become the hotspot destination for delicious dishes - especially of the late night variety! It will open its doors with delicious Egyptian Mediterranean cuisine and awesome shisha. You can head there breakfast, lunch or dinner, or for those who believe that the night is always still young, on weekends you can dine there until 5 AM! “People come from all over to try the food; Mistiqa has outdone itself with service, food and I can tell you it will be this summer’s honeypot spot.”

Find out more about Tabla here.