| Fawazeer Ramadan | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Variety show |
| Story by | Riddles and dancing |
| Presented by | Various |
| Starring | Nelly andSherihan |
| Country of origin | Egypt |
| Original language | Arabic |
| No. of seasons | 45 |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Original release | |
| Release |
1967 (1967) (television) |
Fawazeer Ramadan (Egyptian Arabic:فوازير رمضان, alternately romanized asFawazir) was an Egyptian radio and television show that was broadcast throughout the month ofRamadan. The show was most successful from 1975 to 1995, and it featured riddles, acting scenes and elaborately choreographed dance routines.
Viewers could solve the riddles at the end of the month to win prizes. The show was discontinued with the advent of larger selections of programming choices through services such assatellite television. There was also a feeling among conservatives that the program featured too much sensuality and dancing.
The series began in 1961 as an Egyptian radio show titledAs the Saying Goes, hosted by Amal Fahmi.[1] In 1967,Fawazeer Ramadan was first broadcast on television. The wordfawazeer (فوازير) means 'riddles'; every day during the month of Ramadan, an episode of the show was broadcast, ending with a riddle. The answers to the 30 riddles were not revealed until the end of Ramadan;[2] viewers could win prizes by solving them.[3]
Most of the content ofFawazeer Ramadan consisted of "fantastical" musical narratives from Arab history, which included elaborately choreographed dance routines reminiscent ofBollywood, withbelly dancing and extravagant costumes.[2][4] Episodes began with a dance sequence, followed by a riddle and dramatic scenes.[4] The show also featured cartoon characters.[1]
Fawazeer Ramadan became very popular, and a staple of Ramadan.[5] Its most successful period lasted from 1975, whenNelly started appearing on the show, to 1995. The addition ofSherihan in 1985 further increasedFawazeer Ramadan's following.[2][6] Sherihan's appearances, in particular, had a strong impact on the culture of the Arabic-speaking world.[7] Many other prominent Egyptian actors and entertainers also appeared on the show, includingFouad el-Mohandes and theTholathy Adwa'a El Masrah trio.[7] Aspiring actresses found exposure participating in the dance sequences.[8]
Partially due to criticism ofFawazeer Ramdan as being too secular—some specifically objected to its inclusion of sensuality and dancing—the show was discontinued. The proliferation ofsatellite television and the large amount of programming that it offered was also a factor inFawazeer Ramadan's demise.[3]
Despite criticism ofFawazeer Ramadan's "ridiculous visual effects and gaudy costumes", the show evokes nostalgia in many Muslims.[4]The National opined that "TV binge-watching started at the end of the 1970s and the early 1980s ... whenFawazeer Ramadan began to appear on television."[9]
Fawazeer Cassette, which debuted in 2022 and reprises skits and riddles fromFawazeer Ramadan, was described byJordan News as a "nostalgic Ramadan tribute to a great era".[10]
In the vein ofFawazeer Ramadan,Chevrolet Arabia has run advertisements which, instead of featuring cars, pose riddles to the viewer.[11]
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