HIBAPRESS – I. Al-Samlali
The announcement of honoring the Moroccan artist Naïma Samih at the 33rd session of the Arab Music Festival, on Sunday evening at the Egyptian Opera House, sparked widespread controversy among the audience and the media, given that she had not previously sung in the Egyptian dialect and had not visited Egypt to perform her concerts.
The President of the Egyptian Opera House, Dr. Alaa Abdel Salam, confirmed that honoring Samih comes in appreciation of her love for Egypt and her performance of Umm Kulthum's songs, pointing out that her artistic stance and her willingness to stand on the Egyptian stage reflects the depth of the cultural relationship between Morocco and Egypt, and said: "If it were not for her love for Egypt, she would not have stood on the stage and sang for it."
The festival, which is scheduled to be held between October 16 and 25, will witness the participation of a constellation of singing stars in Egypt and the Arab world, where the Egyptian singer Amal Maher returns to revive the opening ceremony after a long absence, while both Saber El Rebai and Souma will conclude the ceremony.
Participating in the activities are the Lebanese Wael Jassar, the Moroccan Fouad Zbadi, and the Egyptians Medhat Saleh, Ali Al-Haggar, Mohamed Tharwat, Hany Shaker, Mohamed El Helou, Reham Abdel Hakim, Nadia Mustafa, Mai Farouk, Marwa Nagi, in addition to the musician Omar Khairat. The concerts are held on the stages of the opera houses in Cairo, Alexandria Opera, and Damanhur Opera, under the management of a group of senior maestros.
Abdel Salam also revealed the festival poster signed by the Minister of Culture, Ahmed Fouad Hano, confirming that it reflects the spirit of the festival and its artistic vision, with the selection of Umm Kulthum as the "festival personality" this year, and screening a documentary film documenting her artistic career during the opening ceremony.
