Last week, the 62-year-old Lebanese singer performed a concert at the 24th Arab Radio and Television Festival.
During the concert, which was held in the presence of an audience that filled the seats of the ancient Carthage Theater in the capital, Tunis, some female fans from the audience present went up on stage, one of whom danced with Ragheb Alama and sang with him in a way that some described on social media as provocative.
Many criticisms spread across electronic platforms by people who denounced the behavior of the fans on stage, while some saw that choosing the artist known for his romantic songs does not fit with the slogan of the current session supporting Palestine, from the festival, considering that it would have been more appropriate to invite singers known for their commitment and performance of poems and artistic works supporting the Palestinians.
Tunisian President Kais Saied stressed during his meeting with Moncef Boukthir, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the person in charge of running the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, that cultural festivals should contribute to establishing a “national culture,” noting that their establishment aims to “improve public taste.”
He said in a statement published by the Tunisian presidency on Tuesday: “The Carthage Theater and the Hammamet Theater, for example, were only open to high-end cultural works, and many from abroad dreamed of standing in these two theaters because they considered it a recognition of their artistic value and even a crowning of their careers, unlike what is happening today in the two aforementioned festivals or in a number of other festivals.”
Saied’s comments come ahead of the country’s international festival season, which typically features Arab and foreign artists for what are sometimes described as “astronomical” sums.
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