Arab Music Festival Supports Palestine

Published November 2nd, 2000 - 03:00 GMT

Chairman of the Arab Music Festival, Ratiba Al Hanfi, announced at the opening of this year’s events, on Wednesday, November 1, that the singers and performers who are scheduled to participate have decided to dedicate all their patriotic songs to the Palestinian people and their cause, reported AFP.

Hanfi, who is currently in Cairo, where this year’s festival is taking place, said “what will happen this year is different from what people are used to since the Palestinian ‘Intifada’ has greatly affected the film and music industry. These artists are very sensitive.”

She added that “another factor that affected the artists this year is that one of the contests, the Best Instrument Player, has been replaced by Best Anthem this year, whereby new artists will compete with two anthems each, one by Abu Al Ila Mohammad and the other by Abdo Al Hamouli; who are both the most important of artists to come out in the 19th and 20th centuries.”

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Minister of Culture, Faruq Husni distributed a number of honorary awards to some of the Arab world’s most innovative and renown performers at this year’s opening ceremony. – Albawaba.com.