Internationally known singer Enrique Iglesias arrived in Syria to hold a grand performance in the open outdoors on July 4th, marking the first concert to be held in Syria by an international artist in the past thirty years. Enrique will be holding a press conference before the concert at the Four Seasons Hotel.
According to the London based Elaph, La Balady Co., the organizer of the event, stated that Enrique’s performance is not part of any tour and the singer will only be singing in Syria, after which he will return to his home in the United States, in other words his trip to the Middle East is solely to sing in Syria.
The singer held rehearsals and stated that during his concert he will halt his performance for five minutes when the call for Muslim prayer “Athan” begins, stating that it would be disrespectful to Muslims if he did otherwise.
Extensive and long negotiations were held with Enrique to come to Damascus and perform.
Enrique was very hesitant about coming to Syria, especially since he considered the Middle East as a ‘Red Zone’ stating that it was too dangerous to visit. The singer finally agreed to perform at the first international musical event, but had sent his British business manager, Peter Brightman, along with five of his crew to Syria to ensure that the conditions are safe enough for him to perform.
Brightman and the accompanying crew were astonished with the atmosphere of Damascus and the general feeling of security displayed by people. One of the things that had amazed him was the sound of the call for prayers that was heard from mosques and the sounds of church bells showing that Muslims and Christians live in harmony with one another.
Brightman had decided to extend his stay to Syria to be able to visit as many historical sites as possible. Once the trip ended, Brightman headed to the United States of America, where Enrique resides, and an official acceptance letter to perform at the proposed event was sent from the singer.
