Syrian singer George Wassouf has finally been granted a Lebanese citizenship after residing in Lebanon for over 20 years. Even though many people think that George is of Lebanese origin, he is in fact Syrian and was born in one of its suburbs.
According to the London based Elaph, George received the Lebanese citizenship along with his three sons, Wadee', Hatem, and George Jr. The singer had first arrived to Lebanon at the age of 15 and has lived there ever since. He stressed that he considers Lebanon his home since it's where he first started his music career, and his family life.
George will be holding his first concert in Lebanon this year in his newly opened nightclub (Wassof club) in Kasleek district in Beirut. Wassouf was absent during the summer season leading many think that he had resigned from his profession of singing. Rumors proved to be wrong and the real story was that Wassouf had some minor issues to resolve regarding his new nightclub, which were regarding a partner he wanted to buy out. George was successful in resolving his problems and so set New Year's Eve as the day for the club's grand opening.
Wassouf is placing the final touches on his upcoming album, which is scheduled to be released shortly after New Year’s Eve. The last album for George "Salaf Wa Daine" had been a great success throughout the Arab world.
Recently, George announced that he will be renewing his contract with the Music Production Company Rotana, going back on a recent decision he had made refusing the idea completely. George had held a meeting with one of Rotana’s top administration officials to negotiate the prospect of renewing his contract, and resolving any minor complications or loose ends.
After extensive negotiations, Wassouf finally agreed to renew his contract for another three years. The singer had demanded a number of alterations to be made to the contract, to ensure that all his conditions are met and he is given his deserved share. A press conference took place October 4, 2003 at Virgin Mega Stores in Lebanon, where the renewal was announced in addition to details regarding the new contract.
The release of the album “Salaf Wa Dain" (Borrow and Debt) has proven that Wassouf is still dominating the number one spot in the music charts bringing in the highest record sales. The singer witnessed this success around the entire Arab world and is heading towards being noted the best and number one album to be released this year. The singer is also experiencing a similar success on his personal website, which turned out to be the largest and most visited website for any one singer. The site also holds the largest number of members reaching over 9 thousand names. –Albawaba.com
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
