Pop singer Shaaban Abdel Rehim has ended his crisis with the Egyptian Musicians Association, which erupted because he criticized the association in his recent album, by implementing the conditions imposed upon him by the association, according to the London based Arabic daily al Sharq al Awsat.
Earlier Abdel Rehim released an album including a song that says: I shall leave the association and return to shirt ironing for half pound, the fact that was perceived by the association as an insult to them.
The association officials asked Abdel Rehim to publish his apology for them on the front pages of the Egyptian national papers; commit himself to pay the sum of five thousand pounds for the association’s pension fund in addition to withdrawing the cassette from the market and releasing it again after omitting the song that created the problem.
The crisis escalated between the two sides due to the insistence of the Musician Association Head, Hasan Abu al Saud on dismissing Abdel Rahim from the association. Some members proposed easing punishment imposed on the singer in view of the circumstances of his troupe’s members and out of their concern that the decision might have negative impacts on them particularly the possibility of loosing their source of income.
During the investigations carried out by the association, Abdel Rahim said that he was too proud of his association membership and reiterated his respect to it. He vowed before the investigating committee that he had good intention and did not mean to insult anybody. He claimed that the producer had cheated him after he sang the song in the studio as some sort of buffoonery and pledged not to encroach the association again -- Albawaba.com
