Egyptian pop star Amr Diab denied rumors of changing his current production company with another Gulf based. He plans on renewing his contract, which expires 2003, extending it for an additional three years. He states that he is happy with his production company and has achieved great success with their help, therefore, he sees no reason to change and risk his continuing progress.
The Egyptian weekly, Al Nujoom, reported that Amr delayed the release of his upcoming album which he provides a type of modern music blended with original eastern music after the Eid Al Fitr holiday. The weekly added that he is working on shooting two songs into video clips to be released with the album. English director Stewart and Egyptian director Sherif Sabri are the two candidates chosen to direct his clips.
His new album will feature al Mizmar (an eastern musical instrument similar to the flute) to the outside world in a modern style particularly after he included the Tabla (drum) in his song Habibi Wala Ala Baloh (My Love is Not Paying Attention). The new album will include music close to Muwashahat (Terza Merza). Diab has been working with poet Ayman Bahgat Amar on his new song Min Haqqi (It is My Right) through which he wants to convey a clear, true and interpretive message that Palestine is an Arab country and Jerusalem is an Arab city and both belong to Arabs.
The Palestinian Uprising has made such an effect on the singer prompting him to cancel most of his concert saying “ I cannot sing anything except to release an outcry calling for support for the Palestinian issue.”
The singer describes his feeling while watching the horrible pictures on TV and reading about the Israeli criminal actions in newspapers. He says, “I feel very much distressed and suffocated. The Arab people are very angry. Had we been left alone we would have taken action in our way.”
He adds, “we should export our serious thoughts to the whole world. The American public opinion should know that we are not terrorists and that the Palestinian people have the full right in sovereignty over their land. We as Arabs should clearly show the West through our culture and traditions that there is a Zionist enemy that wants to distort our image and work against us. They produce films in Hollywood to show that Jews have been oppressed although they are like snakes. They should know that the Zionists are terrorists.”
Earlier this year the singer held a press conference in attempt to absorb the media and audience anger over his statements, which were understood as defamation of July revolution, Umm Kulthoom and Abdel Halim Hafez.
“I did not intend to defame anybody. I consider myself one of July revolution’s sons and Umm Kulthoom and Abdel Halim Hafez’s lovers. The circumstances that spurred me to make these statements were misunderstood giving writers the opportunity to compete in blasting me,” Diab said. “I don’t want to just make myself innocent and apologize for what I said but rather to explain these circumstances known by everybody,” he added.
Earlier Diab blasted in his dialogue published by a UAE magazine in two parts the late renowned Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez and made sarcastic statements on his songs about the High Dam. He also included the late Egyptian singer Umm Kulthoom particularly part of her famous song “Hathihi Lailati” (This is My Night).
Amr won two music awards at the World Music Award in Monaco for the top selling song in the Middle East. – Albawaba.com
