Iranian pop diva Googoosh's concerts during the Dubai Shopping Festival on March 21 and 24 will be her first in the Middle East since the Iranian revolution in 1979 and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's ban on female performers.
“Many people are looking forward to the event as it is her first concert in the Gulf in a very, very long time.” Concert promoter F. Mahmoudi of Afshar said to Gulf News. “60 per cent of the crowd for both concerts is expected to be Iranian.”
“I don't think any artist can take it if you tell them they can't sing, or can't act, or can't live without your art for this long - for 20 years you can't work,” said Googoosh in a recent CNN interview.
“Tickets sales are doing well, and a good number of 14-day visas are being issued to people flying in from Iran especially for the concert. Googoosh is to Iranians what Fairouz is to the Lebanese.” Lara Sawaya of concert organizers Tarweej told Gulf News. She said that a lot of requests for concert tickets are also coming in from the Gulf.
The prospect of hearing “the voice of Iran” singing again has created a wave of excitement among Iranians who are expected to make up 60 per cent of the audience at the first concert at the Dubai World Trade Center and the second at the 24,000-capacity Ahli Club Stadium. An Emirates spokeswoman said to Gulf News, “On March 19, 20 and 21 the flights are fully booked in both first and economy classes.”
The performances are proving such a draw that flights from Tehran to Dubai are fully booked for the days bracketing the shows.
Googoosh will arrive in Dubai from Vienna, where she is scheduled to perform on March 18, and her concerts in Dubai will be followed by others in the Middle East – Albawaba.com
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