In front of what appears to be a socially-distanced and masked-up crowd on Friday, Egyptian pop star Amr Diab gave his first concert of 2021 at Dubai Stadium in Dubai.
Diab entertained his fans with a selection of his most beautiful songs, old and new, including songs from his latest album, “Ya Ana Ya laa” (me or none).
His twin sons, Kenzi and Abdallah, went onto the stage for the first time during his concert, and they greeted the audience during his singing of “Qamarin” that he dedicated to them.
Diab also greeted poet Tamer Hussein and composer Aziz el-Shafei, who attended the concert and invited them to take pictures with him on stage.
Diab released his album “Ya Ana Ya Laa”, his second album of 2020, following the February release of “Sahran”.
“Ya Ana Ya Laa” is written by Ayman Bahgat Qamar, composed by Mohamed Yahya, and distributed by Adel Hakky.
Diab has built a multi-decade career that began with his musical debut in 1983. He is now known as one of the most famous pop stars of Egypt and the Middle East and has been nicknamed “al-Hadaba” (the Plateau) as a reference to his greatness.
The star is the first in the Arab world to produce high tech music videos, and in 1996, Diab released the album “Nour El Ain,” which was celebrated worldwide and helped to gain the pop star recognition beyond the Middle East.
In 2009, Diab won four African Music Awards for Song of the Year, Artist of the Year, Video of the Year, and Best Male Act. He won two additional African Music Awards in 2010.
He is also the only Middle Eastern artist to have received seven World Music Awards, and he set the Guinness Record for winning Best Selling Middle East Artist.
Diab’s concert came a day after Dubai’s tourism department announced a halt on all live entertainment in bars, restaurants, and beach clubs, following a severe spike in coronavirus cases.
The UAE reported 3,529 new cases on Thursday, with no data specifying where in the country the infections are concentrated.
Photo: Amr Diab performs in Dubai Stadium on January 22nd, 2021. Facebook/Amr Diab
