Scheduled as part of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival, the Franco-Palestinian author, composer and performer Saint Levant, whose real name is Marwan Abdelhamid, was eagerly awaited by his Moroccan fans. Many of them traveled from several regions of the country to attend his concert, which was held on the evening of Friday, June 28 on the Moulay El Hassan stage.
The artist, who has just released his new album entitled “Deira”, enjoys great popularity in Morocco, particularly visible on social networks, where his attractive physique and his clothing style stand out as much as his mixing songs, in at the same time and in a stunning mix, the Arabic, French and English languages systematically hit the mark.
Read also: Karim Ziad, artistic director of the Gnaoua and World Music Festival: “Soon, Gnaoua will be a musical style in its own right”
In Essaouira, the public was indeed there, chanting in unison the singer’s great hits, including “Galbi”, “Form Gaza with love”, “Deira” or even his hit “5AM in Paris”, the repeatedly punctuating the cry of “Free Palestine”. But less than Saint Levant’s on-stage performance, it was his attitude which would have disconcerted the spectators, sparking criticism and less than complimentary comments on social networks the next day.
Thus, at the end of the concert, while the crowd offered him uninterrupted rounds of applause, a flag of Morocco was given to him. After picking it up and holding it in his hands for a few moments, the singer practically threw it on stage. A very indelicate gesture, which could be attributed to fatigue or inattention, but which did not fail to shock, causing incomprehension and indignation among the audience. When you proudly brandish the flag of your country of origin at every opportunity, the least you can do is respect that of others.
Par Qods Chabâa et Abderrahim Et-Tahiry
06/30/2024 at 09:46
