MANAMA, 28 October 2006 — It was ‘True Love’ for the Canadian singer of Lebanese origin Massari from his fans in the Gulf when he took stage in Manama on Thursday night.
Some 3,000 fans from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf lined-up hours earlier to attend Massari’s concert, his third in the Middle East and his first in Bahrain.
Massari fans, including some in traditional Arabic dress and females wearing headscarves, danced and cheered to his tunes. The R&B sensation did not disappoint the crowds, as he dazzled them with his performance and sent them into a frenzy whenever he addressed them, including at times in fluent Arabic.
“It is just amazing to see an Arab and a Muslim be in the spotlight for something other than being accused to having links to terrorism,” a fan said.
“It goes to show that this part of the world is not all about oil and war, but is about being open to other cultures and loving peace.”
His views were echoed by another female fan, who wore her headscarf to attend the concert.
“What drew me to Massari’s music was the fact that he mixed Middle Eastern melodies with his songs. The wide popularity he had received only reflects what hidden treasures this region has still to offer to the world,” she said.
Massari, which is Arabic for money, moved to Montréal, Canada from Beirut at the age of 10, before moving to Ottawa at the age of 13, where his music career took off during a talent show competition at school.
He began recording in 2002 when he released “Spitfire,” which was a success on Canadian radio stations. In 2005 he released his self-titled debut album, which shot him to stardom in Canada and the US, with the song “Smile for Me.” Massari’s fame caught-up quickly in the Middle East, particularly after the two main Arabic music satellite channels — Melody and Mazzika — began broadcasting his song ‘True Love.”
His appearance in Bahrain coincided with another concert for Persian music ‘King’ Ebrahim Hamedi, better known as EBI.
Ebi’s performance attracted scores of Bahraini Persians many of whom had continued to follow his music even after he went into self-exile first to the US and later in Sweden following the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Many of his older fans lined up against the stage where he performed as women handed him roses and men were seen using their mobile phones to take pictures of the legendary Iranian singer.
His concert was the second of two events organized by the Lebanese based Concerto Productions Company (CPC) to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr.
