Kazem El Saher wants to sing in Baghdad but fears for his life

Kazem El Saher restated that his life wish is to give a big concert in his home country, Iraq.

The heartthrob crooner said a stadium would make an ideal venue. He dismissed idea given the persistent bombings, which made him fear for both his life and his audience’s safety, but security, he believes, will be restored to Iraq, and with it his dream would come true.

Iraq, El Saher, said needs more than patriotic songs, which he has already presented solidarity of its people.

Asked why he made a departure from his trademark long formal Arabic lyrics, he explained he can find new ones good to sing, but he indicated that negotiating for rights to the late Syrian Nezar Qabbani’s poetry, with the latter’s estate, is becoming more difficult.

El Saher is currently talking to heirs of the late Egyptian lyricist Abdel Wahab Mohamed over one piece.

El Saher’s new album is due in June, a Rotana label release to feature a duet with the Moroccoan singer AsmaLemnawar, entitled El Mahkama (The Trial), by lyricist Karim Al Iraqi, composed by El Saher and arranged by Fathallah Ahmad, and other fresh names.

A hand gesture made by El Saher at a press conference during Morocco’s music festival Mawazine was reported by some media outlets as obscene and aimed at a photographer, which he categorically denied and deemed made up for defamatory purposes.