With a mixture of tension and emotion... Fadel Shaker performs his first concert in Riyadh after an absence

With a mixture of tension, emotion, and longing, the Lebanese artist Fadel Shaker performed his first concert on Thursday in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, after an absence of nearly 14 years from concerts. With this concert, which came under the title “The Return of the Absent,” Fadl opened the concerts of the 7th edition of the Riyadh Season, and told the audience that he had dreamed of this pose on stage when he was living “difficult times.”

At the ceremony, Fadel presented selections from his most famous songs, both recent and old, from his famous song “Ya Ghayeb” to “Sahak Al-Shouq,” amid great interaction from the audience who chanted his songs along with him, as if the time during which the author of the song “We Parted” spent many years in absence had not passed for his audience. The camera recorded poignant shots of the audience, the musicians, and the choir, reflecting the state of nostalgia for the voice and presence of the artist they had always loved.

That voice that sounded tired or affected by the state of longing and dread that Fadel expressed, indicating more than once his feeling of tension. “Is it possible, Faddoul, that we should go back?” This was perhaps one of the most poignant moments of the concert, when Muhammad, Fadl’s son, said those words when he got up next to his father on stage, and together they sang “How are you about my separation.” Another poignant moment was when artist Nawal shared the stage with Fadel and together they performed the song “I Try to Hide My Feelings,” and together they recalled the warmth of moments they lived 25 years ago, when they performed that song for the first time.

After they sang together, Nawal expressed her happiness at the return of Fadel, whom she described as “a wonderful human being and artist,” and she said to him: “You have filled this stage that only befits you,” and she called him “the voice of lovers.” After the end of the ceremony, which lasted for approximately two and a half hours, Fadl said in a brief press statement that his feeling was “unspeakable in words,” and he indicated that he had dreamed of his return starting in the Riyadh season, saying: “And thank God my dream has come true.”

Fans of the artist Fadel Shaker will be treated to an additional concert, which he will perform on Friday, as part of the activities of the 7th edition of the Riyadh Season.