Mohamed Mohsen, an Egyptian musician who became popular during the country’s 2011 uprising, was prevented from performing at the Cairo Opera House during an arts festival this past week.
Known for his political songwriting, Mohsen says he was given the boot by representatives of the Egyptian president’s office who escorted him out of the building shortly before he was to take the stage, due to unspecified “security concerns”. Interim President Adly Mansour was in attendance, along with military chief Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
This year marked the long awaited return of the Eid el-Fan, which was introduced by President Anwar El-Sadat in 1976 before being canceled in the 1980s due to a rivalry between government ministries over who would organize it.
Mohamed Mohsen speaks out on halted performance | Ahram Online
Image credit: Mohamed Mohsen Band / Flickr.
