Manama: Bahrain’s annual music festival concluded with a much-anticipated performance by Jordanian singer Macadi Nahhas.
Macadi appeared on the stage of the fully-packed Cultural Hall in the Bahraini capital Manama for a blend of classical and traditional songs only four days after giving birth to a daughter, Jood, in Jordan.
Commanding an impressive stage presence, the star quickly established a friendly rapport with the audience, and readily accepted some of the songs they suggested.
Macadi revealed that she had given birth to a baby at the end of the concert, attended by a large Jordanian community, triggering a wave of applause from an audience grateful that the performance had not been cancelled.
The Jordanian star is described as “a champion of freedom and human dignity who holds a unique status among singers in the Arab world and whose songs revive the heritage of the golden era of Arab music.”
Hailing from Madaba, a city famous for its gardens and water springs, her political and intellectual home environment helped her hone her talent and cultivated her artistic choices from a very young age, her Facebook account says.
“A graduate of the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music, Nahhas was heavily influenced by the Rahbani School of music. Like her hero, legendary singer Fairuz, she is blessed with a distinguished supple voice and commanding stage presence, and a frequent performer in cultural events and national celebrations in Arab and foreign countries.
“Her most renowned music production is perhaps the Iraqi folklore album titled Kan Ya Makan (Once Upon a Time) in 2000, for which critics praised her as one of the best non-Iraqis who ever sang in the Iraqi dialect. Her latest album is a reflection of our daily lives, and serves as an affirmation of the essential role Arab youth play in building nations and reviving the deep-rooted Arab culture. Macadi composed some of the tunes while the rest were conceived by other talented Arab musicians,” the Facebook account says.
