Assala Nasri performs in Damascus for the first time in more than 15 years — The National
Syrian singer Assala Nasri performed in Damascus, Syria, for the first time in more than 15 years. The concert, “Assala’s Return,” at the Al-Fayha Sports Hall drew thousands of spectators, The National reports.
The Damascus-born singer arrived in the Syrian capital with her family on Tuesday. Her previous performance in the country took place in February 2010, when she gave a charity concert at the Damascus Opera House. The singer became emotional during her return to the Syrian stage.
Concert in Damascus
Nasri opened the evening with the song Syria Janna (“Syria Is Paradise”), which she released after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. She then performed well-known songs in two parts of the program. From the stage, the singer said that she had long dreamed of performing again in her home country. The concert continued after midnight.
The event was supported by Syria’s Ministry of Culture. The ministry said the concert was part of efforts to bring Syrian artists back to the country and revive cultural life. Culture Minister Mohammed Yassin Saleh called Assala’s return a tribute to her stance during the 2011 protests.
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Absence under Assad’s rule
The singer’s return has particular significance because of her public support for anti-government protests in Syria in 2011. Nasri condemned the actions of the Assad regime, later left the country, and was expelled from the Syrian Artists Syndicate.
In 2012, she released the song Ah Law Hal Korsy Byehki (“If This Chair Could Speak”) in support of Syrian protesters. Because of her political stance, Nasri did not perform in Syria until the end of Assad’s rule, continuing her music career abroad.
Her return to the stage also coincided with the release of The Syrian Album, a collection of 14 songs based on the musical traditions of each of Syria’s 14 provinces. Assala Nasri was born in Damascus in 1969, and her music career began in 1991 after the release of the Egyptian song Law Ta'rafou (“If You Knew”).
