Al-Olayani to “Asharq Al-Awsat”: The answers of the “Arab artist” surprised me

As if the artist Mohammed Abdo threw a bomb in his rare appearance on Saudi television. Even before the end of the broadcast of the “Mahajat” program, which he hosted on Tuesday evening, the communication platforms were buzzing with loud reactions to his criticism of the legacy of his late rivals, Talal Maddah and Abu Bakr Salem. A case of controversy summed up by its media host, Ali Al-Olayani, when he told Asharq Al-Awsat that “contacts of well-wishers and reproaches did not stop.”

Abdo gave up any reservations in the meeting, and considered that Maddah and Salem “did not present any significant national legacy during their artistic career.” And he was not satisfied with that, but considered that the melody of Talal Maddah’s most famous song “My Beloved Country” was “stolen”, and that the words of Salem’s song “Ya Baladi, I pray” “do not reach the level of being a song for the homeland … as if they describe someone who drives an Arab (car).”

Muhammad Abdo’s statements did not only surprise the audience of the late artists, but also surprised his host, Al-Olayani, who told “Al-Sharq al-Awsat” that “my meetings with Muhammad Abdo are transparent, but the surprise and surprise remained the master of the situation in the meeting (the first) yesterday.” After the episode, Al-Olayani received “reproachful calls from great artists from different backgrounds.” However, he added, “My role as a journalist is to question the guests, and the door remains open to respond to the Arab artist’s statements, even after Ramadan.”

Abdo provoked wide reactions on social networking sites at all levels, as the Saudi academic Turki Al-Hamad said that “Talal Maddah – may God have mercy on him – was an artist full of feelings and feelings, singing with his heart and soul before his voice, and Abu Bakr Salem – may God have mercy on him – was an elite artist in His lyrics, his melodies, his performance, not everyone gets along with him. The able artist, Muhammad Abdo, could have had mercy on them, and refrained from delving into their biography in appreciation of them, and that is enough.”

Sports journalist Muhammad Al-Sheikh responded to the accusation of “stealing” the tune of the song “My Beloved Country,” saying: “If the tune of my beloved homeland was indeed stolen, as Muhammad Abdo claimed, then thank you to that honorable national (thief), who, thanks to his smart theft, dressed that poem with the most beautiful melody, and decorated it.” With the sweetest voice, to present to the homeland that immortal national song, the like of which was not immortalized in a song until it dwelt in the conscience of all Saudis.”

Abdo and Al-Alyani during the meeting

These statements were not the first by Muhammad Abdo against Talal Maddah, nicknamed “The Voice of the Land.” Abdo stated in an interview broadcast in 2015 that the “lining” that transformed the late artist “was mostly bad,” which sparked outrage from Maddah’s fans, who demanded an apology from him. He hasn’t apologized yet. Although the Saudis consider Maddah, Salem and Abdo the pillars of the Saudi song, and they have been in continuous competition since the seventies until the departure of Maddah at the beginning of this century, and Salem in 2017, Abdo’s statements did not stop against them.

The dialogue with the “Arab artist” relied heavily on frankness, which was represented by Muhammad Abdo expressing his opinion on the works of his fellow artists, as he saw that there were a number of old artists who could not develop and continue. He said that the artist Rabeh Saqr “has been able to develop a lot, and is now presenting works for the youth segment, in addition to new and fast songs and rap.” However, he criticized the idea of ​​artists abandoning classical songs, including Abdul Majeed Abdullah.

The artist Mohammed Abdo confirmed that the composer, nicknamed “Sadiq”, is Prince Abdul Rahman bin Musaed, and said: “It is a fact that the prince denies every time.” And Abdo considered that no one could compete with him in his stadium, and that “the best composer for Muhammad Abdo is the same Muhammad Abdo.” He added that if he had to choose between Rabeh Saqr’s melodies and the composer Sahem, he would have chosen Sahm.

When asked about his wealth, the Arab artist stated that his wealth is 11 billion riyals, but “my real wealth is my 11 children.” He added that because of his mother, he worked in the real estate trade besides singing, and he currently owns properties that extend in the Gulf and Europe to the Philippines.

Asharq Al-Awsat tried to poll a number of artists about Mohammed Abdo’s statements, but they apologized and asked not to publish their names, in anticipation of any artistic clash with him.