Abadi al-Johar, Oumaima Taleb Create Great Eid Ambiance in Riyadh

The date of the concert coincided with the birthday of crooner Abadi al-Johar (Rotana).
The date of the concert coincided with the birthday of crooner Abadi al-Johar (Rotana).
TT

Abadi al-Johar, Oumaima Taleb Create Great Eid Ambiance in Riyadh

The date of the concert coincided with the birthday of crooner Abadi al-Johar (Rotana).
The date of the concert coincided with the birthday of crooner Abadi al-Johar (Rotana).

Tunisian singer Oumaima Taleb, and oud player and crooner Abadi al-Johar brought people celebrating Eid al-Fitr in Saudi Arabia more joy in an exceptional concert in Riyadh.

With his usual appearance accompanied by his oud, Abadi al-Johar celebrated both Eid al-Fitr and his 70th birthday with his fans. The Saudi crooner spent most of these years performing and became one of the most esteemed Arabic singers.

Johar started the evening with his Eid-inspired, timeless song “Ya Allah Bou’dah”, followed by “Weshfik”, and “Taakhart”. Then, he expressed his nostalgia with “Fini Hanin”, in which he recalls a lover who left.

The Saudi crooner spent the night singing and playing his best works, and by the end of the concert, the music band surprised him with a special piece that celebrates his 70th birthday. Johar didn’t try to hide his joy for celebrating this occasion for the first time with his “big family”.

After Johar, Oumaima Taleb appeared on stage with an astounding look inspired by the Eid she came to celebrate. She sat before the audience and sang “Khatam al-Ahbab”, “Beterjaa”, and “Ma Daret”, and shared many other songs with her audience until the end of the night.

By the end of the concert, the Tunisian singer said she was happy to share a concert with a legend like Abadi al-Johar, noting that the Saudi audience is dear to her heart and she’s proud to sing for them.

The concert was part of the Eid calendar launched by the Saudi General Entertainment Authority including many concerts in several Saudi cities and regions, in addition to diverse activities that run for a whole week.



Jon M. Chu’s Immersive ‘Wicked’ Readies for Release

US singer and actor Ariana Grande (L) and British actor and singer Cynthia Erivo (R) on the green carpet at the UK premiere of "'Wicked" at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 18 November 2024. (EPA)
US singer and actor Ariana Grande (L) and British actor and singer Cynthia Erivo (R) on the green carpet at the UK premiere of "'Wicked" at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 18 November 2024. (EPA)
TT

Jon M. Chu’s Immersive ‘Wicked’ Readies for Release

US singer and actor Ariana Grande (L) and British actor and singer Cynthia Erivo (R) on the green carpet at the UK premiere of "'Wicked" at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 18 November 2024. (EPA)
US singer and actor Ariana Grande (L) and British actor and singer Cynthia Erivo (R) on the green carpet at the UK premiere of "'Wicked" at the Royal Festival Hall in London, Britain, 18 November 2024. (EPA)

The worldwide premiere tour for "Wicked" landed in London on Monday for a final outing ahead of the musical film's release, with director Jon M. Chu saying he hopes audiences will be moved by the spectacle.

The London leg of the tour, with previous stops in Sydney, Los Angeles, Mexico City and New York, was called "Emerald City," and featured a green carpet flanked with decorations inspired by the capital city of the Land of Oz.

Under a persistent drizzle, lead actors Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and their co-stars Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum and Ethan Slater greeted screaming fans.

Chu was happy to soak in the atmosphere after missing the Los Angeles premiere due to the birth of his fifth child.

"It's a lot of emotions. We've worked many years on this movie. I worked just a little bit on the baby. To have them come out at the same time, that has to be a sign from somewhere to say that this movie is blessed," he said in an interview.

"Wicked" is based on Stephen Schwartz's musical of the same name, adapted from the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire. It tells the story of the green-skinned young woman Elphaba (Erivo) who goes on to become the Wicked Witch of the West from the classic children's novel "The Wizard of Oz".

Pop star Grande plays the privileged and popular Glinda whom Elphaba befriends at university.

"This is Wizard of Oz, this is Oz. It's iconic in cinematic history. We didn't want to disappoint," said Chu.

"We wanted to immerse people in the Land of Oz. We wanted to make you touch it and feel it in ways that you haven't been able to do. We wanted to make a big spectacle on the scale of 'Ben-Hur' and 'Lawrence of Arabia'."

The second installment of the two-part film series is slated for release in November 2025.

"We've shot part two. I'm cutting it right now, and it's a doozy. It's very exciting. If you like part one, get ready for a whole new ride!" Chu promised.

"Wicked" begins its global cinematic rollout on Nov. 20.