In rare appearance, Fairuz mourns son Ziad Rahbani as Lebanon bids farewell Legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz attended the funeral of her son, renowned composer and playwright, Ziad Rahbani, at a church in a town north of Beirut, in her first public appearance in years. Lebanon
Iranian rapper Toomaj, who supported protests, released from prison Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death earlier this year after releasing a song in support of the Mahsa Amini protests, though the ruling was overturned by the supreme court. Iran
Iranian rapper Toomaj sentenced to death over protest support Toomaj Salehi is the latest musical artist to be sentenced in relation to the 2022 anti-government protests in Iran. Iran
Saudi Arabia's SRMG invests in music streamer Anghami, Spotify’s Middle East rival Beirut-founded Anghami is the most popular music streaming platform in the MENA region, with 120 million registered users, up from 75 million in 2021. Saudi Arabia
Syrian musicians carve out small space in Istanbul’s live music scene Istanbul’s Syrian-run small art spaces have become a conduit of connection between locals and the refugee population through music amid high running anti-refugee sentiment across the country. Syria
Conservative groups seek to shut down concerts in Iraq Iraqis fear that Islamic parties and armed religious groups are trying to impose their fundamentalist views on social and personal freedoms. Iraq
Khashoggi's fiancee urges Justin Beiber to cancel Saudi performance Hatice Cengiz called on the Canadian pop star to choose "justice and freedom over money." Saudi Arabia
Japanese grand piano, gifted to Arafat in 1997, plays on in Gaza The Yamaha grand piano that Japan gave to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 1997 returns to make music again after being exposed to three devastating wars. Culture
Houthis under fire for arresting wedding singer in Yemeni capital There are calls in Sanaa to form a union to defend the rights of singers, amid ongoing abuses and arrests targeting them by the Houthi rebel authorities. Legacy: Gulf
Turkey’s Family Ministry moves to turn down K-pop Turkey is full of young fans of Korean pop music, angering conservatives who claim the K-pop movement encourages homosexuality. Turkey
Provocative music video leads to arrests in Iran Iran has arrested two music producers for working on Sasan Heidari Yafteh's new music video, "Tehran Tokyo." Iran
Egyptian dancers call for protecting belly dance Several belly dancers in Egypt are leading a campaign to preserve their traditional dance from whom they describe as intruders that have sexualized the dance performance. Egypt
Protests break out in Iran after death of famed singer Mohammad Reza Shajarian was a renowned singer and composer of classical music. He also notably supported the 2009 protests in the country. Iran
Turkish music sector in hot water due to pandemic, arbitrary restrictions The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on Turkey's music industry that is already experiencing tough times due to a ban on alcohol advertising that has prevented companies from sponsoring events and festivals with their brand names. Turkey
Gazan child raps about broken dreams under siege Abdel Rahman Salih al-Shanti, an 11-year-old rapper from the Gaza Strip, has made international headlines, with English rap songs evoking Gaza’s wars and sufferings under the Israeli blockade. Palestine
Lebanon's Baalbeck Festival moves world audience with dramatic online performance Lebanon's beloved Baalbeck Festival has survived various challenging times, and this year was no exception. Lebanon
