(Cairo) The Egyptian Musicians’ Union on Tuesday banned US rapper Travis Scott’s July 28 concert at the Giza pyramids, arguing it violated “the traditions of the Egyptian people”.
Regularly, international stars of world pop organize huge concerts at the foot of the pharaonic pyramids of Cairo, like the American hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas in October 2021.
The musicians’ union very rarely opposes such events, but has been on a crusade for years against Egyptian urban music, rap in the lead.
Egypt is also in the midst of a campaign against what it denounces as a “rewriting” of its history: it is up against African-American movements that claim affiliation with the Pharaohs.
On Tuesday, the musicians’ union, which oversees any concert or music broadcast in the most populous Arab country, said in a statement that it accepts any concert, provided it “does not undermine customs and traditions. ancestry of the Egyptian people”.
“After reviewing the opinions expressed on social media and the positions of the artist, the union has found images and documented information about the strange rituals he performs which go against our traditions”, continues the text.
The statement, however, never defines these “rituals”, which it attributes to American hip-hop heavyweight Travis Scott, currently on a world tour.
