"Humiliating Conditions" .. Mohamed Tharwat Reveals the Secret Behind His Withdrawal from the Arab Music Festival

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In a statement characterized by transparency and respect for his artistic history, the great Egyptian singer Mohamed Tharwat broke his silence to clarify the reasons for his sudden withdrawal from participating in this year's edition of the Arab Music Festival, which is set to take place in Cairo from October 20 to 30.

Tharwat explained that he preferred to stay away from disputes, saying: "I am a man who values my status and history, and I know well when and where to speak, so I preferred not to reveal through the media the details of what happened within an entity I love and cherish, which is the Egyptian Opera House. He clarified that he will present his reasons in full, and documented, at the appropriate time and place."

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The Egyptian artist denied that his decision to withdraw was related to financial disputes or artists' fees, confirming that he had indeed waived more than 75% of his due fee for the concert.

He continued, saying: "Anyone who knows my history knows that my relationship with art and opera has never been material. The latest example of this is my participation without payment in the Egyptian Cultural Week concerts in Qatar with the Opera House and the Ministry of Culture, as well as the orchestra concert in Morocco in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, as a gift from me and a representation of my country, Egypt."

Tharwat clearly criticized the way salaries were presented at the festival's press conference, emphasizing that whether an artist receives a fee or donates it, they deserve full appreciation, and it is unacceptable to reduce them to numbers or portray the prestigious institution as financially incapable.

He added that disclosing such details undermines the value and stature of every participating Egyptian and Arab artist, before it affects those who have withdrawn.

Regarding the direct and fundamental reason for his decision, Tharwat confirmed that his objection stems from the core ethics of the profession in respect for artistic figures, rejecting the transformation of the noble message of art into a discussion or dispute over budgets.

He revealed details of the contract crisis, saying: "I did not sign the contract for my participation in the Arab Music Festival for 2026, and I requested that my name not be announced before completing the contract and amending some clauses; including a clause that holds me legally responsible for the works I will perform for other artists and songs from the heritage, such as the works of the nightingale Abdel Halim Hafez and the musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab, even though I do not own their intellectual rights."

He added that despite receiving a promise to remove this arbitrary clause, it has not been amended yet.

It is worth mentioning that these statements come at a time when the Arab Music Festival is experiencing a wave of sharp apologies; in recent days, a number of prominent singing stars have withdrawn, most notably Ali Al-Hagar, Mai Farouk, and Mohamed Mohsen, coinciding with the official resignation of Dr. Reda Al-Wakeel from his position as head of the Egyptian Opera House and head of the festival.