Tunisian Artists' Union President Criticizes Mostafa Kamel Over Honoring Hani Shaker

A wave of controversy has swept through the Arab artistic community following an attack by Maher Al-Hammami, the head of the Tunisian Artists Syndicate, on Mostafa Kamel, the head of the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate, over what was perceived as an attempt to evade accepting an award honoring the late Hani Shaker, the “Prince of Arab Singing.”

Al-Hammami published a statement expressing his disapproval of Kamel’s handling of the request to honor the late artist, who also served as the former head of the Musicians Syndicate. In a post on Facebook, he stated: “To be perfectly frank, I cannot hide my surprise and astonishment at the position of the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate, and its refusal, or rather its evasion, of accepting the tribute to the late artist and ‘Prince of Arab Singing,’ Hani Shaker. The Tunisian Musicians Syndicate brought this honor to Cairo in recognition of his career and contributions.”

The Tunisian Artists Syndicate head continued: “My presence in Cairo was not for a passing occasion. I came specifically to present this tribute to a great artist, to a former head of the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate, and to a name that holds a special place in Tunisia and in the hearts of Tunisians.”

He added: “The question that naturally arises, with all due respect, is: how can an artistic syndicate hesitate to accept an honor issued by a sister Arab syndicate for an artist who once headed that very same syndicate and contributed so much to Egyptian and Arab music? In Tunisia, we carried nothing but love, appreciation, and loyalty. There were no other calculations behind this tribute, nor any goal other than acknowledging what Hani Shaker has given to Arab art.”