The Lebanese artist Fadel Shaker did not need to test the memory of his fans in Jeddah. As soon as he started singing on the “Ebadi Al-Jawhar Arena” stage, it seemed that the long years of absence had not removed his songs from the memory of his fans. Voices rise along with familiar syllables, and others precede the singer to the words of his songs, in an evening in which the audience transformed from a recipient into a singing partner, as if the meeting had been delayed for years, but its date had not been forgotten.
Thursday night was an extension of the “Return of the Absent” journey, which brought Shaker back to theaters after nearly 14 years of absence, moving between Riyadh and the Eastern Province, before arriving in Jeddah at a ceremony raising the “Full Number” slogan, during which he regained a large portion of his singing credits, in addition to surprises that brought together the Lebanese artist Yara and his son Muhammad Shaker, and a young Turkish talent who astonished the audience by playing the zither.
From the first moments, it seemed that the relationship between Fadel Shaker and his audience went beyond listening to songs. With “Ahla Rasma,” which the audience knows as the clip “Unless I am with you,” voices rose, repeating its words, before the songs that made his presence in Arab emotional memory followed, such as “If on My Heart,” “And We Parted,” “Where Are Your Nights,” “O Life of the Soul,” and other works that were associated with different stages of his career.
Fadel Shaker did not hide his astonishment at the warmth of the reception. Addressing the audience, he said that before his arrival he had asked about the atmosphere of Jeddah parties, and heard beautiful descriptions about it, but he found it in reality to be more wonderful than what was reported to him. His comment came amid an audience interaction that not only applauded, but also accompanied him by singing in most of the paragraphs.
The evening was not limited to reliving his old songs; Shaker presented his latest work, “Sleep at Night,” which he released two days before the concert, as part of his anticipated album, “A New Dream,” indicating that his return to the stage coincides with a new stage of musical production.
One of the most prominent surprises of the concert was the appearance of the Turkish child Aytaç Doğan Jr., the grandson of the famous Turkish musician Aytaç Doğan, one of the members of the Taksim Trio band. Despite his eight years of age, the young musician was able to attract the attention of the audience with his prowess in playing the qanun instrument, during the songs “Maqool” and “Sahhak Al-Shouq,” presenting a solo performance that revealed a remarkable talent and ability to deal with Eastern maqams.
His participation came as part of an evening led by Maestro Majd Jarida, with the participation of a group of Arab musicians, including Iraqi qanun player Hassan Falih, whose presence added an oriental touch to the musical arrangements.
The appearance of Muhammad Shaker alongside his father was a special moment. They participated in singing “A Lie and I Believed It,” before Fadl left the stage, leaving room for his son, who performed a group of songs, including “The Laugh of the World,” “Oh Absent, Why Don’t You Ask,” “Stay Up, My Love,” and “Oh My Life, Ask About Me.”
The meeting between father and son was one of the scenes that gave the concert a family character, and brought together on stage two singing experiences belonging to two different generations.
As for the other surprise, it was the appearance of the Lebanese artist Yara, who participated with Fadel Shaker in performing their famous song “Take Me With You,” nearly two decades after its release in 2006. The meeting brought back to the memory of those present one of the duets that was associated with the Arabic romantic song, amid great interaction with the two voices returning to singing together.
Shaker continued to present a number of his works, including “O Ghayeb,” “Seller of Hearts,” “Remember What You Say,” and “God Knows Best.” He also chose to sing to Fairouz “The People Asked Me,” recalling her voice that expressed his longing for him, in one of the quiet moments during the evening.
Between the songs that accompanied the audience for years, the participation of his son and Yara, and the talent of the Turkish child, the Jeddah night was more than just a restoration of previous successes; It presented an image of an artist returning to the stage with new works, based on a singing repertoire that is still present among his fans.
At the end of the concert, it seemed that Fadel Shaker’s years of being away from the stage had not weakened his connection with his audience, who welcomed him with singing as he bid him farewell, confirming that the “absent” had returned to the stage, while his songs remained present throughout the years of his absence.
