Egypt’s powerful musicians’ syndicate argues the American artist’s concert is 'against our traditions’.
American rapper Travis Scott’s concert at the Giza Pyramids has been banned by an Egyptian musicians’ syndicate after an online campaign against the hip-hop heavyweight.
International music stars often perform at the foot of Egypt’s famous pyramids near the capital Cairo, and the powerful musicians’ union rarely opposes such events. However, in recent years, it has led the fight against musical genres considered inappropriate in Egypt, with rap often being targeted.
Finding fault with African-American movements that claim a cultural connection to the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, Egypt is also increasingly opposed to what it sees as „rewriting” its history.
The musicians’ syndicate, which oversees all matters relating to live or recorded music in the Arab world’s most populous country, said in a statement on Tuesday that Scott’s concert was „against our traditions”.
The union said it would not interfere with any concerts „as long as they do not undermine the traditional customs and traditions of the Egyptian people”.
Social media content and „artist’s stances, syndicated images found information about strange rituals practiced by him, which are against our traditions,” the statement said, without specifying which rituals it was referring to.
Ahead of the move, social media users launched a campaign to cancel Scott’s concert, citing the American rapper’s Afrocentrism and highlighting the role of black Africans in shaping humanity.
Proponents of the movement argue that the role of black Africans in world history has diminished due to racist educational traditions inherited from Europe.
Scott’s Egypt concert was canceled amid angry reaction from some Egyptians to the release of a Netflix documentary about Cleopatra, which was portrayed by a black actress as the ancient Egyptian queen and exposed the existence of what they consider cultural appropriation and non-existence. Black Egyptians in Ancient Egypt.
In February, Egypt canceled a show by American comedian Kevin Hart after a social media campaign spread some of his past comments. Critics accused him of distorting history and robbing Arabs of the country’s ancient past because he alleged that Egypt’s ancient kings were black.
The comments have not been verified, and Hart has not commented on the controversy.
Although Hart’s organizers said the cancellation was due to logistical problems, some Egyptian social media users celebrated the cancellation as a victory for the boycott movement.