Nancy Ajram, Black Eyed Peas: Abu Dhabi festival returns with stellar lineup of concerts

Lebanese pop sensation Nancy Ajram, Egyptian singer Tamer Hosny and American group Black Eyed Peas are among the names headlining the entertainment lineup of the Mother of the Nation (MOTN) festival, which starts in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Held at the Abu Dhabi Corniche, the 24 days of exciting festivities are packed with loads of live music, including spectacular New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Here’s all you need to know about the amazing singers, some of the best from the Arab world, who will be in action over the next few weeks during the seventh edition of the festival.

Ajram with popular hits like ‘Ah W Noss’, ‘Akhasmak Ah’, and more will be performing on Saturday. A multi-platinum recording artist, she is one of the Middle East's foremost pop icons. The evening entertainment will be opened by local star DJ Aseel, who will delight audiences with tracks inspired by global icons like Tiesto, while Egyptian star Ramy Sabry will perform his hit singles including ‘Mabrouk Alina’, ‘Ghaly’ and ‘Ana Bansa Nafsy’.

On December 13, Grammy Award-winning Black Eyed Peas – will.i.am, Apl.de.Ap, and Taboo – will take the stage. The second-best-selling artist/group of all time for downloaded tracks, the trio has sold 35 million albums and 120 million singles worldwide.

On December 16, Taylor Swift tribute band ‘Let’s Sing Taylor’ calls on Swifties to join for a lively evening celebrating the songstress’ selection of tunes including covers from her Grammy-award-winning albums, Fearless, 1989 and Folklore.

On December 23, Grammy-nominated Syrian singer Rasha Rizk will bring her ethereal music to the stage. The artist, whose melodious voice is recognised from Arabic theme songs for popular cartoons, is set to take audiences on a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

On December 30, the dynamic Cairokee – a portmanteau of ‘Cairo’ and ‘Karaoke’ – promises a passionate performance that will resonate with every music lover. Also, prolific Palestinian-Jordanian rapper and singer El Far3i will entertain folk and hip-hop enthusiasts.

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