In an interview with "Sky News Arabia," Saudi artist Abdul Majid Abdullah revealed his struggles with illness and spoke about his relationship with Emirati singer Ahlam and veteran composer "Suhail" during the events of "Abdul Majid Night," held in Riyadh. During the evening organized by "Rotana" for audio and visual productions, under the supervision of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, Abdul Majid Abdullah stated, "Illness does not teach but it hurts, and thank God I had hope of returning and singing with my colleagues."
He added, "The waiting was killing, and I always told my colleagues that if I couldn't sing, I would die. Thank God I was able to cope with (Meniere's), which is a balance disorder, and participate as much as I could." When asked if he would collaborate with Ahlam on upcoming musical projects, after she attended his concert and they have met on several occasions, he said: "No, Ahlam has her songs, but I love Ahlam as a person, in addition to loving her as an artist, of course.. I have a family relationship with Umm Fahd."
For her part, Ahlam tweeted a few days before the concert, saying she considers herself "one of Abdul Majid’s loyal fans," and she did not hesitate to gift him her shawl when he felt cold on stage. Regarding his relationship with the veteran Saudi composer, Prince Ahmed bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, known as "Suhail," Abdullah noted, "The memories I have with Suhail are many, and there is no doubt that he has become a prominent figure, a present artist, and a big name, and I hope to collaborate with him on future works."
For his part, Suhail, who attended the concert, stated that he considers himself "a student of Abdullah" in art, saying: "No words can describe the quality of what I saw with my own eyes and heard with my ears. Just attending the concert is enough to astonish you." He added to "Sky News Arabia": "Abdul Majid’s return is a return of the spirit of singing, and for me, he is my teacher; my testimony in this matter is biased, and no words can express my feelings as one of his students and one of his fans."
He continued: "Abdul Majid is one of my most important teachers, and there are many opportunities that came my way through Abdul Majid. I consider myself one of the luckiest who got to work with him." Abdullah made his appearance at his most recent concert after a long journey of over five years with pain, setting a date with his audience to put an end to the longing and waiting, which was eased by "Abdul Majid Night."
"The stranger longed and returned to his family," goes the lyrics of his famous song, and to its rhythm, the chants filled the Muhammad Abdo Theater in the Saudi capital, celebrating the return of the absent artist. Abdullah received a tremendous wave of applause when he appeared on stage performing his masterpiece "Roohi Tuhebbak," then he opted to present a selection of his latest songs, performing them for the first time on stage, which he aimed to document theatrically that night.
Notably, his song "Insan Akthar," which captured the audience's enthusiasm with its distinctive rhythm and lyrics that they sang along to from memory, was the one that dominated. This song bore the title of his album released in 2007, one of his most significant albums. Between songs, Abdullah took short breaks to connect with his audience, thanking them at times or assuring them that the concert had a second segment where he would fulfill all their requests, and at other moments inviting them to sing along, which they eagerly did, often starting the beginnings of his songs.
The old hits resonated during the concert, as timeless songs like "Qelleh," "Ya Ba'dhum Kulluhum," and "Ya Tayeb Al-Qalb" still pulsated in the audience's emotional memory, bearing witness to Abdullah's shining Arab stardom, achieved through these unique works. During the concert, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, advisor Turki Al Sheikh, surprised Abdullah with a phone call on stage, announcing that the concert had achieved record ticket sales during the Riyadh Season, and sought permission from the artist to perform one of his most notable songs, "Ehki BiHamsak."
