Tunisian singer Latifa ended the crisis of the song “Al-Masry”, whose lyrics were changed at the “Reading Challenge” initiative ceremony in the Emirat
Tunisian singer Latifa ended the crisis of the song “Al-Masry”, whose lyrics were changed at the “Reading Challenge” initiative ceremony in the Emirates, stressing that she was satisfied with the response of the Egyptian poet Gamal Bakhit, the author of the original and new song’s lyrics.
Latifa is currently busy preparing her new album, which brings her together again with the Lebanese musician Ziad Rahbani, 17 years after their first meeting. Their new album will be released at the beginning of 2025. Latifa said, during her interview with #THEWORLDSCREEN, that Ziad Rahbani is the predecessor of all the musicians. His era, and that she does not give up filming all of her songs, and does not accept any production body’s control over what she presents, as she takes control of her affairs and produces her works herself.
Returns to Ziad Rahbani’s music 17 years after their first collaboration ({#THEWORLDSCREEN})
The poet Jamal Bakhit, the author of the song that Latifa sang in the movie “Scott Hansour” by the late director Youssef Chahine, had made it clear, via his Facebook account, that he was primarily and last responsible for the change that affected the text, saying: “Some believed that Latifa came Another poet to write new words, and this is legally impossible, and some pens launched an unjustly offensive attack on the great artist,” stressing that he wrote the text from his mind and soul, and that “writing different words on the same melody is a style.” “My art happened a lot with important musical works.”
Regarding her return to cooperation with Ziad Rahbani, after all these years that witnessed development in music, Latifa says: “Ziyad Rahbani is outside of time, and his music has another energy and another path in the universe. He preceded the era of music in the Arab world by light years, and this is not only my opinion, but rather The opinion of the late Ammar Al Sharia and other creators: His music is for all times and is considered a special school in his creativity.
Actress Latifa wishes to carry out the will of the late director Youssef Chahine ({#THEWORLDSCREEN})
She likes to talk about him, so she says: “I used to listen to him while I was at school in Tunisia, and my colleagues and I used to exchange cassette tapes of his plays. I remember that in a press conference in the nineties that was broadcast by Al-Shaab Radio, all of Beirut was sitting next to the radio to hear him, and they asked him about the artists he could work with without conditions. He said: Latifa Al-Tunisia, and a mutual friend took me to the studio on one of the best days of my life. I could not believe that I would meet him, and after that we started working on our album. The first is (confirmed information).”
Regarding the extent of her keenness on diversity in the album, she answers with confidence: “This diversity is not required of Ziad, as he is different and diverse in music, rhythms and everything, and a combination that is not repeated.”
Latifa finished her album before the ongoing war in Lebanon, but she says: “If the album had not finished, I would have stayed in Lebanon, and I am ready to board the first plane to Beirut now, as I lived with previous explosions there, so I was meters away from the site of the assassination of the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.” I survived, thanks to God, as I was presenting the play (The Rule of the Shepherds) by Mansour Rahbani.”
Latifa is proud that she presented musical theater properly in “The Rule of the Shepherds” ({THEWORLDSCREEN})
Regarding the show, she says: “Every day, I used to thank God as the curtain opened. Because this is the meaningful, respectable, and dazzling art that I love, but I have not been offered works of this level, and I do not accept theater that ends at dawn. We used to present the show in an hour and a half, and the Rahbanis were the ones who presented musical theater the most.”
Latifa reveals the features of the new album, saying: “It includes 7 songs composed by Ziad Rahbani; Among them are two songs written by the great poet Abdel Wahab Muhammad, who is my spiritual father, and we have collected 20 years of sweet songs. I was 4 years old when I sang “Fakerouni” for him, then I discovered that every song I loved was his words, such as “My times are sweet,” and “My times are sweet.” “Waiting for you.”
Latifa adds: “God put Abdul Wahab on my path when I came to Egypt for the first time, and he adopted me along with the musician Baligh Hamdi. They were the ones who made me decide to stay in Egypt. Without them, Latifa would not have been there. They convinced me to stay in Egypt, and he left all his recent works to me.” .
The late poet recommended that many of his songs go to Latifa, according to the words of the Tunisian artist, who explains: “With each album, I present some of his new works. In the previous album, I presented two songs of his lyrics; One of them was composed by Kazem Al-Saher, and the other was composed by Ziad Al-Taweel. His words left a strong imprint on my journey since (I love you more than my soul), (I love in love with you), (Your love is calm), (Impossibility).”
I do not accept anyone imposing on me what to sing
In cinema, Latifa only presented “Scott Hansour” with the great director Youssef Chahine, justifying this: “My experience in cinema has not been repeated; Because what was offered to me was not worth the effort, so I focused on my musical works.”
She reveals that she is waiting for a film in the writing stage that she is excited about, saying: “Now I am thinking about returning to cinema. I may have an experience next year. I would like to carry out Youssef Chahine’s will. He said to me before his death: (Promise me to continue acting because there is an actress in you that did not come.) Like her for years), I love acting and I love fine art, and I presented the series (Password) years ago.”
The poems of the late Abdel Wahab Muhammad had a strong imprint on my journey
Latifa pays remarkable attention to filming her songs, as she has a large collection of video songs, and is always looking for a new idea and form, and holds working sessions with the Lebanese director Walid Nassif, who filmed her last album using artificial intelligence technology.
Latifa describes herself as “the queen of renewal, challenge, and will,” stressing that the artist must be renewed, and she believes that preparing for filming is the most important thing, and is currently exchanging ideas with Nassif, in preparation for the start of filming next month.
Latifa concludes her interview with a tone full of satisfaction: “Now, I reap everything I sowed. All my songs are digital through my YouTube channel, and all the rights are mine. Because I refuse to be controlled by a producer, and I do not accept anyone imposing on me what to sing.”
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