– As Part of Spring of Culture Festival –
Manama, Bahrain Economic Development Board 28 March 2018: As part of the thirteenth edition of the annual Spring of Culture festival, the internationally acclaimed Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama will be performing live at Bahrain Bay on 30th March 2018 at 8:30 pm. Fans can expect to hear some of Alama’s biggest hits and classic songs.
Ragheb Alama is a Lebanese singer, composer, television personality, and philanthropist. Born in June 7th 1962, Alama began his career in the 1980s when he appeared as a contestant on the talent show broadcast Studio El Fan, on which he received the Platinum Award. Alama’s fame came after Studio El Fan followed by yearly albums and number-one hit singles such as “Ya rait” , “‘Aan Jad” and “Alby Asheq’ha” which was dubbed the first Arabic song in history to be made into a music video.
Ragheb achieved the platinum award from Virgin Megastore in Dubai for the highest sales of albums among others in April 2009 and for the first time in the Arab world. Alama has also worked with the pop star Shakira, who featured on a song on his 2010 album, Starz Vol. 1. Ragheb Alama is also a digital influencer with more than 4.6 million fans on his official Facebook Page, 2.6 million follower on Instagram and 6 million follower on twitter.
At the end of 2011, Alama was selected as the head of jury for the MBC show Arab Idol. Joining Ragheb on the panel were Ahlam, Nancy Ajram and the music producer Hassan Shaf’ee. In 2015, Ragheb was selected as a jury of The X Factor beside Elissa and Donia Samir Ghanem. In 2013, The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) appointed the superstar Ragheb Alama as the Goodwill Ambassador in West Asia.
Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) is organising the upcoming concert. Tickets for the event can be purchased exclusively online on www.springofculture.org.
Thirteen years after its inauguration, the Spring of Culture festival has transformed into a landmark in Bahrain’s calendar of events. The festival contributes significantly to Bahrain’s tourism sector each year which is a key priority sector for the EDB as part of its diversification strategy. The number of inbound tourists to Bahrain has been increasing year on year, with the total number of visitors reaching 12.7 million last year as compared to 12.2 million in 2016.
Apart from being a festival that builds cultural communication bridges between Bahrain and the rest of the world, Spring of Culture also supports SME’s in the Kingdom whose products and services are enjoyed by and promoted to a new and wider audience during the pre-shows.
Tamkeen is committed to helping drive growth in local businesses and contributes to the promotion of Bahraini SMEs. As a result, it has become a Partner of Spring of Culture for SME Development. SMEs focused on food and beverage can showcase their products during the festival, adding to the visitors’ overall experience of all that Bahrain has to offer and contributing to the promotion of Bahraini SMEs.
The Gold Sponsors of this year’s festival are: Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco), GFH Financial Group, National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) and Tamkeen, while Silver Sponsors include: Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA), Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), Bahrain Duty Free, Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK), Gulf Air and Huawei. Other partners and supporters include: the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF); Investate; the National Oil and Gas Authority; Bahrain Maritime & Mercantile International (BMMI); and the embassies of Italy, Japan, USA and Mexico.
For the latest news and updates on events, follow the official Spring of Culture official channel @springofculture on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The full festival program details are available on www.springofculture.org and on the Spring of Culture App.
-ENDS-
For more information, please contact:
Economic Development Board
Telephone: +973 17589966
E-mail: NC@BahrainEDB.com
Notes to editors:
About Spring of Culture
The Spring of Culture is an annual festival recognised as one of the most significant cultural events in Bahrain. The festival is organised by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) and Shaikh Ebrahim Centre for Culture and Research, in cooperation with Al Bareh Art Gallery and La Fontaine Centre for Contemporary Art.
The Spring of Culture has offered up a multitude of exciting and distinctive experiences over the past twelve seasons. The annual festival has brought an array of talented artists from Bahrain, the Arab world and beyond, covering theatre, art, music, poetry and literature. The festival also includes a host of other cultural activities held throughout the Kingdom that highlight Bahrain’s rich heritage and unique cultural and historical landmarks, entertaining and educating local citizens and overseas visitors.
