IT IS hardly surprising that Rachid and his friends had not heard of Toby Keith before seeing him perform. Mr Keith is an American country-music star who sings about drinking beer and chasing girls. Rachid and his pals live in Saudi Arabia, where that kind of thing is forbidden. So why did they go to his concert in Riyadh, the capital, last month? “I just wanted to see what was going on,” said Abdulaziz, another attendee.
A better question is: why was Mr Keith in Riyadh? His arrival coincided with a visit by Donald Trump. But the concert, which included Rabeh Saqer, a popular Saudi musician, is also part of a push to make the kingdom more fun. With cultural life restricted under the kingdom’s strict Islamic social code, so much so that even cinemas are banned, many Saudis head to places like Dubai for entertainment. The government wants to keep more of their money at home—and perhaps loosen things up a bit.
“What we...Continue reading
Source: Middle East and Africa http://ift.tt/2ssjboV
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