DUBAI: Life in Lebanon is tough, with economic struggles, political protests and a pandemic, no one can be in any doubt that anyone living there faces daily challenges.
But that hasn’t stopped legendary Lebanese singer Majida El-Roumi pushing a message of hope.
The renowned soprano, famous for her hits “Kalimat,” “Ana Am Behlam” and “Sahrit Eid,” is featured on this month’s Vogue Arabia cover – her first magazine shoot in her 45-year-long career.
“The artist’s role is more important than a politician,” the music sensation told the publication. “An artist should call for unity, independence, and freedom of his country. This is their true duty.”
“What I care about is to stand by my human brothers, live their pain, and wipe their tears. This is my true joy,” El-Roumi explained.
When addressing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the singer said: “I advocate for Lebanon to exercise sovereignty, dignity, and prestige on its land, and I call for confederation. Why shouldn’t there be a United States of Lebanon?”
El-Roumi shared a video on Wednesday on Instagram to tease her 120,000 followers with the issue. In the clip, she was seen – in her glamorous dresses – walking down the aisles of Lebanon’s Résidence Des Pins, saying: “It is difficult to summarise Lebanon in a few words. I wondered: ‘What should I say to gather all my thoughts.’”
In an interview with Lebanon’s TV channel El-Jadeed, El-Roumi said: “This is the one of the best things I’ve done in my life.”
“Today Lebanon is going through a tough period, but that will not be the case tomorrow,” she added. “Life does not go in a straight line. There are ups and downs. We are in a ‘down’ now, but tomorrow we will be stand stand back up.”
The star, who has been a UN FAO Goodwill Ambassador since 2001, wore royal-like dresses by international celebrity-loved Lebanese designers Goerges Hobeika and Zuhair Murad.
El-Roumi’s Hobeika dress was a coral-colored cascading chiffon gown and her Zuhair Murad dress was a white lace caftan with the country’s flag loosely attached at the shoulder.
Both designers took to their social media accounts to share pictures of the magazine cover, noting they were proud to be part of a project that honored their country.
