“The Earth’s Voice Night”, dedicated to honoring the late artist Talal Maddah, Wednesday, February 1, in Riyadh, topped the Arab and international trend on Twitter because of the importance of the ceremony at the Saudi, Arab and international levels, which contributed to the spread of the night’s events on a global scale, as it was broadcast on more than 40 channels and 7 digital viewing platforms.
The concert represented the largest Arab musical event. More than 43 artists participated in the event at Mohammed Abdo Arena in Boulevard Riyadh City. The ceremony hosted Maddah’s family, friends. Moreover, a letter written by Maddah decades ago was displayed.
During the ceremony, which is the largest of its kind, the sky of the capital, Riyadh, sparkled with an image of Talal Maddah formed by drones, in addition to a large display of fireworks, so that the Earth’s Voice was present inside and outside the theater, which was filled with his fans, who flocked to honor him after saying goodbye to him 22 years ago.
The concert screens showed a documentary in which Talal’s partners in poetry, music and singing was shown. They talked about their experiences with the late singer since the end of the 1950s when he first appeared as a singer. They described Maddah as a social person with humane initiatives and talked about the most prominent situations that brought them together with him. The documentary also showed a number of his memorable music tracks that have become part of the memory of the Saudis.
Due to the importance of the late Talal Maddah and his artistic career, which exceeded 40 years, more than 43 Arab singing stars participated in the ceremony. They flocked early to the Lavender Carpet area, where they were received, before going on stage and singing his music and songs.
The concert was marked by many paradoxes, the most prominent of which was the meeting of the golden generation of the Saudi song with young Saudi voices. Arab stars came from various countries to sing Maddah’s works, which remained a witness to his journey, which was full of artistic heritage passed down to the new generation.
The audience of the exceptional ceremony was surprised by the return of Talal Maddah’s oud, on which Abadi Al-Johar played the wonderful song of musician Mohammed Abdel-Wahhab “What Do I Say”, which amazed the audience and took them back to the beginnings of the good old days of art in the Kingdom and the Arab world.
In Al-Jazeera newspaper booth in the theater, the audience read Talal Maddah’s handwritten letter to art lovers, in which he said, “I hope to achieve what you love.” Other booths included various holdings of the late singer, who left a lavish legacy for those with high artistic taste.
Due to the importance of “The Earth’s Voice Night” and its unique artistic value, hashtags topped the Twitter platform and the Arab trend. The corridors of Mohammed Abdo Arena also included press clippings and articles highlighting what was written about Maddah and his rich history.
It is worth noting that “The Earth’s Voice Night” witnessed the honoring of the late singer and his family by His Excellency Advisor Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of General Entertainment Authority. They were also honored by the Egyptian Ambassador to the Kingdom, Ahmed Farouk. One of Merwas studios was named “The Earth’s Voice” in honor of Maddah and his family.
The concert presented many types of singing and performances from the good old days. The concert witnessed great public interaction with the participating singing stars, and there was a performance by the Saudi Girls Choir, which is the first women’s choir in the Kingdom.