posted on 4/29/2022 9:36 am
(Credit: Youtube / Reproduction)
An Egyptian court has convicted two musicians of “violating family values” over a video they recorded with Brazilian belly dancer Lurdiana Tejas. The recording was made in 2020 and shared on Youtube.
Hamo Beeka and Omar Kamal appear to be dubbing a song in the video while the ballerina dances. The video already has over 10 million views.
The NGO Humans Right Watch classified the arrest warrant as stalking. “Egyptian authorities should not prosecute musicians solely for their artistic expression. The illdefined restrictions under which these men were sentenced must be lifted,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement.
According to the BBC, the conviction is part of a movement to suppress the electronic music style that has grown in the country called Mahraganat. The style became known to the world after some songs were used in the Marvel series Moon Knight.
The musicians’ union banned several Mahraganat singers from performing.
The musicians were sentenced to one year in prison or a fine of 10,000 Egyptian pounds.