DUBLIN: Irish pop singer Sinead O’Connor, who converted to Islam and changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat in 2018, has died at the age of 56, Irish media reported on Wednesday.
Her family said it was with “great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinead. Her family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very difficult time,” Irish national broadcaster RTE reported.
Born in County Dublin, O’Connor made 10 albums in her career from “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” to 2014’s “I’m not Bossy, I’m the Boss,” and was best known for her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” released in 1990.
Ireland’s President Michael Higgins said Ireland had lost “one of our greatest and most gifted composers, songwriters and performers of recent decades.”
He praised O’Connor’s “fearless commitment to the important issues which she brought to public attention, no matter how uncomfortable those truths may have been.”
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said O’Connor’s “music was loved around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare.”
“Condolences to her family, her friends and all who loved her music,” he added.
Instantly recognizable with her trademark shaved head, O’Connor courted controversy throughout her career, speaking out frequently against the Catholic Church.
Beginning her career busking on the streets of the Irish capital and performing in pubs, she recorded her first album “The Lion and the Cobra” — a punk cult classic released in 1987 — in London.
The artist said she had been abused by her mother as a child and in 1992 protested the abuse of children by the Catholic Church, tearing up a picture of Pope John Paul II while performing on US television program “Saturday Night Live.”
In recent years O’Connor had melded her outspoken political views with spiritualism and was ordained as a priest amid controversy in 1999.
Writing on Twitter, which is being rebranded as ‘X’, Canadian singer Bryan Adams wrote: “RIP Sinead O’Connor, I loved working with you making photos, doing gigs in Ireland together and chats, all my love to your family.”
Irish comedian Dara O Briain said O’Connor’s death came as “just very sad news. Poor thing.”
“I hope she realized how much love there was for her,” he said.
Irish mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor commented on the singer’s death writing: “The world has lost an artist with the voice of an Angel.
“Ireland has lost an iconic voice and one of our absolute finest, by a long shot. And I have lost a friend.”
British pop singer Alison Moyet said O’Connor had a voice that “cracked stone with force by increment.”
“As beautiful as any girl around & never traded on that card. I Loved that about her. Iconoclast,” she added.
Lead singer for 90s rock band The Charlatans Tim Burgess wrote: “Sinead was the true embodiment of a punk spirit.
“She did not compromise and that made her life more of a struggle. Hoping that she has found peace.”
“It is hard to think of an artist who has had the social and cultural impact of Sinead,” Colm O’Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International Ireland wrote in reaction to her death.
“What a loss. Heartfelt condolences to her children, her family and all who loved her,” he added.
O’Connor had also spoken publicly about her mental health struggles, telling Oprah Winfrey in 2007 that she struggled with thoughts of suicide and had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
More recently she had shunned the limelight, in particular following the death of her son Shane from suicide last year at the age of 17.
O’Connor is survived by three children and had reportedly been dividing her time between Ireland and Britain prior to her death.
Irish singer Sinead O’Connor dies aged 56
https://arab.news/8rz38
Irish singer Sinead O’Connor dies aged 56
Review: ‘I Am Georgina,’ Season 3 — reality TV, Saudi style
DUBAI: Netflix’s “Soy Georgina” (“I Am Georgina”) is back, and this time it explores Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez’s life after her move to Saudi Arabia with partner Cristiano Ronaldo in 2023.
The reality show dominated the Netflix Top 10 in 46 countries after the release of season two. One episode was set entirely in Dubai and showed the Burj Khalifa lit up for Rodriguez’s 28th birthday.
The model-meets-Middle Eastern-luxury formula seems to be one the producers were keen to continue, with fans taken on a whirlwind tour of the Kingdom in season three as Rodriguez and her family explore life in the country.
However, the high-end hotels and stunning seascapes are interspersed with moments of real introspection and fragility, which takes this program from stereotypical reality TV territory to something altogether more inviting and — dare I say it? — heartwarming.
We follow Rodriguez as she embarks on a number of firsts. These include the opening of her first beach house, Villa Perla, to starring in an international campaign for a famous clothing brand and making her debut at Paris Fashion Week by walking for Swiss fashion label Vetements.
One of the most touching aspects of the show is Rodriguez’s relationship with her children — the couple have five, the eldest of whom was born to another mother. The opening scenes of the season show Rodriguez’s worrying about, and praising, her kids and it offers a new side to the woman we are more used to seeing on fashion billboards.
Similarly, the — albeit sparse — scenes of a football legend pottering around with his young family offers insight into Ronaldo as a father, for which the series is all the better.
There are, thankfully, no engineered high-drama interactions and although it does sometimes feel like a carefully staged advertorial, there are candid caught-on-camera moments where the star seems tense and nervous at public events.
She is also not one to shy away from talking about her humble roots and being honest about the sometimes taxing reality of her life in the spotlight and what it takes to be a poster girl for all things glamor.
From London to Milan, Nora Attal dominates fashion week
DUBAI: British Moroccan model Nora Attal made a mark at London Fashion Week, walking in high-profile shows such as Burberry, Simone Rocha and Nensi Dojaka — all within a span of just two days.
At the Burberry show, she showcased a casual ensemble featuring light beige knee-length shorts paired with a striped, collared button-down shirt that was slightly tucked in at the front. Over this, she sported a muted olive green blazer with rolled-up sleeves. Her outfit was complemented by a large, quilted shoulder bag and matching beige and cream-colored loafers, the latter of which were adorned with small studs.
British designer Daniel Lee has been steering Burberry’s creative direction for the past two years with innovative flair. For women, he reimagined the classic trench coat into various forms including a cropped jacket, a halter cape or a parka with shoulders covered in silk organza faux feather trims, layered over delicate dresses or skirts, blending elegance with a sportier, even military style.
For men, the influence of sportswear fashion was even stronger, with lightweight materials and functional cuts, giving rise to outfits of flowing pants and tartan zip-up jackets, paired with sneakers or loafers.
The collection also gave a nod to the resurgence of y2k fashion, with low-rise trousers, cargos and capris that end below the knee.
The show was attended by Arab figures including Saudi producer Moahmmed Al-Turki, Australia-born model Shanina Shaik — who is of Saudi, Pakistani and Lithuanian descent — and Dubai-based influencer Ola Farahat.
For the Simone Rocha show, Attal donned an ensemble that featured a long-sleeved, sheer top with a fitted bodice. Beneath this, a satiny black dress was visible, designed with a cinched waist. The dress extended into a flowing skirt that daringly split high on the thigh.
Meanwhile, the model stepped out on the Nensi Dojaka runway in a form-fitting, short black dress. The design included an asymmetrical neckline, with one shoulder adorned with delicate, ruffled white fabric.
After wrapping up her appearances at London Fashion Week, the model headed to Milan to partake in its fashion week that started on Tuesday. She kicked off her runway engagements by walking for Alberta Ferretti, wearing a black strapless, figure-hugging mini dress embellished with beadwork and lace detailing.
Riyadh International Book Fair promises celebration of literature
- Fair will host writers, thinkers, and intellectuals from Saudi Arabia and beyond, making it a pivotal literary platform in the region
- Mohammed Hasan Alwan: The fair offers visitors a unique intellectual and cultural experience, incorporating the latest technologies and digital solutions
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission is gearing up for the 2024 Riyadh International Book Fair, which is set to take place from Sept. 26 to Oct. 5 at King Saud University in Riyadh.
With about 2,000 local, Arab and international publishing houses and agencies from more than 30 countries adorning 800 booths, this year’s fair promises to be a celebration of literature, knowledge, and creativity.
The fair will host writers, thinkers, and intellectuals from Saudi Arabia and beyond, making it a pivotal literary platform in the region.
Qatar will be the guest of honor at the fair. The rich cultural and intellectual legacy of the country will be on display through a dedicated pavilion featuring rare manuscripts and publications from Qatar’s Ministry of Culture.
Leading literary and artistic luminaries, alongside key organizations from Qatar’s cultural landscape, will feature at the event.
Mohammed Hasan Alwan, the CEO of the commission, said that the fair illustrated the unwavering support for cultural endeavors in Saudi Arabia.
Alwan said: “The fair offers visitors a unique intellectual and cultural experience, incorporating the latest technologies and digital solutions. Attendees can discover thousands of new releases across various fields and enjoy a wide range of activities and events within the diverse cultural program, featuring prominent cultural figures from Saudi Arabia and beyond.
“This makes the 2024 edition a truly inspiring cultural journey, building on the successes of previous editions.”
This year’s fair boasts a dedicated business zone, with participation from literary agencies managing authors’ works and contracts, and with printing presses offering services to publishers. Additionally, there will be government and financial institution booths related to the publishing business sector.
The zone will host special sessions and workshops on topics such as entrepreneurship, licensing and copyright.
The fair will also feature a children’s area brimming with literary, cultural, and entertainment activities aimed at igniting the spark of curiosity in the young generation.
By championing local authors, providing a platform for self-published works, and offering a diverse range of cultural activities, the fair reflects the Kingdom’s efforts to nurture creativity and promote literary innovation.
The fair’s diverse cultural and intellectual activities are to be hosted in partnership with the Cultural Channel.
The program includes dialogue sessions, workshops, poetry evenings, and concerts and artistic performances designed to enrich the cultural sector, foster knowledge and promote reading as a way of life, while contributing to the sustainability of the cultural and intellectual renaissance underway in Saudi society.
Dubai gallery to host Andy Warhol exhibition ‘The Glam Factory’
DUBAI: Artworks by late pop art icon Andy Warhol will be displayed in the UAE as part of “The Glam Factory” exhibition at the Foundry gallery in Dubai.
Curated by Nada Ghandour, “The Glam Factory” highlights Warhol, a prominent American artist in the 1960s known for his pop art style. “Campbell’s Soup Cans,” “Marilyn Monroe” and “Banana” are among his most famous pieces.
In an interview with Arab News, Heritage Curator Nada Ghandour described the exhibition as a “new reading of Andy Warhol’s work through the lens of our digital era and here in Dubai.”
Warhol moved to New York City in 1949 to pursue his American Dream and become rich and famous, said Ghandour.
“People today come to Dubai to also live out this dream. The American dream is more about opportunity and prosperity, and we know that many people today are moving to Dubai because it is a destination for stability and growth,” she explained.
Inspired by Warhol’s workshop “The Silver Factory,” Ghandour named the exhibition “The Glam Factory,” paying homage to his artistic process.
To draw a portrait, she explained, Warhol would take about 150 photos. He would then choose small parts from each photo and mix them together.
“He was capable of doing the job of a plastic surgeon; this was the glamorous and beautiful aspect of it,” she said.
Ghandour described Warhol as an artistic and technological visionary.
“Warhol was ahead of his time and was describing the artificial intelligence that we know now,” she said.
If he were alive now, she added, “he would speak to AI to create something in collaboration with a computer.”
The collection features over 100 of Warhol’s original pieces including screen prints, photos and magazine illustrations.
Located at the Foundry art space in Downtown Dubai, “The Glam Factory” exhibition is set to run from Sept. 20 to Oct. 31 of this year.
Mona Zaki-starring ‘Flight 404’ chosen as Egypt’s Oscars submission
DUBAI: Egyptian actress Mona Zaki and the Egyptian Film Syndicate announced this week that the film “Flight 404” will be Egypt’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Academy Awards.
This means that the film will be considered for the shortlist. If the movie gets shortlisted, it could then get nominated for an Academy Award.
The movie tells the story of Ghada, who, just days before her Hajj pilgrimage, is confronted with an emergency that requires a large sum of money. Forced to seek help, she must turn to individuals from a troubled past she had promised to leave behind.
Besides Zaki, the film, directed by filmmaker Hani Khalifa and scripted by Mohamed Ragaa, stars actors Mohamed Farag, Mohamed Mamdouh, Shereen Reda, Khaled El-Sawy, Mohamed Alaa, Hassan Al-Adl, Sama Ibrahim, Shadi Alfons, Rana Raies, Gihan El-Shamashergy and Arfa Abdel Rassoul.
The Oscar’s 97th edition is set to take place on March 3, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Key dates for the 2025 submissions and voting were announced earlier this year. The deadline for general entries and Best Picture submissions is Thursday, Nov. 14. Preliminary voting for shortlists in ten categories will occur between Dec. 9-13, with the results to be revealed on Dec. 17. The nominations voting period will run from Jan. 8-12, and the official nominations will be announced on Friday, Jan. 17—a shift from the usual earlier-in-the-week schedule.
Last year, Egypt selected Mohamed Farag-starring “Voy Voy Voy!” as its entry for the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film award, while Yemen selected director Amr Gamal’s “The Burdened” and Tunisia competed with Kaouther Ben Hania’s “Four Daughters.” Morocco selected Asmae El-Moudir’s documentary “The Mother of All Lies.”
Jordan submitted Amjad Al-Rasheed’s movie “Inshallah a Boy” and Palestine submitted Lina Soualem’s documentary “Bye Bye Tiberias.”
None of the films won at the 2024 Oscars, though “Four Daughters” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature, a category ultimately won by “20 Days in Mariupol.” This marked a historic moment for director Kaouther Ben Hania, as she became the first Arab woman to receive a second Oscar nomination.
