By DAREEN GALAL | ARAB NEWS

JEDDAH: Islamic songs of late have been gaining popularity among various sections of society in the Arab world.

This is more evident by the tremendous response to video clips of songs by some prominent Arab singers aired by satellite channels.

These singers can also draw packed audiences at various art and music festivals across the world. Despite all these positive factors, Islamic songs are still moving through a rough path, confronting various challenges and difficulties that stand in the way of their fast growing popularity.

Arab News talked to a number of eminent Islamic singers, including renowned artist Mousa Mustafa, who came to Jeddah to attend various programs and festivals.

They spoke at length about the various elements of Islamic songs and the major challenges facing this art form.

They also covered topics such as the production of video music albums, public response toward Islamic songs, and the influence of modern technology and voice modulation techniques in the production of albums.

“As Islamic artists, we face several hurdles while pursuing our career,” said renowned Islamic singer from Iraq Muhammad Al-Ghazzawi.

“The major challenge I face is the difficulty in traveling to various countries because of my nationality. The complications for travel procedures as an Iraqi citizen have deprived me of golden chances to attend several major international festivals held in various countries.”

He added that he also missed the opportunity to get to know the various forms of Islamic art in those countries as well as meet personally with the local Islamic singers and artists. read more