The renowned long-time singer revealed his decision through a phone call to Saudi channel MBC Masr’s prime-time talk show El-Hekaya, hosted by Amr Adib.
“I thank the general assembly for their trust, and I thank the respected council members for the time we worked together,” Shaker told Adib.
Shaker’s decision came in the wake of the failure of a press conference held earlier on Monday in which Maharaganat star Hassan Shakoosh was supposed to reclaim his syndicate’s affiliate-membership.
Shakoosk of smash-hit Bent El-Giran attended the conference to apologise for his comment last summer, which were deemed humiliating to percussionists, earning him a suspension from live singing.
Consequently, arguments erupted at the conference led by renowned percussionist Said El-Artist, who protested that Shakoosh already reclaimed his membership before the apology and the conference, demanding Shaker resign from his post.
While the Egyptian artistic scene is split in terms of opinions on Shaker’s presidency of the syndicate, some reports suggest that members of the syndicate’s council are trying to convince Shaker to rethink his resignation.
Providing Mahraganat singers with authorisation to perform has been one of the major challenges Shaker faced in recent years, in addition to other problems that also include members’ financial difficulties during the ban on public performances that was imposed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shaker was first elected as the syndicate’s president in 2015, before winning another term in 2019.
The position has often been the locus of a power struggle since the syndicate was formed in 1942 at the initiative of Oum Kalthoum with the aim of tackling the problems faced by musicians and singers.
Kalthoum led the syndicate for seven consecutive terms, defeating rival Mohamed Abdel Wahab — a famous composer.
After 2011, a long feud ignited between singer Iman El-Bahr Darwish, who held the position in 2011, and his successor — Mostafa Kamel — with accusations and legal action on both sides and debates over who had the right to the position.
A singer, composer, and actor, Shaker — who was born in 1952 — has an extensive musical career with hundreds of songs and a large number of accolades.
He has worked with many iconic composers like Yehia El-Mougi, Baligh Hamdy, Ammar El-Shereei, and Mounir Mourad.
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