Court stops real-estate TV commercial using Abdel-Halim Hafez's classic beach party song

Ahram Online , Thursday 28 Mar 2024

The Court for Urgent Matters has issued an order upon a request submitted by the family of late iconic singer Abdel-Halim Hafez to stop the airing of a real-estate TV Ramadan commercial which uses his memorable beach party song Put Up the Umbrellas on the Beach..

Abdel Halim Hafez

 

The family said the commercial "tarnishes the image" of Abdel-Halim Hafez (1929-1977) - one of the most iconic singers and actors in the history of Egypt.

The commercial for a new posh seaside resort uses a remake of Halim's popular song in the classic Abi Fawq Al-Shagara (My Father is Up in the Tree - 1969) celebrating the advent of the summer break with a group of college mates on a beach party in Alexandria.

According to media reports, Hafez's nephew Mohamed Shabana described the commercial as “an exploitation of heritage for the sake of profit and not for preserving it or reintroducing people to it.”

Shabana claimed that the real-estate company did not obtain a permit from the Society of Authors and Composers to use the classic song.

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