On 13 April, Ramadan concluded his first of two concerts at Coachella, where he performed alongside headliners including Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, and Travis Scott, as well as dozens of other international artists. The performance was held on the Gobi stage, where Ramadan is scheduled to appear again on Sunday 20 April.
Ramadan, the first Egyptian artist to perform at the world-famous US music festival, took the stage wearing a custom costume designed by renowned Egyptian designer Farida Temraz's haute coutoure design house, Temraza.
The outfit featured a gold chain top and black trousers, paired with a long black cardigan emblazoned with the Ankh, the ancient Egyptian Key of Life hieroglyph, on its back.
On its official Instagram account, Temraza shared photos and videos of Ramadan trying on the outfit, describing the look as “a hand-beaded creation inspired by ancient Egyptian symbols and the key of life.”
Following the release of images from the concert, Egyptian social media lit up with criticism. Many users expressed disappointment, claiming the outfit did not offer a suitable representation of Egypt, particularly as Ramadan had displayed the Egyptian flag during parts of his performance.
Some commentators went further, comparing the look to traditional women’s dance costumes, adding fuel to the online debate.
On Monday, Sayed Mahmoud, advisor to the union of the three artistic syndicates (Music, Cinema, and Acting Professions), announced that Ramadan may be subject to an investigation over his appearance, which some view as controversial while representing Egypt abroad.
In response, others on social media defended the artist, arguing that his costume choice is an expression of artistic freedom and does not violate any laws or present clear harm.
Ramadan in Coachella
Ramadan has been actively promoting his Coachella debut on social media, especially via Instagram and TikTok, documenting his trip since 4 April.
During his set, the Egyptian artist performed a number of his hits, including Mafia, Bum Bum, Ensay, Come Baby Come, and Arabi.
Ramadan, 36, rose to fame through cinema and television before launching a parallel music career over the past six years. He has since become one of the region’s most popular rap-Mahraganat performers, with multiple viral hits.
These include Baba, which received over 30 million views in its first few weeks; Bum Bum, which exceeded 200 million views shortly after release; Coronavirus; and Aladdin Lamp.
Founded in 1999, Coachella is considered one of the United States’ most prominent music festivals. The event expanded in 2012 to span two weekends due to increasing demand.
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