Arab Idol 2013: First Time in Iraq at Tangram Hotel
November 2012 was the first time Arab Idol – the leading entertainment show in the Arab world – came to the Kurdistan region of Iraq to cover the country and find new pop-stars. What were the first experiences of the team and why is Arab Idol certainly coming back to Kurdistan next year?
This is the first time Arab Idol came to Iraq. Why Iraq? What changed and persuaded you – the producer – to cover also Iraq?
Arab Idol is the number 1 show when it comes to entertainment in the Arab world. It is the highest rated TV show outside the Ramadan brackets. Also, MBC is the largest network when it comes to TV.
We try to feature the whole Arab world in our shows. In the past, we usually had the Iraqis attending the castings in other countries (outside of Iraq). Following our last season’s huge success, we decided to come to Iraq this year and we chose Erbil as our meeting point with contestants. Of course, the contestants came from all over Iraq – Baghdad, Mosul, Basrah, Kirkuk etc. And I can say we all are very proud of the turnout that happened today.
I’m Lebanese, so I understand this [mis]perception. We have certainly noticed the whole point of overinflating media here in Erbil, because it is in reality very safe… there is something positive going on in the city.
Is this personally your first time in Iraq?
Yes, it is.
How do you find the country?
Well, so far I haven’t seen much. I went to the Citadel yesterday and it was very nice. I liked the overall buzz and the old souk. It was very nice to see the old souk or the oldest Citadel.
Though I haven’t been able to see a lot yet, what I have seen was very nice.
Most of the misperceptions the Western people have are not based on reality.
I’m Lebanese, so I understand this perception. We have certainly noticed the whole point of over-inflating media here in Erbil, because it is in reality very safe and it is economically growing and developing itself – be it from the construction point of view etc. It can also tell you there is something positive going on in the city.
You have met today hundreds of Iraqis, young and older. What do you think of Iraqi talent?
Oh my God! We were completely blown away by the turnout and the level of talent present in this area. Of course, we know there is a lot of talent, but we didn’t expect the first MBC’s coverage of Iraq to have such a huge turnout. So we all are very positively pleased with the result.
Were there some experiences that have really caught your attention and that stand apart from the rest?
First of all, I would highlight the effort of travelling that long to come to Erbil just for an audition of 3 minutes. There is a lot of anxious people because Iraq had been closed for the past few years. They are anxious to appear on the Pan Arab network. When you are on the MBC, that’s it, you are on the air all over the Arab world and everyone will know you. You can see stars in the eyes of these anxious talented people.
How many people in the end took part in today’s auditions?
We are not done yet with today, there are still some ongoing auditions right now. So far, there is a long list and we are filtering it, so I can’t tell you the exact number at the moment. However as I already said, there is a long list of Iraqis who participated today in the auditions and we regard this as very positive and we are so proud of it.
Would you have any final message about Iraq?
I think what we have done today as Arab Idol is a new step forward for Iraq. I’m sure the success of this casting will persuade other similar shows to come here and cover Iraq. I’m proud to say that Arab Idol made it first and we are definitely coming back next year.
Perhaps what’s worth of mentioning is that you arrived through an airport, you drove on quite new highways and you ended up stationed in a 4 star business hotel…
Yes, there is a beautiful new airport in Erbil. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect before arriving to Iraq but the airport-to-hotel experience was very positive and completely new to me.