Morocco festival rejects ban appeal against Elton John
AFP
RABAT- British singer Elton John will perform as planned at a festival in Morocco this month despite calls from the country's main Islamic party for the gay star to be banned, organisers said Monday.
Artistic director Aziz Daki told AFP that cancelling the concert on the grounds of John's homosexuality would "undermine the respect of privacy" and "breach certain values that the international Mawazine festival is based on."
Elton John
"At the Mawazine festival we invite artists on the basis of the quality of their performance on stage and according to their artistic career", Daki said, adding that John is "one of the world's top pop singers and composers."
He has "many fans in Morocco", the artistic director added, and "his private life is none of our business."
The Mawazine music festival takes place in the Moroccan capital from May 21 to 29. Other artists due to appear include Julio Iglesias, B.B. King and Carlos Santana.
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