Algerian pressure? Japanese Kader withdraws from the Mawazine Festival

The Algerian artist Kader Japon canceled at the last minute his participation in the closing concert of the Mawazine Festival Saturday. He was replaced by popular Moroccan singer Said Senhaji.

The Algerian rai singer reportedly withdrew after learning that his mother fell into a coma during the Hajj. Other rumors indicate that he was pressured by Algerian authorities not to participate in the festival. Abdelkader Haibawi, a Japanese Kader nicknamed “the Sultan of rai”, is a famous artist in the Maghreb and in France, and is one of the biggest stars of rai.