![Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum performs on November 14, 1967 at the Olympia concert hall, in Paris. [Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-459177384-500x333.jpg)
The family of the late Egyptian music icon Umm Kulthum has condemned an Israeli band’s announcement that it plans to hold concerts performing the legendary singer’s songs in several Israeli cities during November. Jehan El Desouky, the granddaughter of Umm Kulthum’s sister, said that Umm Kulthum does not belong only to her family but represents “Egypt’s fourth pyramid.” She described the action as an Israeli attempt to “appropriate Egypt’s cultural heritage, not just the legacy of Umm Kulthum’s family.” Speaking to the programme Happening in Egypt on MBC Masr TV on Wednesday evening, El Desouky stressed that the use of Umm Kulthum’s image or voice by any party requires prior permission and authorisation — something that has not been granted. […]
