Elton John & Morocco: Trouble

Elton John is set to perform at a major festival in Morocco, so why do some people there think he should stay home?

Elton is one of the greatest pop music stars of all time, but because he is openly gay some religious elements in Morocco feel he should not be allowed to come to their country and perform in the music festival.

Said the festival organizer though, "Elton John is one of the best artists in the world. He is great and extraordinary when he appears on stage. That's why we invite him and welcome him to the Mawazine festival, The private life of a singer is not our business. We do not invite singers and artists after assessing their private lives."

Elton John & Morocco
reuters

Elton John will headline Morocco's biggest music festival this week despite calls by religious conservatives for the gay singer to be turned away, the event's organizer said. Allowing the British singer and songwriter to perform at the Mawazine World Rhythms festival in the capital Rabat would tarnish the image of the north African kingdom, say powerful opposition Islamists. The writer of "Candle in the Wind '97"', the best-selling single of all time, according to the Guinness Book of Records, has championed sexual freedom and campaigned against the spread of AIDS during a four-decade musical career.

Elton John & Morocco