Before leaving for Paris to continue his medical treatment for his heart problems, famous Arabic singer and composer Mohammed Abdo spent around 10 hours in the studio here to prepare for his new songs which he said would be a surprise for his fans. Abdo, known as “The Artist of Arabs” and an “esteemed Saudi singer,” was born in 1949 in Asir. He became an orphan at the age of three and spent his childhood in Jeddah, where he received a diploma in “Maritime Industry” in a Saudi high school. Abdo was first noticed for his singing voice in 1960, when he was 12 and sang on a radio program called “Baba Abba's”. Who cares most about Mohammed Abdo's health? Mohammed Abdo himself or his legion of adoring fans? And what would his fans think if they knew that he was working from 10 P.M. to 8 A.M. in Jeddah with Tareq Imam to finish his album the night before he went to Paris? With this in mind, Okaz/Saudi Gazette spoke to a cross section of people close to the singer about Abdo's personal lifestyle. Excerpts: Musician Serag Omar: “First of all we must realize that Mohammed Abdo is very stubborn in anything regarding his work, whatever the conditions are. So I think it is useless to ask the question, because he is, and thank God, healthy. If there was a recording studio near the hospital in Paris he would have entered the studio and finished his artistic links during times when doctors did not disturb him. Believe me, I know him very well; he is very stubborn and insistent on finishing any project that he has already started.” Friend Sami Ihsan: “First of all I thank God that his health these days is good, because when he was in my house, accepting my invitation for dinner, his health was quite good. But I agree that ten continuous hours in a studio makes me agree that those who are close to him care about his health more then he does.” Melodist Tallal Bager: “Yes. In short, I can say that Mohammad Abdo thinks first about his art and then he thinks about himself. But, and because I'm close to him, I can say he cares about home and family as well as watching over his mother before her death. And that his name is covered with stars.” Poet Abdul Aziz Al-Najme: “Don't blame him…. Mohammed Abdo is a man who is obsessed with art. And I lived with him and his mentor the late Omar Kadres for a long time, and I tried to probe for decades Mohammed Abdo's love for art. So don't blame him” Poet Deai Khoja: “This is Mohammed Abdo, you must accept him as he is, but I say that he does care about his health, because I sometimes saw him during his check-ups in the hospital in Jeddah before his return to Paris. But I certainly do not disagree with the suggestion that Mohammed Abdo cares more about his music than himself.”
