Celebrities at national festival of Diwan music in Bechar

Many celebrities of Diwan and other music genres are to take part in the eight national cultural festival of Diwan music and dance, to kick off Friday evening in Bechar (965-km southwest of Algiers). In the first evening of the festival, the Gnawas El Waha band, diricted by Maalem Hakem, a highly talented Guembri instrument player, opens the show that will take place at Ennasr stadium. With his group, Maalem Hakem has held several musical evenings both in Algeria and abroad, including China during the Algerian cultural week in this Asian country in 2009. Cameleon band will also take part in the first evening of the festival. The group became famous in 2011 through ''Lellah,'' a song which has been a great success as it has recorded more than one million (1.082.044) viewers on You Tube so far. Hasna El Becharia, an icon of Diwan music, will also participate in the festival with new songs she has composed. The event will also feature famous singer like Nora and her band ''Gnawas Nora.'' The singer, from the province of Bechar, is a female star of Diwan music and dance, who has given several concerts in Algeria and African countries.