Time not right to launch album

Syrian singer Samo Zein Cairo – Shima Mekkawi Samo Zein is a Syrian singer who has lived in Egypt for more than  sixteen years where he began his singing career. In an interview with Arabstoday, Samo Zein spoke of his latest album "el-Ward el-Ahmar" (Red Rose) as well as his new advertising company. Arabstoday: Why did you decide to own an advertising company when you have a career as a singer? SZ: Because I like the world of advertising a lot and I felt I could have a private job alongside singing. Arabstoday: What's the story behind shooting a perfume commercial in Berlin? SZ: Yeah, recently I headed to Berlin to shoot the ad for this perfume and shortly the company (Armani) will launch a new perfume and will name it after me. I will shoot this ad myself. AT: Don't you feel embarrassed about shooting a perfume ad? SZ: On the contrary, there is nothing wrong in that. It is great to be the first Arab singer to have an international perfume named after him! AT: Why did you hold back the launch of your new album Red Rose at the current time? SZ: I have lived in Egypt for 16 years and I feel like I'm Egyptian and I'm experiencing the current events as well. The same also for Syria which is my country of origin. Despite being far away from the events, I'm influenced by what's happening in Syria. It is not appropriate to launch a new album at this critical moment. The relationship between the singer and his audience should be like one family and we should feel for each other and be considerate of our situations. My aim is not to launch a new album to profit from it, but to be listened to by the audience. Arabstoday: What about the preparation behind this album? SZ: It was very difficult. I'm presenting 11 songs which were composed in a totally different way from the ones I've previously produced. Arabstoday: Have you chosen a specific song for your video shoot? SZ: Not yet, however, I'm thinking about the song Red Rose. Arabstoday: Tell us about those whom you collaborated with in this new album? SZ: The new album includes a group of prominent musicians, some of whom I have collaborated with for the first time like the composer, Amir Mahrous as well as Adel Hakki. Arabstoday: Is it true that you'll sing a duet with a female Bulgarian singer? SZ: Yes, true. The song is "Helemt Biki" (I Dreamt of You) with Tanya Boevo, who is a top singer in Bulgaria. She asked me to do a duet with her and I accepted immediately. I predict a great success for this duet. Arabstoday: When will you launch your album exactly? SZ: I can't tell you a specific date. This depends on when conditions in Egypt, Syria and other Arab countries settle down. Arabstoday: What about cinema and acting? SZ: I am in a new comedy which will be a surprise for my audience, but it will take some time before it is screened, as I spend a lot of preparation time before starting any new work, so that it will be successful.