Fadel Shaker gets nervous on stage... and the secret of his sunglasses

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The name of the Lebanese artist Fadel Shaker topped the social media platforms, after he returned to the Abu Bakr Salem Theater in the Saudi capital, and his concert “The Return of the Absent” as part of the “Riyadh Season” activities witnessed a number of surprises.

The owner of "Ya Ghayeb" received his fans with a welcoming gesture, as those present found a white rose on their seats accompanied by a message in which he wrote: "You enlightened me, my love", before the start of his first concert of the season.

Fadel Shaker opened the concert with the song “Ahla Rasma,” and said, “At this moment I was dreaming of difficult times,” adding, “A dream, by God, a dream.”

He also addressed the audience and said: “Excuse me for being a little nervous,” in reference to his nervousness at the beginning of the meeting. The audience applauded warmly and chanted his name loudly in support of him.

One of the most prominent stations of the concert was the appearance of Mohamed Shaker alongside his father, where they performed together the song “Al-Qamar Diyali”, which brings together Mohamed Fadl Shaker and Saad Lamjarred, and they also sang the duet “How are you on my parting”, which brings together father and son.

This meeting takes on additional privacy, as the last appearance of Fadl and his son Muhammad on stage dates back to 2012, that is, 14 years ago.

The ceremony also witnessed another surprise when Nawal appeared alongside Fadl on stage, where she surprised him wearing black glasses, before they came together again to perform the song “I Try,” their duet in 2001.

Nawal described Fadel Shaker's voice as "the voice of lovers", in an interaction that brought to the forefront the singing cooperation that brought them together.

The appearance of the Lebanese artist Fadel Shaker wearing black sunglasses throughout his concert in Riyadh, despite the fact that the concert was held at night, raised questions from the audience about the reason behind him clinging to them during his appearance on stage, and the reason is due to health problems with his eyesight.

In November 2025, art critic Mahmoud Al-Khatib, a close friend of Fadel Shaker, revealed that the artist suffers from diabetes, and that the disease affected his eyesight and made it difficult for him to tolerate strong lighting.

Fadel Shaker will meet his fans again in a second concert on the same stage on Friday, October 23, as part of the Riyadh Season activities.

It is noteworthy that the Lebanese judiciary agreed last July to release the famous artist in 4 cases brought against him, most notably the so-called “Abra File”, in exchange for financial bail, 9 months after his arrest. He also lifted the travel ban on him, and handed over his passport.

Shaker, who was born to a Lebanese father and a Palestinian mother, is considered one of the most famous singers over the past three decades in the Arab world. He was known for his romantic works and the warmth of his voice, before he suddenly decided in 2012 to retire from the arts.