Elton John Feels the Love Tonight in Morocco

Summer concert season has begun, and along with it comes the occasional Muslim-majority country where someone-or-other is attempting to ban someone-or-other (okay, usually Western) artist from performing. First up – Elton John in Morocco!

The Associated Press is reporting that Morocco’s biggest opposition party, PJD, has attempted to prevent Elton John from performing at the Mawazine Festival, the country’s biggest music event. The party’s spokesperson, Mustapha Ramid, felt that the singer would “encourage the phenomenon” (which, apparently, is in reference to John’s homosexuality), in an interview with AP.

Still, it seems that unlike in Egypt, which banned the singer from performing, they didn’t get very far. The festival organizer gave this statement on the matter: “We deal with artists and intellectuals for what they do, without taking into account their private life. Somebody’s private life is one thing, and their art or creative activities are another”.

Elton John will perform his concert tonight, along with Sting, Mika, Carlos Santana and many others. The event is expected to draw around 60,000 people. Too bad PJD. I guess that’s why they call it the blues.