Anti-Assad music star makes triumphant return to Syria

TLE Desk: Syrian singer Assala Nasri has made a triumphant return to Damascus with a sold-out concert, 15 years after going into exile over her opposition to ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad.

Thousands of fans welcomed the 57-year-old singer, widely known simply as Assala, at a venue in the Syrian capital on Thursday. She opened the concert with songs celebrating the Syrian people and repeatedly told the crowd how much she had missed them.

The concert was held under heavy security after some religious conservatives called for its cancellation. Half of the proceeds from the event will be donated to charity.

Syria’s new Islamist authorities, which overthrew Assad in 2024, welcomed Assala’s return. Culture Minister Mohammed Yassine Saleh described her as “the daughter of Damascus” and said her return represented that of “every honest Syrian and every free person”.

Assala was among the first artists to publicly support the peaceful anti-Assad protests that began in 2011. She refused to participate in events supporting the government and was subsequently expelled from the Syrian artists’ union and targeted by media campaigns.

She later moved to Cairo with her family and continued performing across Arab countries. The repression of the protests eventually developed into a 13-year civil war that killed more than half a million people.

At Thursday’s concert, Syrian flags waved as audiences sang along, with many fans visibly emotional.

“I never thought this day would come. It’s like a beautiful dream,” concert-goer Sawsan Wadha, 56, told AFP.

Assala’s latest album, The Syrian Album, features folk songs from all 14 Syrian provinces and pays tribute to the country’s cultural diversity. The songs also address places affected by war and sectarian violence, including the coastline and the Druze-majority Sweida region.

Her return comes amid a cultural revival in Syria since 2025, alongside growing public activity by conservative religious movements. Some preachers have called for restrictions on concerts and criticised what they see as efforts to promote a secular character.

Assala did not directly respond to her critics but told the audience that “recovery will only happen with art and music”.