Assala burst into tears as she took the stage and was welcomed by loud applause from the audience. Addressing the crowd, she said she had deeply missed her people and could hardly believe she was finally standing before them again.
She also delivered a message about healing through art, stressing that recovery could only be achieved through music and respect for its cultural and human value.
The concert featured several emotional family moments. Assala’s mother sat in the front row, while her sister Amani Nasri was seen crying. The singer lightened the mood by jokingly asking the audience not to flirt with her “beautiful blonde mother,” before dedicating the traditional song “Rayheen Ala Halab” to her.
Assala performed several of her best-known songs, including “Samehtak Ktir” and “Soaal Baseet,” alongside tracks from her Syrian heritage project, which features 14 songs representing the country’s 14 governorates.
The concert coincided with the release of her music video “Al Assala,” produced by her daughter Sham Al Zahabi. The video tells the story of a woman returning to Damascus after years abroad, highlighting Assala’s emotional connection to her Syrian identity and hometown.