A band performs during the jazz festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia February 23, 2018. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
RIYADH (Reuters) - Men and women swayed to music at Saudi Arabia's first-ever jazz festival on Friday, the second of a three-day outdoor event that showcases the Kingdom's recent efforts of shedding its conservative image.
Locals and foreigners flocked to the festival to watch bands from Riyadh, Beirut and New Orleans. The crowd sang along when Lebanon's Chady Nashef performed the Eagles' "Hotel California" - an unusual moment in the Islamic country after the religious police last year condemned concerts that feature singing as harmful and corrupting.
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