JEDDAH: Japanese singer Halca enthralled audiences on Thursday with some of her most popular tracks at the Anime Village zone in Jeddah’s City Walk.
Singing a variety of her songs, including the famous track “Kimiga Ita Shirushi” of the anime “Boruto: Naruto Next Generation,” Halca made her debut in Jeddah donning a checkered long-sleeved outfit with fun accessories and colorful nail polish. She styled her hair into two messy buns decorated with playful hairpins.
Speaking about her second visit to the Kingdom, the singer told Arab News that she was very excited to come back to Saudi Arabia, especially after she started “receiving messages from fans on Instagram and Twitter saying that they are looking forward to meeting me and attending my concerts again.”
An audience reaction during Halca's performance at the Anime Village zone at the City Walk in Jeddah. (Supplied)
Halca’s first visit to the Kingdom was during the previous Riyadh Season, where she performed in front of her Saudi fans for the first time. While the singer’s experience in Riyadh with her fans was “friendly and sweet,” she was initially skeptical about the reception in Jeddah.
“I thought Jeddah citizens might be either very rough…or very polite and shy and (wouldn’t) talk to me. But they appeared to be very friendly, even more than the people I met in Riyadh,” she said.
Halca was overjoyed to see the diversity of her fans, from cosplayers and children to teenagers and adults. “I particularly loved that people were holding their phones up to record videos of my performance,” she said. “And the many hearts I received from the audience too.”
I want to take these beautiful feelings and memories to Japan and tell everyone there how great the Kingdom and its people are, hoping that it might strengthen the relationship between the two countries.
Halca, Japanese singer
Once Halca landed in Jeddah and checked in at her hotel on Wednesday, she took a trip to the Red Sea Mall, which she said she was looking forward to visiting again. She was also surprised by her fan’s reactions when they saw her shopping at the mall and touring City Walk.
“Everyone was very sweet and welcoming, and the ones who recognized me approached me by calling my name and showed me that they are listening to my songs at that moment and said ‘We’re looking forward to your concert!’” Halca told Arab News.
She shared that she wanted to visit the beaches in Jeddah and enter a mosque for the first time.
“Also, last time I was in Saudi Arabia, I wanted to buy perfume to remind me of Saudi Arabia, but I didn’t find something that would suit me. So, this time, I asked my fans on social media and they suggested a lot of perfumes, and I bought five to remind me of the smell and aroma of Saudi Arabia,” she said.
After her pleasant experiences in the Kingdom, Halca revealed that she hopes to visit and perform both in Riyadh and Jeddah frequently.
“I’m very overjoyed by everything that has happened here,” said the singer. “I hold onto the memory of every fan who greeted me, anyone who talked to me, sent me a message. I also want to take these beautiful feelings and memories to Japan and tell everyone there how great the Kingdom and its people are, hoping that it might strengthen the relationship between the two countries.”
