Emails from Dua Lipa’s father show he DID try to get his singer daughter to play at the World Cup
Emails have revealed that Dua Lipa’s father contacted World Cup officials and offered to help organize the tournament’s opening ceremony.
In messages seen by the Mail on Sunday, Dukagjin Lipa, who runs the Republika communications agency and represents his daughter, offered to liaise between the organizers and the musicians.
The documents detail how the Kosovo-born singer’s father, known as Dugi, first approached Qatar’s World Cup organizing body, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, in 2020.
In the messages, which take place over nearly two years, the 53-year-old says “I represent my daughter” and boasts about the success of one of her livestream events.
He also talks about his connections to other A-list artists like Calvin Harris, Miley Cyrus, Shawn Mendez, and Camila Cabello.
Dua Lipa would later say that he would refuse to play at the opening ceremony due to Qatar’s human rights record, while Lipa told the Mail on Sunday that he was not aware of his contact with the organizers.
When queen of pop Dua Lipa quelled rumors that she would be performing in Qatar, her duo partner and LGBT champion Sir Elton John no doubt cheered. However, the emails reveal that her manager’s father, Dukagjin Lipa, had been negotiating with the Qataris for two years for the chart-topping star to play in the World Cup.
Dua Lipa is managed by her father, who contacted the officials who organize the World Cup to offer his services. In the photo: Dua Lipa with her father Dukagjin Lipa
In an email to World Cup officials in Qatar, Dukagjin Lipa says he represents “my daughter, artist Dua Lipa, and I am willing to discuss plans for artists’ performances with the Supreme Committee.”
In one of the messages, Mr. Lipa talks about the success of a recent livestream involving his daughter, saying it had 5 million viewers, “the largest globally for a livestreaming event.”
In another email, Mr. Lipa says he was approached “with a specific request for Dua Lipa and the opening ceremony.” Lipa told the Mail on Sunday that his daughter was unaware of her contact with the World Cup organizers, telling them her daughter “would NOT be involved.”
In his initial email of March 9, 2020, he wrote: “I represent my daughter, the artist Dua Lipa, and I am looking forward to discussing with the Supreme Committee the plans for the artists’ performances for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.” .
In January 2021, he wrote: ‘Just wanted to follow up on my previous email and was wondering if it would be possible for us to discuss any opportunities that arise where we can be of assistance.
“We recently broadcast a live performance of tracks from Dua’s new album as well as appearances by other artists which had 5 million viewers, which was the largest globally for a live streaming event.” A committee member responded: “It’s great to hear from you and to know that Dua’s proposal is supported by the knowledge that she is interested too.”
The tournament hosts have been criticized for their treatment of LBGT people. Pictured: England captain Harry Kane wearing a rainbow armband in a training session.
The documents detail how the Kosovo-born singer’s father, known as Dugi, first approached Qatar’s World Cup organizing body, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, in 2020.
In April of that year, Mr. Lipa expressed his anxiety about the negotiations, saying: “I was contacted…with a specific request for Dua Lipa and the opening ceremony and I wanted to contact you about this and make sure that we are not talking”. to the wrong person.
The revelations come after London-born Dua Lipa’s recent statement released to her 87 million followers on Instagram, stating that a performance at the Qatar tournament was never in the cards.
Last month, the 27-year-old singer said: “There is currently a lot of speculation that I will perform at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Qatar.” I will not act and I have never been involved in any negotiations to act.’
His comments were applauded by human rights activists, after controversy surrounded the soccer tournament over Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers and the criminalization of same-sex relationships. In an interview last week with Variety, the Cold Heart singer, who recently duetted with Sir Elton onstage in Los Angeles, said the Qatar event “goes against [her] beliefs’.
The Mail on Sunday revelations dwarf London-born Dua Lipa’s recent statement released to her 87 million followers on Instagram, claiming that a performance at the Qatar tournament was never in the cards.
Last night his father said: ‘In 2020 I had several email exchanges with the Qatar World Cup marketing team in a personal capacity as the organizer of the festival.
‘Dua was not involved in or aware of those exchanges or any other conversations. When I introduced myself, I gave them my full experience, which included my portrayal of Dua. But I made it clear to them that I wasn’t talking to them thinking about her and I made it very clear when they asked me if my questions were about Dua.
“This was in early 2021, at a time when Qatar had made several promises (since winning the World Cup contract) to reform its labor laws and amend its human rights record. As the conversation progressed and the World Cup approached, it became very clear that these promises were not going to be fulfilled, so I stopped talking to them. Since then I have been approached by a number of people associated with the Qatar World Cup who I made very clear that Dua would NOT be involved.”