Maliki Mardinalli

He's scared of a visit from the authorities, a fine, a lost license, a knock at the door, or worse, an attack.

Maliki and Sharif have officially lost the battle for Hama.

They're still trying to direct people to come to the Mahadeh show instead, but now that might be cancelled as well.

They play Salamiya that night.

It goes great, standing ovation.

Then, after the show, a call from the Ministry of Media.

This guy is furious about Abu Aziz's post and tries to stop the show they've just finished.

Are you worried they're going to stop your other shows?

Maliki isn't worried about the show in Mahadeh.

He tells me it's a Christian town, so the sheikh has no power there.

We're back in the van, heading from Salamiya to Muhardeh, a show they hope will still happen and where a busload of fans from Hama will join them.

We pass a car with a rocket launcher on the roof.

Monuments of Syria's bloody war still dot the roads.

We see bombed-out buildings and burnt-out cars on the way.

We have a system for checkpoints.

Maliki flashes a big smile, and I hide my recording equipment under a coat.

I'm going to take my headphones off.

Maliki is flying high this morning.

We're leaving the more conservative Sunni Muslim areas and heading to a Christian town.

Christians are a minority in Syria, about 10% before the war, and Maliki is Christian.