Albums, Albums, Albums… Here Come Asalah & Angham!

June has come upon us, summer has officially settled in, and the music albums are just rolling in! Along with veteran crooners Fella Ababsa, Rabea El Asmar and Najwa Karam’s latest releases have come an endless influx of albums. Budding artists Janine D., Saad Hamad, Camilia, Ramy Moussa, and Maram have released their albums. Even dancer Najlaa has released an album. More importantly, however, are two albums that are due at our music stores within the next two weeks.

Amr Diab Hosts ‘Al Awal’

There have been several rumors regarding a ‘Star Academy Egypt’ and it seems we were nearly right in our speculations! It has been assured that Amr Diab will be hosting a new show that aims to discover new talent in the fields of writing lyrics, composing and singing and that this TV show will go by the name of ‘Al Awal’! The finalization of the decision was prompted by a meeting between Amr Diab and the Minister of Information in Egypt where the Minister proposed to Amr the idea of actually hosting ‘Al Awal’!

Huge Competition - Who Will Survive?

Arabic music channels have taken their place in the audience's sacred list ... no house will go through a day without zapping to one or more music channel to listen & more importantly watch the video clips of Nancy Ajram, Haifa Wehbe & others.
The competition has become fierce among these channels, Rotana is the biggest in the domain, after which comes Melody, Mazzika & Nujoom. Soon, another will pop up ... MTV Arabiya! Will they be able to compete?

Smell That? It’s The Smell of Album Season!

Traditionally, the summer has been “Album Season” for the Arabic music industry. However, after the unfortunate summer in Lebanon, the season did not go quite as planned. And so Spring 2007 has taken on the task of “Album Season”. So far we have seen the greats: Kadim El Sahir, Rashed El Majed, and Joe Ashkar. We have the rising stars: Shams, Issaf, Tamer Hosny, Hikmate, Rajaa, Amr Mustafa, Mustafa Amar, Ahmad Hussain , Bashar El Shatti, Hayat, Jawad El Ali, Zee Zee, and Ruby. Then we have the not so great: Maria, and Dana. If you thought that was a long list, keep in mind I’ve mentioned the majority, not all of the albums released since January. Also, keep in mind that there is a much longer list coming up in the exceedingly near future (2007):

The 'Ragab' War Between Rotana & Mazzika

Haifa Wehbe has caused a major conflict recently between the two music satellite channels Mazzika Tv and Rotana for previewing her famous song 'Ragab' exclusively to Mazzika although Haifa and her song are fully contracted with Rotana and I mean by fully her albums, productions and video clips.

However,the people responsible in Mazzika channel claimed that Haifa dedicated 'Ragab' to them after recording the same song in a different way assuring that her contract with Rotana expired and that its her right to market her work in her own way. Along came the war between the two satellite channels when Haifa surprisingly told Rotana that Mazzika was mistaken and blamed them to justify herself!

Rotana vs. Artists: Round 1,000,000

The story never changes; the characters are simply switched with new ones. This is the story of Rotana and its never-ending conflicts with its Egyptian artists. The latest conflict would be with the famous Egyptian singer, Angham. Angham’s latest quarrel with Rotana is over her choice of director. Angham is trying, again, to get Nadine Labaki to do her first video for her upcoming album. However, Salim El Hindi’s strict budget, again, is preventing Angham from doing so. Last time, she settled for Hadi El Bajouri. This time, the conflict remains unresolved. This follows her complaints about how Rotana didn’t sufficiently advertise her album. Naturally, an artist with Angham’s rich history would be extremely offended at the treatment she is receiving from her production company.

Stolen Music: Still A Problem in Today’s Arab Show Business

Back in the good old days, when Arabic music was actually completely 100% Arabic, this was not a concern. When Um Kolthoum, Fairouz, Wadi’ El Safi, and Sabah got on stage you had no doubt that you were about to listen to an Arab production. However, during the nineties more than ever, stars like Amr Diab, Elissa, Nawal El Zoghbi and even Saber El Robai and Fadel Shaker’s “composers” stole endless melodies and pieces from their Turkish and Greek counterparts. This problem has become of much less importance as copyright protection in the Middle East strengthens, but the problem is by no means gone and now, Arabs blatantly steal from each other!

It’s All in a Day’s Work at Rotana

The name Rotana needs no introduction, but in case you’ve been living under a rock: Rotana is the Arab world’s largest music distributor and producer, with 130 active artistic contracts, and a portfolio boasting giants like Sultan El Tarab George Wassouf, Caesar El Tarab Kadim El Saher, Shams El Ghinnieh Najwa Karam, Asalah Nasri, Elissa, Hussain El Jassmi, Amr Diab, Angham and the late Zekra. Naturally, power lunches like the following are all in a day’s work for such a company:

Elias El Rahbani From East to West

After creating the most beautiful music melodies in the whole world for Fayrouz and others, Elias El Rahbani decided to artistically adopt “Dana” who is famous with her song “Ana Dandan” which is talking about how much she is beautiful and gorgeous without any plastic surgeries!

Everyone including me, and I believe you will share this with me as well, is greatly surprised that Elias who comes from a very famous artistic family can even listen to that kind of singing. It started when he made a song for Haifa Wehbe called “Badi Eish” and ended up with this.

X-Factor is Back!

The count down has started for the launching of the second season of X-Factor. The tour will include 7 countries as the following:

• Beirut in Venesia Hotel: From 22 – 23 January
• Casablanca in Morocco: From 26 – 27 January
• Tunisia: From 30 – 31 January
• Cairo: From 3 – 4 February

Boos il Wawa Good Bye in Syria?

As if the song hasn't caused enough controversy already.
Boos il Wawa, Haifa Wahbe's song which was released some time ago still hasn't sunk into the ears of the Arab public in Syria. According to a survey conducted by "Farah Radio", 80% of Syrians don't like the song to be on the airwaves and another 10% don't want to hear it at all.

A source within "Farah" said that a decision maybe taken to remove the song altogether based on public request.

Legendary Tenor Pavarotti Has Cancer

The 70-year-old classical music icon Luciano Pavarotti was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer few days after he underwent his regular check-up in an undisclosed hospital in New York City. The results of his medical tests prompted his doctor to carry out an “emergency surgery” but he is recuperating now, according to his manager in statement released last Friday.

Revitalizing Jazz Music through a Festival

Here’s a treat for jazz and music lovers: the 13th International Istanbul Jazz Festival. This festival is a cultural celebration held in the month of July in Istanbul, Turkey. It is organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts and is sponsored by Garanti Bank. This Jazz festival started last July 5 but you can still go and join the celebration till the 16th, its last day. Apart from Jazz music, the festival is also going to showcase performers of different styles of music like pop, rock and Latin.

WALEG Top Ten Arabic Songs 4

Sorry for not posting the Top Ten list on Monday!
Well the list has a few changes ... Haifa Wehbe's Wawa is in the race this week at number 2 ! While Diana Haddad's duetto with Cheb Khalid is at umber 10 !

1. Saber Al Ribai - Ajmal Nisa' El Donia
2. Haifa Wehbe - Wawa
3. Faris Karam - Shifta

Ricky Martin Concert in Beirut

Although ticket prices were very high, they even reached the $500 border in the black market, & the security was unbelievably tight, the number of audiences at Ricky Martin's concert in Beirut was huge!
Most of the audiences were young & they came from all over Lebanon & surprisingly from the Gulf as well!
Martin's concert, which is part of a tour that takes him to Egypt & Israel as well, was roaring over two hours of beautiful music.
What's surprising is what Ricky Martin says about himself & how he feel when being in an Arab country: "I was an Arab in a past life!"

The X-Factor - Prime 7

The last prime of the X Factor was really interesting as it was the first time that the results only depended on the audience's votes.
We were entertained by the famous lebanese singer Najwa Karam.
At the end of the prime we had to say good bye to Guitarista from Iraq & Lebanon.

The remaining contestants are:

- Ahmed from Egypt
- Rajae from Morocco

Who will you vote for?

By guest writer Mostafa

Waleg Top Ten Arabic Songs 3

Sorry for not posting the Top Ten list yesterday, but better late than never!
The list is pretty much the same, but with a slight difference; Saber Al Ribai's new song Ajmal Nisa' El Donia moved up 2 places to number 1!
On the other hand Amal Hijazi's Biya3 El Ward is not moving anywhere from number 10!

Check out the Top Ten list:
1. Saber Al Ribai - Ajmal Nisa' El Donia
2. Faris Karam - Shifta
3. Najwa Karam - Shou Hal 7ala

WALEG Top Ten Arabic Songs 2

This week the top ten Arabic songs are a variety of Lebanese, Egyptian & Khaliji styles.
The song to top the list this week is Najwa Karam's Shou Hal 7ala, while Amal Hijazi's Biya3 El Ward came in last at number 10, just like last week.

Check out the list:
1. Najwa Karam - Shou Hal 7ala
2. Faris Karam - Shifta
3. Saber Al Ribai - Ajmal Nisa' El Donia

WALEG Top Ten Arabic Songs

Every week we will choose 10 great Arabic songs to be the WALEG Top Ten.
This week Elissa has taken the lead with her song Bastanak, while Amal Hijazi's Biya3 El Ward came in last at number 10.

Check out the list:
1. Elissa - Bastanak
2. Nancy Ajram - Mu3gaba Mughrama
3. Joe Ashkar - Shu Akhbarak

The "Wawa" Controversy

There has been a lot of controversy about the "wawa" songs by Haifa Wahby and Dominique. A lot of Arab parents everywhere are trying to keep the songs from selling and to prove that the songs are not meant to be for kids. The parents say that Haifa Wahby's lyrics are explicit because she is singing about sex. Haifa songs lyrics such as "bous el wawa" (kiss the wawa) are not meant for a little child. "The term wawa is used for kids in the country of Lebanon, it’s not meant to be kissed" said one of the angry patents. The song is meant for adults and whoever thinks that it’s for kids then they are lying to themselves.

What do you think? Is the "wawa" song indeed for grownups?

By guest writer Mya

• Haifa Wehbe New Video Clip – Alwawa
• Haifa vs Dominique?

Duetto Cheb Mami & Kathem Al Saher

It seems Duettos are a success with both Algerian Cheb Mami & Iraqi Kathem Al Saher.
After both of them scored high with separate duettos with Samira Said & Sara Brightman, the two singers have agreed on recording a duetto together.
The song is going to be entitled "Jalsat Al Maqha", and is from the poems of the great Syrian Poet Nizar Qabani.

Gibran & the Prophet Musical Play

"Gibran & the Prophet" is going to be played again for a month after the big success in summer 2005 during Byblos International Festival. Gibran & the Prophet is a musical play by Oussama Rahbani based on "The Prophet" by Gibran Khalil Gibran, written by outstanding Mansour Rahbani and directed by Marwan Rahbani.

Asala Nasri & Kathem AlSaher

Here are some photos of the syrian singer Asala Nasri and Iraqi singer Kathem AlSaher in Doha Music Festival in its 3rd night.

Asala Nasri Photos

Kathem AlSaher Photos

• Carol Samaha at Doha Music Festival
• Best Arab Female Singer 2005
• Best Arab Male Singer 2005
• Kathem Al Saher & Sulaf Fawakherji
• Assala Nasri, Divorced ?!

Best Arab Female Singer 2005

You nominated your favourite singers, and you voted for the best Arab Female Singer of the year 2005 and the result is:

The best Arab Female Singer of the year 2005 is: Asala Nasri

Best Arab Male Singer 2005

You nominated your favourite singers, and you voted for the best Arab Male Singer of the year 2005 and the result is:

The best Arab Male Singer of the year 2005 is: Kathem Al Saher

• Best Arab Male & Female Singers Final List
• Kathem Al Saher & Sulaf Fawakherji

Best Arab Male & Female Singers Final List

The nomination of your favourite Arab male and female singers is closed, and below is the list of singers with the most nominations. Voting will be opened until the 31th of December 2005 and the final results will be announced on the same day.

Who do you think deserve the title of Best Arab Male Singer 2005?

Voting is closed.

Who do you think deserve the title of Best Arab Female Singer 2005?

Voting is closed.

Rotana Top 5 Arabic Songs

This week on Rotana TV, the top 5 Arabic songs are all new, and deserve to be in the top ranks and they are:

1- Assala Nasri – Asfa
2- Kathem Al Saher – Ini U7ibiki
3- Majid Al Muhandes – Atwasal Bik
4- Madeline Matar – Ba7ibak wa Dari
5- Najwa Karam – Bakhaf min Almai

Nomination of Arab Singers

Only few hours left to announce the final list of the best Arab female and male singers of the year 2005. If you didn't nominate your favourite male and female Arab singers yet, you still have few hours:

Best Arab Male Singer Nomination

Best Arab Female Singer Nomination

Best Arab Male Singer Nomination

Two days ago, we asked you to nominate 3 of your favourite Arab female singers... Now we want you to nominate 3 of your favourite Arab male singers. Just post their names and tell us why do you like them.

The female and male singers to be chosen for the final list will be the ones with the most nominations and will be announced by the end of this week for you to vote for to be the best female singer and male singer of the year 2005.

Best Arab Female Singer Nomination

Its the end of year 2005, and we want you to nominate 3 of your favourite Arab female singers, just post their names and tell us why do you like them.

The singers to be chosen for the final list will be the ones with the more nominations.

Busy Week for Rouwaida Attieh

The last week of November will be a very busy week for Syrian Super Star Rouwaida Attieh. She has already been to Cairo to participate in the 14th Cinema Festival, and will be traveling to Oman on the 28th of the month to participate in the National Day celebrations, and will be presenting a song especially for the occasion.
After that Rouwaida travels back to Cairo to shoot a video clip for her song Jrouhi, with famous director Jamil Jamil Al Maghazi.

Rouwaida Attiah Photo Album

• Super Star Rouwaida Attiah in Dubai

Farfoura !

The silliest song these days is being broadscasted on Melody Hits TV, and is entitled Farfoura... the title says it all ... and the lyrics are so shallow and meaningless! The singer who is called Dominique, is dressed in an extremely revealing bathing suit, among other things, and jumps up and down all over the place, and sings: Farfoura ana ...

Come on! It couldn't get sillier than this! Or do you think otherwise?

Fulla & Wadi Al Safi Together

These days the works are happening in preparation for a song that gets Lebanese legend Wadi Al Safi together with Algerian singer Fulla.
The song will be recorded in Beirut, and will be more to the classical than to any other style.

• Best Arabic Song For 2005

Rotana Top 20

1 - Mn Yeshofak by Rabih Saqar
2 - Hobek alemni by Ehab Tawfiq

Best Arabic Song For 2005

The song ‘Ahl El Magna’ by Algerian singer Fulla, was voted the best Arabic song for the year 2005, and was awarded a prize at the Video Clip Oscar Festival in Cairo a few days ago.
What do you think? Could there have been a better candidate for this prize?

Free Arabic Music MP3 Sites

What do you think of free Arabic music MP3 sites through which you can download Arabic songs in MP3 and real audio formats...

Do you think this is fair for the singers?? They put lots of money and efforts to create an Album and after that, it gets pirated by someone who put it on the internet to download for free.

Should legal actions be taken against people who put these MP3 songs online, or should the free downloading continue?

Ahmed Sherif Interview on Rotana

Yesterday was a night full of romance, excitement and music for the viewers of Rotana Musica.
It was an exclusive evening ‘Ma3 Hubi’ with Tunisian heartthrob Ahmed Sherif, and the fantastic songs from his new album, his first album ‘Ben Elnas’.

Ahmed was charismatic as ever, and the audience that was mainly made up of females, went crazy for him. During the interview, there were many guests also, like poet Ahmad Madi and Director Emil Slailati, who directed Ahmed’s first video clip. There were also surprise phone calls from Mohammad Khalawi and Baha Kafi.

They Don't Reflect Their Countries

Haifa Wehbe is from Lebanon but she doesn’t represent Lebanese.
Boosy Samer is from Egypt but she doesn't represent Egyptian.
Nagla is from Tunisia but she doesn't represent Tunisians.

Being a singer from a certain country doesn't mean in anyway that this singer reflects his/her country whether he/she is good or bad singer!

Magid; My Struggle

It was refreshing to hear a song that actually had meaning, and see it as well.
A new guy called Magid, with a rap-like song called “My Struggle”, which is about the long struggle of the Palestinian people to regain freedom and get the rightful ownership of their land.
Three cheers to you Magid and songs for purpose … Great work.

Crazy Frog Ringtone

After hundreds of thousands of people have already downloaded the Crazy Frog Axel F ringtone into their mobile phones for the past few weeks, it is now number one on the British singles chart!

Did you hear it before, what do you think of it?

• Crazy Frog Axel F

Alain Sawaya & Sexy “young girl”

Sitting in a dark room, with a young lady poll dancing on stage for him, that is what Alain Sawaya shows us in his video clip of his sexy song “young girl”.
The song is a mix of French, English and Arabic … and the only word I can think of to describe it is “sexy”!

The song has a great tune, beat and rhythm… It is simply the song of the season.

Erotic, Porn & Low Budget Garbage

Entertainment TV - ETV - obviously is not a music channel anymore, it’s a trash channel or a big public garbage – we found it!!

Its either all the low singers like Nagla, Aziz Abdo and Al-Dibli with his song “Yal Bidjana” found a new host for their erotic, porn and low budget garbage video clips, or Entertainment TV channel is diffusing all the crap that other channels banned in a way or another in an effort to make some money by turning viewers attention!!!
Whether they are Khaliji, Lebanese or Egyptian, you will find all the crappy material you need for a research about the worst singers in the field nowadays on ETV.

Unfortunately, sometimes a decent singer's song or video clip like Ragheb Alamah slips in between unbelievably trashy songs, how unfair for such respectable people like him.

• Video Clips Banned From Melody Hits
• Erotica or Music

Is There a Garbage Big Enough?

What if the Arabs wake up suddenly and realize that most of the songs they are listening to are just trash – which is a fact – How many stores will be closed! Will music satellite channels like Melody Hits, Mazzika, Rotana and others be able to cover their expenses or they will just disappear! … Will there be a garbage bin big enough for the thousands of Albums in the form of CDs and cassettes…??

Tabat we Nabat !!!

What’s up with the “Tabat we Nabat” song ?!

In the past few weeks, we have been showered every day with the song “Tabat we Nabat” by Mahmoud El Iseli and Bushra. Over the radio, and on TV, in the super market and even at the furniture shop it was on the speakers … What’s so special about it?

The song is So weird, and the tune isn’t attractive at all … in my opinion, it is repulsive!
I think Bushra should stick to acting and leave singing to the professionals … and so should Mahmoud! Although I don’t think he can fit in the acting business … hmmm … where should he go ?! They both have no charisma.

• A Letter From Mahmoud Elesseily

Arabic Music is Changing

Get over it, the world is changing and the middle east is one of them. I was an Arab raised in america and i just moved to the middle east, and yea i was shocked by the video, but haven't you all realized that maybe thats the only way to get famous now?

The arabic music industry has become just like the english... too many people with too much talent. You have to do something different to get noticed and the only way is to raise controversy and aziz has proven he can do that. Look at how many people have seen his video and know his name now?

Nothing Seductive in a Couple of Half Naked Titties!

This comment was posted by 'theartlover''; we posted here again to share it with all of you? Read it and tell your opinion...

Boosy Samer & Najla ain't that bad.... They are just a pawn endorsing the show business policy that says 'Sex Sells'... If such so-called disturbing images make people constipate it's because they're nervous of showing that they're actually interested in such things.

Let's not try to be better hyprocrites when, as human beings, we already are like that to some extent... And for God's sake, why relate such shit to your religions... If that's the case, why did God create Adam naked?... I'm not tryin to refute or rebuke anybody's beliefs but it's best for all parties not to mix religion with some badly made music video... In a matter of fact, I didn't find anything seductive in a couple of half-naked titties...

Remember Bruno Tabbal?

Around a year ago, we got to know a cute Lebanese guy on Star Academy. His name is Bruno Tabbal and he made the girls go crazy.

The other day on one of the Arabic music channels a new young singer called Hiba Mounzer appeared with her second video clip and a song under the title of “keef baddak habibi”. As you all know, every video clip has to have a story and each story has a hero and hereon … the hero is none other than the handsome Bruno Tabbal.

He appears towards the end of the clip in a red convertible. Try to check it out … he is a bit more handsome than the last time we saw him!!!

Boosy Samer on Melody Hits, what is she doing?

A few weeks back, Boosy Samer made her first appearance on the Arabic music channels in her song “hot el nu’at”. The song wasn’t all that good, it might only have a catchy tune … but people wanted to see the video clip; a cartoonish set, a family and a maid –Boosy- . But what makes this all really odd, is the way Boosy dresses; a small outfit and a lot of cleavage!!! Not only that, but the maid is trying to “get” the man of the house!!! Seduction, seduction, seduction …

Satellite Music Channel Nogoom TV

The censorship committee at the new Arab satellite music channel Nogoom has decided to ban the airing of songs that are classified as inappropriate for the average viewers and which contain seductive scenes and females wearing revealing outfits.

The banning will include all songs for Ruby, who is considered one of the top seductive singers. Najla will also be banned from the channel along with other songs by different singers that include improper scenes...

6arabe ... A Site for Arabic Songs

During the last few years, many sites were created on the net with news of Arabic singers and Arabic songs. One of the most popular sites and most frequently updated is 6arab.com; you can always find new updates on 6arabe about Arabic singers like Rashed Al-Majed, 7asan Al-Maghraby, George Wassof, Asala, Wael Kfoury and many others.

We also hope that in the near future we will find new sites providing lyrics to the Arabic Songs.

Melody Hits . Nojoom . Rotana . Mazzika . Music Plus

Melody Hits, Nojoom, Rotana, Mazzika and Music Plus are all Arab music TV Channels; Which one is your favourite?

Wael Kfoury .. Amr Diab .. Melhem Zein .. Hani Shaker ..

Wael Kfoury, Amr Diab , Melhem Zein , Hani Shaker , Hisham Abbas and Ihab Tawfik are some of the best Arab singers, who do you think has the best voice and look?

Top Ten Arabic Songs

So many Arabic songs are coming out these days that we just can’t keep track of them!
Each and every singer wants his/her song to be the first one on the top ten list, but not all do; which is the rule of the game.

This month, the top ten Arabic songs are:

Leli Nahari by Amr Diab
Ah wi Nus by Nancy Ajram
Arab liah by Wael Kfouri
Omri kul Yum fi by Elissa
Inti Mshiti by Milhem Zein
Lawn Ayounak by Nancy Ajram
Ma yswa by Hussein EL-Jasmi
Inek Kaddabin by Nawal Zughbi
Ahla Dunia by Elissa
Kul ma Ulu Ah by Ruby