Lamitta Frangieh "I Haven't Been Raped On Camera"

Lebanese model turned actress Lamitta Frangieh is the gal most Egyptian producers and directors call on if they wanted a girl to bear it all, a girl that can tell raunchy jokes, play with the boys and look good in a bikini.  For Lamitta Frangieh, it's all business and all is for a paycheck. Nothing is wrong with that. For most Arab viewers, she has no standards as she seems to do more roles without her clothes than with.

But in one interview for Al-Ain newspaper, the model has shared with her criteria. "I have yet to appear in a role where I get raped," "Most of my roles have been light and humor filled" "If I do film a rape scene, then I have boundaries I won't cross," "at the end, I am a girl form the East"

She added, "those scenes have to be part of the plot and not feel forced" Lamitta's latest movie is a romantic comedy about Facebook about an Egyptian man who lives in Jordan and gets in trouble due to the social network site. The film will be dreicted by Jordanian American director Mohy Qandoor

النجمة اللبنانية لاميتا فرنجيه في مشهد ساخن ومثير


P.S. Rape is a serious issue and I do not take it lightly. I just think the comments were insensitive. 

Do Songstresses Really Like To Dance On Stage?

Watching a clip from Iraqi singer Shatha Hassoun concert in Beirut, I could not help but see how she is trying to force the dance to get along with the song--a cover song beloved by the Lebanese audience. Some other stars in Arabia does not dance---I name Elissa, Diana Haddad, Amal Maher, Latifa...and few others.

And there are those who would not stop dancing, Nancy Ajram for starter, Myriam Fares is another. Haifa wins the gold. Now in this biz you cannot take yourself seriously if you want to appeal to a broader fan base. If you want to sing, you better learn how to dance, this is no longer the 40s when people had no TVs.

I do not recall Shatha Hassoun being known for her dance moves--she was a really good singer, but the rule at her concerts....you cannot be the star of a party singing songs asking people to dance, when you yourself do not shake something something. Granted a lot of women enjoy dancing and excel at it, but some women do it for different reasons.

Guy entertainer cannot really fake a dance, you can either dance or just get out of the way. Pop music is all about the movement on the stage. People want to see a show, not just a guy with a microphone who is standing idle.

 يابا لا - شذى حسون - حفل بيروت 2012 - Shatha Hassoun

Jad Choueiri Directs Diana Haddad's Next Video

The hip and bold music video director Jad Choueiri is taking up a new challenge. His assignment is to make traditional conservative Lebanese singer and mother of two cute girls Diana Haddad look hot. Together they filmed the music video in Beirut and in London.

Diana Haddad has those natural looks, she is non threatening and most people tend to like her. She has never gotten herself in a side fight or a controversy. This is why it's so surprising to hear the news about her next music video for a new single will be directed by none by bad boy Jad Choueiri. Jad seems to really have wanted the gig and Diana needed a fresh take as her last music videos have failed to bring her in a good light.

To her credit, Diana said, she went to the guy for his recent work, not the bold music videos he directed in 2004 to 2008. The guy seems to want to get creative without all that over the top sexy themes. The good news, the lyrcis for the new song "My heart is Loyal" has been written by the lyricists who seems never to make a bad a song, Faris Iskander.  

Diana Haddad Ya 3aibo

Arab Men Now Seek Plastic Surgeries For Themselves

You have heard the rumors that men seek to make their wives more gorgeous than the next guy's so the put them under the knife in pursuit of perfection. Nip Tuck is also a popular procedure in places like Lebanon--a pioneer country in anything freaky. But the City of Dubai the one upper is refusing to let go and claiming something for themselves in the plastic business.

Dubai is the capital of fun in its part of the world, it's the place like Vegas of sort. But now they have entered the plastic and cosmetic surgery business with force. Only to find out that most of their clients now are actually men seeking to look younger and maybe with a smaller nose and more hair.

Foreigners are flocking Dubai along with locals seeking the thrill of surgeries. A local newpaper has reported that 68 K person have visited with a plastic surgeon. 15 k of those 68 k are visits by locals who have actually gong under the knife. The city has appointed a commissioner to promote this business for tourism. The report have interviewed a little girl who wanted her ears smaller, and another lady who wanted to add fat to her face.

تزايد إقبال الرجال على عمليات التجميل في الإمارات

Video: Nariman Mansour Is The Egypt's Iron Woman

Nariman Mansour might as well be a super hero. At the time of crisis in her country, she and her team manged to make a sci-fi filled music video with Iron Man Suit and an amazing Aerial shot of Cairo. I like the outfits and styles she chose to sport.

This is most certainly a dance track for people who like Red Bull. I love the mastering and the computer affect on the track, but I had to say it I am not sure if this is her natural vice or some computer affects, but in both cases, she might need more vocal coaching.

Nariman Mansour - Bab'a Btabe'ty / ناريمان منصور - ببقى بطبيعتي

Divorced Sherine The Blues Ladies Found Her Blues

Sherine got divorced really out of the blue--she seemed to have a happy marriage with two children. But then it all ended. She seems to have moved on as she takes part of the Arab version "The Voice". Some of her older songs were really sad. A sad song from a women whose dignity is everything for her. She refuses to take a backseat. I feel she might be taken a page from another Egyptian diva with a sad personal life--Angham.

She got the voice to do pretty much any song from the happy and catchy pop song that blazes one's summer. To the sad song about separation, she delivers sober and mellow songs straight from the heart. She is one of the most successful female voices commercially and artistically.

She did transition from the girl who wants to dance--first three hits of hers into the serious singer whose fans come from all over Arabia. She did well and has enriched Arabic with her songs and her concerts. Not so much her interviews though, but she is a likable entertainer and wish her well.  

وحدة بوحدة - شيرين 2012

Elissa Cancels Disorganized Turkey Concert

Lebanese songstress called of a plan to hold a concert in Turkey. She made that call once she has learned the planning for the concert and the promotes are so disorganized.

Some people are trying to make a big deal out of this, but via Twitter Elissa is telling people, she has no regrets and she made that decision to honor her fans who deserve great concerts. Some other ladies of pop are making a big deal out of this and spreading rumors that the concert did not sell.

I do not know much, but I respect Elissa for making that call, a concert has to be top notch, a disorganized appearance leaves a bad taste. She has apologized to her fans in Turkey and promised to be reunited with them soon.

elissa sa3at 2012 with lyrics

Grace Ashkar Will Not Sing Professionally, OK?

Joe Ashkar has a lovely wife and a mother of his children. She sang live, she released a song or two, yet she continues to make the case that she will not be a professional singer. Even though she can carry a note in both Arabic and English, Grace has zero interest in singing.

Grace Ashkar just performed live with Michael Fadel in a concert in Beirut, she also released a song late last year, but she maintains the song has a social message. She will continue doing such songs to promote various causes. She has also argued that doing two songs live with a musician friend was just a fun thing to do. So she will not be releasing any tracks anytime soon. It seems Joe and his wife are on agreement on this matter. So do not get excited.

One comment, who really cares?

Grace Ayanian in Michel Fadel Concert 3al Lebneneh in Beirut Holidays 2012
  

WATCH: Sugar Pop And Oral Fixation Music Video

I know guys are idiots, otherwise we won't have to see music video like the one below. Something about women and candy makes guys lose their minds. We had Maria start up the fad in 2005, but in 2010 another young lady used lollipops as props for her music video. Neither of those ladies is seven years old.

Michaella is her name and there's about a mile between her and being called talented. That does not make her a bad person. Her song is about a guy who tells her buddies she is all over him and she is crazy about him. She has to put him on his place.

Trouble, the dude looks like a turd bag and he seems older than Michaella. Not sure where the songstress career stands at the moment and it remains a mystery if she regrets this music video. One thing Michaella did here, she went for cute and not sexy. She has to be given credit for that at least.  

Michaella - Aal Leshaboh / ميكايلا - قال لأصحابه

Laila Gofran 2012 Music Video Promo Surfaces

Laila Gofran is not 20 years old anymore, I know of her when she was in her late 20s. I studied for High School listening to her covers of the great songs of Abdel Halim Hafiz. She did it right then, and since then she has not had the great success she is owed. A smart and a warm voice ought to have a place in the music scene with her two year old song

This Moroccan lady who made a second home for herself and her family in Cairo--her own daughter was murdered in that town. She has been working on her latest album, and as you can see from the promo Laila looked younger than ever. Seriously, she looks like she has not aged and she is pushing on 50 now. Laila had a good single in 2009 about losing someone close to the heart. It became an instant hit because it felt coming form her deep soul.

Gofran who just invested in an Egyptian restaurant in her home town in Morocco will be making a music comeback shortly. I hate for this talented songstress to become famous for being famous.  I think she should move to the Gulf for a year or two and try to reboot her career from there. The Gulf has always been welcoming to the ladies of Morocco who can sing.

Clever boy Kareem Mohsen composed the music for the song, and the clip was filmed more than two years ago but due to production issues it has been delayed.

 tal 3'eabak | lila 3ofran | طال غيابك | ليلي غفران

Video: Sex And The City Mai Hariri & Fulla - Bahwak / مي حريري و فلة - بهواك

Female musicians do not collaborate often, not clear why. There has not been many duets where ladies share the stage and the lines of a song. But there is no conventional wisdom that says one is not supposed to do that.  It took two ladies in their prime to bring about fresh music video between two Arab ladies in recent history.

Lebanese Mai Hariri  and Algerian Fulla released a duet and a music video to go with their romantic song. Together offer one lethal combination, the incredible looks, the unmatched sense of style and most of all their singing voices. Each of the songstress does her thing very well, I love the Algerian part performed by Fulla--I think she should do more of this.

The music video had to be glamorous, lots of fashion, nice homes and fancy cars. This is the rich life everyone, get used to it. It feels like it has been filmed somewhere in Hollywood. And yes, there's an eye candy shirtless guy by the pool too. The music is your average house mix upbeat track. When you watch the music video, the lyrics are the last thing on your mind.

The music videos has it's Disney"up" moment with balloons and all. Not sure how I feel about ladies stepping on almost naked dudes. The dancers make the song relevant to some folks. I think the director for this clip deserves an ward for mixing so many different elements and making a watchable music video

Mai Hariri & Fulla - Bahwak / مي حريري و فلة - بهواك

Watch People Walk Away From Haifa Wahbe's Concert

In a recent concert appearance in a Beirut Sport Club, Haifa had to deal with some unhappy concert attendees. The story goes she the Lebanese diva was more than one hour late for her concert at the Club. It goes that some people are busier than others. And as she walked unto the stage, some people started leaving the hall. Supposedly from the video, she started kicking her leg and asking them to go.

Then she greeted everyone who chose to stay and promised them to party with them till the morning. She also said that who have left her show are missing out the good times. I would question the story, had the video below did not reveal that there were many empty seats in this private function.

This must be a humbling experience for the unstoppable diva with with global fandome.  

هيفاء وهبي مستاءة من مغادرة الجمهور حفلها

Watch Waad Albahri's Breakout Music Video تجربه - وعد البحرى

She is Syrian and she is awesome. Syria never runs out of great female vocalists, they seem to grow them and nurture them on appreciating the classical music of Arabia. The latest voice to breakout of Syria is a young artist that lives in the Gulf and works in Egypt, she goes by the name Waad Albahri. Waad's first brush with fame is voicing Asmahan songs for a TV drama about the tragic life and death of that Diva.

Years later she released her debut album and it had a number of entertaining songs. Mostly sad songs, but it seems that dramatic female voices do well in this genre. That's why she made a music video for one of those songs...a breakup song where you will die if he leaves you but also die if you stay with them. I love how the story ends and how Waad could no longer stands on her own.

Look this is how vocal satisfaction sounds like, now we have a music video to go with it. The song is the star of this clip, there are no dancers and light shows, just the songstress with a background story that fades with her might voice. I hope people like this music video, Waad seems to be doing all the right things. Her voice is  the envy of so many of her female peers. According to a story, few songstress work behind the scenes to keep her form taking part of music festivals especially in the Gulf region.

This is how a calling card should look like...enjoy.

Tagrebah - Waad Albahri تجربه - وعد البحرى

Honey Boo Boo And Nancy Ajram Music Video

Just like Honey Boo Boo, America's latest celebrity child, Arab girls can also have fun and be in music video. The new reality TV show stars "Toddlers in Tiaras" breakout star Alana Thompson, better known as Honey Boo Boo, and her Georgia family. Checkout this very recent music video by the Lebanese pop starlet Nancy Ajram--a song she dedicated to little girls all over the world. Titled, "Oh, Little Girls" a song about how cool it would be to father a daughter. Nancy and her girls live in Beirut and just like Honey boo boo, they like to have themselves a grand time.

Nancy has two little girls of her won, and she made a music video with all girls cast--and a female director as well. There are many happy little girls in the music video-I do take notice of the stereotypical character little girls are pushed toward. Girls are supposed to want to get married since they are so little. Aside form that, this is a really good music video for a sweet song about being a girl or better yet being a father to one.


Nancy Ajram - Ya Banat | نانسي عجرم - يا بنات

Video: More On Miss Lebanon 2012 And Celebrities

Twins Rina and Romy Chibany were crowned Miss Lebanon 2012 and runner-up. This might be a good decsion given the medai coverage the decision has received.

The 21-year-old sisters, from Zahle in the Bekaa, were among 16 contestants from across Lebanon who took part in the competition, which included contests in the swimwear. Rina was handed over the crown by last year’s winner, Yara Khoury-Mikhael, and has now guaranteed her place in the Miss Universe contest, to be held in Las Vegas on Dec. 19.

Speaking to Elnashara news website moments after she was crowned, Rina said, “I’m very happy to have won. I promise to restore the pride of this position, in deeds, not in words. Read more

Also, she added, that she’d “have been much happier if my sister had won,” but vowed to cooperate with Romy throughout her reign. Aside for the two glamours sisters. Nancy Ajram was among the 9 judges. Wael Kfoury performed--though he was criticized for performing in playback and looking casual in one of his songs. Wael did well, give the man a break folks--rumor has it he has some family issues to deal with. SThe Nora Jones of Lebanon Hiba Thawji was in attendance and so was he Lebanses version of Lady Gaga Maya Diab.

Evidently, this was the place to be seen. There were drama too--they was a word of a rumored winner who tanked--which upset her father who took her away form the stage live on TV due to her low grades.


   رينا شيباني.. ملكة جمال لبنان للعام 2012

Where Have All The Decent Latifa Songs Gone?

Tamer Hosny is the causality of the Egyptian revolution, Latifa is the causality of the one in Tunisia. She was a friend of the regime, and they have always honored her and asked her to perform in their private and public events.

The revolution stars, she stays mum, the revolution wins she stays mum.Then she said stuff that might have offended some people. Bu frankly she has not had any good press in more than three years--even before the Arab Spring. I do recall reading a story from Latifa where she told of her new born niece named something after the new Tunisia.

Latifa is a great singer with a really nice voice which she used for both pop and Tarab songs. She made dozens of fun songs that remains with us and with many generations to come. But I do not know what it is with Latifa finding good songs or making time to release new material.

In few years, Latifa's political affiliation might be viewed as a good thing as the Islamic leaning politicians are already freaking out some people over there.

In the meantime, here's a song of Latifa's where she does a Tunisian dialect hit, something she has not done enough of lately.
لطيفة ـ ناره

Shakira Lost Me When She Went To Israel

The Colombian songstress and global music force Shakira made a lot of enemies when she visited Israel, and met with the president of that country--the same man who slaughtered hundred of Lebanese children in Qana Shakira gave the country of the birth of her father the middle finger when she visited Israel.

She is releasing a new scent and for the promo she seems to have gone to some Arab desert to shoot the promo. Elixir, the new fragrance by Shakira, a powerful blend of all her dreams, inspired by her most sensual and exotic moves. While, I do admit the music of Shakira is catchy and inspiring, I have lost faith in her intellect and her politics.

Shakira chose to go to Israel, chose to hold a press conference and choose to talk up that country.

 Making Of / Así se hizo - Elixir by Shakira

Cyrine Abdel Nour-Snin 2012 She Does Not Need The Work

One of the pleasant surprise of Arab pop is Cyrine Abdel Nour, a family gal with a best TV drama in ages, and a solid concert bookings around Lebanon and Egypt. She is also a popular singer in the virtual world. She did not make a single in more than three years, but just recently she had a song that was featured in a film.

She appears in a music video to promote the song. She sounds good, sweet, mellow with a dance beat. Cyrine is one of those entertainers who have met success by crossing over from modeling into singing into acting. She is a diva that has the looks and the commercial success to boast about. She has grace and class written all over her brand.

Her very long TV series Ruby finished few months ago, but her fame has only grown stronger since then. Her fans do not like to see their star compared to other entertainers--Haifa and the pack. Frankly, she stays away form those circles and instead focuses on her business and her family.

Cyrine Abdel Nour-Snin 2012/ سيرين عبد النور- سنين مسلسل الست ٢٠١٢

Pictures: Sandy Puts The Sun Back In Sun City

The Sun City Summer Shopping and Music Bonanza came to an end, but the night did not end with an average star. For the grand finale  they booked Sandy. If anyone gets the boys worked up for a concert, it's Sandy. Thought I think she packed the house with thousands of screaming fans.

She did the best and safest thing for herself....she dressed modestly! Egypt cannot talk the heat right now and the boys are pigs. So, her concert had the most attendance by boys and girls. She started the evening with her latest song and a special danced. The songstress performed a collection of her songs.

It was tough to find an exist for the starlet, but she manged to get out and avoid riots and mobs of fans. I think Sandy is doing all the right things by slowly and carefully planning her career. This appearance in Sun City Mall helps push her to the front line ahead of many of her peers.

As this music and shopping festival ended, I should hope the organizers  manged to do what they wanted to do by spending so much money on on many stars to lure shoppers.    

Lebanon Chooses Its Miss 2012

Rina Chibani stood tall as she waved to the audience after being crowned Miss Lebanon 2012 as she poses with her twin sister, first runner-up Romy Chibani, in Platea venue, north of Beirut. 16 women competed to win the title, as a jury composed of 9 members evaluated them, among them Lebanon's first and so far only Miss Universe, Georgina Rizk, former Lebanese minister Ziad Baroud, Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram and Lebanese Champion Maxime Chaaya.

There were other winners too. They are glamorous fashionable and good looking. They needed some class and someone that will make about 90 million Egyptian to tune in. Miss Lebanon had the attention of Lebanon as young ladies competed for the title. But it's not a big commercial success if your show does not get picked by Egypt.

Thus, enter the stage Nesma Mahgoub, the title winner of Star Academy and a lady with a golden voice that infects you with its magic and warmth in seconds. The show crowned a young lady, but they did so on the music of Nesma who must have enjoyed being part of the show.

It's a night were dreams come true. Like many, I have mixed feelings about beauty competitions, but music is always good. The results were impressive, two sisters won-the first if the Miss Lebanon and her young er sister is her runner up.    

Check out the moment and the music

 نسمة محجوب فى حفل ملكة جمال لبنان ٢٠١٢