Best Middle East Act, Who Should Take Home The MTV Award?

Accorsing To MTV EMA 2012 award nominations, there are five different entertainers from the Middle East who are up for the Best Middle East Act. As a music blogger, I only know three of them and the rest I have no idea who they are. And I think this should be a warning sign for the organizers. 

1. Ahmed Soultan, He Stands Behind A New Music Style He Calls Afrobian, For Afro-Arabian. He Comes From The Land Of Morocco Where He Has Taken Part Of Many Music Festivals And So Far He Has Released Two Albums To Date. If creativity is to win, Ahmed may be the winner of the night.
2. K2rhym, A Tunisian Rapper (Karim Algharbi) Signed By EMI France To Make Music In 2006 When He Made The Switch From Professional Football.  He Is Based In Lebanon Where He Keeps A Busy Schedule. He Wins The Most Creative Name There Is. If interesting life and indie persona to win, K2rhm is it is.
3. Karl Wolf, the Biggest Name On This List And More International Fame Than Middle Easter Fame. Canadian Lebanese R&B Singer. He makes good music and most recently he has done a duet with Sandy, who is on the same nomination. If international name recognition counts, he is the awardee.
4. Qusai, Smooth Saudi Rapper with Great Songs In Both Arabic And English. Had A Big Hit Album Earlier This Year, And Does Fresh Music That Appeals To Arabs And Non-Arabs alike. He does make fresh raps and seems like a good role model. If CD sales where to vote, he might as well win.
5. Sandy, The Biggest Celebrity On This List, A Pop Princess Known In Egypt And The Rest Of The Arab World, She Is Very Resourceful And Very Exciting To Man People In The Area. She Has At Least Three Albums To Her Name, And Has Generated Fame And Success In Concerts Mainly In Egypt. If YouTube video views can vote, Sandy will go home with the award. 

ahmed soultan-ya salam

Who Makes Better Music? Egypt Or Lebanon

Egypt has always been there as the home of Arabic music, anyone who is anybody must make a stop in Egypt in order to be on the radar. Because most TV networks have traditionally been based there, Egypt is a huge market and they tend to have an industry going in there full time. To Egypt, entertainment is their black gold. A cash cow of sort that keeps many families afloat.

But in the early 2000,  the power has started to shift, Lebanon has stabilized, and has been made the home of many TV networks and cool cafes. More and more Lebanese venture into music--movies are only coming from Egypt, but in music the Egyptian pop has been losing traction to generations of Lebanese stars who have returned home to make good music. The ones in Lebanon has also taken advantage of internet marketing, they no longer have to go to Egypt to be famous, they can have their own show on the internet and make money form home--in theory.

Also Lebanon tends to be a lot more liberal than the entertainment industry in Egypt--less censorship and more investments form wealth business men from the Arab Gulf who seem to have bet their money in Lebanon. Combined with a zombie phase most Egyptian composers have gone under--they were not making hot records from 2002--to 2008. What was the last Amr Diab hit? In that phase Tamer Hosny has prospered and good hard working entertainers were left in the dark.

But then again the Gulf started buying out all those big names, they would hire the top entertainers from Egypt and Lebanon, give their amazing lyrics--mostly poems and invite them to record the songs free of charge. Sometimes the Arab entertainer would make a bank from one hit song. The Gulf still buys music--they can afford to. And they tend to be more generous with their concerts and private events--no star would turn them down.

Yes, Egypt has kept its place, they were down for few years, but starting 2010 and better songs are coming out from that country, better albums and bigger stars. Sure, the Arab Spring did not help, but everyone was done for a while. Egypt will always be there, it's a sure thing. They have an industry that's a 100 year old--no other Arab country come even close. Sure, some might hate the Egyptian dominance, but at ultimately, they are 90 million strong.

I would put my money on Egypt any-day, but that does not mean that Lebanon cannot compete, in face I think competition is great for everyone. 

Vote For Sandy MTV EMA Music Award

If you are a fan of Egyptian pop star Sandy, then give her your voice to help her get an award she worked so hard to get. The MTV Award for the Middle East region will boost the young songstress career and help her make better music. Sure it will make her feel awesome. But if she brings you happens, why not send some happiness her way?

MTV EMA wards will be held in Frankfurt, Germany on the 11th of November of this year. I do not know yet who is running against Sandy

She made a video just for you guys so you can help her get the votes to win the tittle. I think if votes what gets her the award, she will win it. If there is money and some backroom deals, she may not. She engages her fans and makes good catch music fit for this time and age.

check it out...

MTV MUSIC AWARD 2012 - VOTE FOR SANDY

WATCH: One Direction Spoof "What Makes You Beautiful"

One Direction was the hottest band in the VMA wards, they have set the house on fire with ther mega hit What Makes You Beautiful. Their catchy song rocked the house and have earned them few fans as they in studio crowed went bananas for One Direction.

Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne don't just have to worry about The Wanted dissing them -- it has been discovered that a boy band poked fun at One Direction over a decade before the group even existed. So they have landed on a music video that could have been made recently accept it was made so long ago in 2000.

In both music videos, one sees ton of tattoos, a shirtless guy. Dressed like a banana an carrot. What do you think of the 1D video? Directioners of the world unite as One Direction is paving a path for themselves and locking in fans for a generation to come.

Many spoof the band today and tell jokes at their expense in pursue of hits and viewership. But I have found myself to like their songs and I am not even a teenager anymore. They work hard on their music and they put their heart on it. Sure, they get a lot of teenagers, but a good song is a good song.


blink-182 - All The Small Things


One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful