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

Maya Diab Tattoo Is Going Lady Gaga Weird

Maya Diab is a popular chick, a singer, a product promoter, and a TV hostess. She is a celebrity not non for anything in particular. But she seems to have seen a surge in popularity the past three years. She has been around for more than a decade now, but her time is now.

Her latest weirdness is a whole body tattoo done by an artist where it took him hours to do. This was a marketing stuns for makeup lines, more than 120 makeup artists took part of this show. Together they draw up/worked on more than 30 models. Maya Diab was the guest of honor as she is the sportsperson for that brand. Thanks the now infamous tattoo, the entire Arab world now knows of the brand--which I won't name here.

This is insane to see such events in the Arab world, such events are weird around the globe, they were received with mixed feedback. No wonder they chose the city of Beirut where tolerance is high as long as you can is art. Tattoo is a popular art from around the world, yet the religious communities in the Middle East and some here in the states continue to shun it.

I am happy they had the freedom to hold such bizarre show in downtown Beirut, still I think it;s weird what they are doing        

مايا دياب تغطّي جسدها بالوشم

Sally Njeim, Color Me Unimpressed

Man, every young girl in Lebanon grows up wanting to be a pop star, just like Sally Njeim who wants to make pop music to get the cash from the Gulf folks. Her voice ain't terrible, but it ain't no award winning experience either.

She is back with a song about a guy who like them ladies. The album will come out prior to the year end, and it will have some good names behind it. Like the song below, it was written by Faris Iskander whose good songs go to the good looking ladies or his own father.

Sally will do well in private functions and media appearances as for the masses, they might have some alternatives that can get the party started.

Sally - Zeer L Nessa' / سالي - زير النساء

Fayrouz Karawya, The Live And Lively Experience

Fayrouz Karawya creates her own alternative universe and sings in that place where she feels comfortable. She is a proud lady who appreciates herself and seeks to be appreciated, her music is all about being respected and being heard. She seeks popularity through her music career and not though her personal life. She stands tall and seeks neither approval nor permission from nobody, she is the master of her destiny. Such gets shape her music and her public persona that many of us come to love.

The songstress is one of the rare indie voices in Egypt that have met commercial success  I am happy there are ladies who think like Fayrouz and still make music. She makes the world a better place for so many of us, but more so for young girls. She gives them a role model where you can have it all, success, looks, fame, and intelligence. Such attributes are very clear in his album "Bara Meny", she is so many things, but most of all she is herself.

She is a frequent guest at the Cairo music hot spot Sawy Culture Wheel, she often headlines sold out concerts where her true fans pack the place to enjoy Fayrouz's talent. In that regard, her appreciators are not just fans, they are believers. Her voice offers plenty of warmth and personal touch that she sends straight to your heart. She can also be cool like she has before, she can also be jaded as well.  

Fayrouz is certainly a crossover star, that means she can perform to an audience who does not speak Arabic and leave them impressed. She gives good songs, but the music is very good, it feels real, none of that computer buzz stuff. Hear and see some of the videos from her latest concert. I can only say, keep rocking you are most definitely on the right track.

 فيروز كراوية- جرّبت (حفلة) Fayrouz Karawya- Garrabt (Live).mp4


فيروز كراوية- ف وسط البرد (حفلة) Fayrouz Karawya- Fi West Elbard (Live).mp4


فيروز كراوية- آخر مرة (حفلة) Fayrouz Karawya- Akher Marra (Live).mp4

LISTEN: Rania Ahmed, The Coolest Songstress New Single

At First she released a really happy song that rocked my summer...thanks to music from Tamer Ashour. But Rania delivered a knockout song with much energy and excitement to move a mountain. I loved her song and blogged about it for everyone to read. Rania might be the most promising voice from Egypt in a really long time. She has the image, the personality and better yet the voice to stand the test of time.

And now comes her followup hit, it's a darker one that Rania delivered with heart and soul. The song is about reaching a dead end and the relationship now is over with. Then comes the pain and the analyzing portion of this dark journey. Rania lets all her emotion hang for her latest, and they show throughout the song. I like the sobering music and the sweet yet dark feel the song has.

The song is a produce of an A team--Tamer Ashour composed the music, Aser did the arrangements Nadir Abdallah wrote the lyrics--he wrote too many romantic songs including for Elissa. Wonder boy of sound engineering Hany Mahrous treated the song.

اغنية رانيا احمد - سوء ظنى 2012 | Ranya Ahmed - So2 Zny 2012

Sally: A Bimbo And a Womanizer Walk Into A Bar

She is acting like a bimbo on screen to tell us the guy she likes is a womanizer. I do not know which one is worse, using sex is a marketing strategy or seducing women for fun. Sally sings about how is is quitting the love game, and how she is much prettier than the other girl

The best part about the song is the dialect the lyrics are written in, the music is upbeat but I cannot say it's something new. The fact is Sally is drop dead gorgeous. She has an album where she tries to appeal to the rich Gulf market. She is from Lebanon, hoping for a slice of the pop pie

Sally - Zeer L Nessa' / سالي - زير النساء

The Odd Duet of "Zay El Amar" By Dolly Chahine

Few people remember Dolly Chaine, the Lebanese Brazilian import who sang and acted in a number of movies and music videos. Few years ago, she married Richard El Hajj who used to produce for her. Noe she has gone into hiding.

Right before she left the entertainment business, she released an album, a girly pop album. The album was centered around a duet that she sang along iconic actor, a blast from the past Mr. Sameer Sabry. Mr. Sabry sang along and he did sounds really good.

The actor played the role of a father who is walking his girl down the aisle. He misses his wife and wishes she was there to witness the moment. It was a pleasant treat, but whoever paired those two is quite the creative force. The song forgets about the husband and all the flirting is geared toward the father and his little girl.

Dolly Chahine - Zay El Amar / دوللي شاهين - زي القمر