Amr Diab
Amr Abdel Basset Abdel Aziz Diab (October 11, 1961 in Port Said, Egypt). Known as Amr Diab, is one of the most successful singers in the Arab world.
Amr Diab was born in Port Said, Egypt into an artistic family. His father, Abdul Basset Diab, worked for the Suez Canal Corporation where he was chairman of Marine Construction and Shipbuilding. He possessed a fine singing voice and encouraged the young Amr to sing.
One evening, when Amr was just six years old, his father took him to the July 23 Festival at Port Said There they visited the local broadcasting station and Amr made his first singing appearance on Egyptian Radio performing the National Anthem "Biladi, Biladi". He was praised by the Governor of Port Said who awarded him with a guitar as a prize.
In due course Amr began his musical studies at the music faculty of the Cairo Academy of Art and from which he graduated in 1986. His first album "Ya Tareeq" followed shortly. It was an instant success. There have been, since then, a further 16 top selling albums in a prolific recording career which has established him as the super-star of the Arab world.
Amr has toured widely throughout his career organizing galas and performing concerts in countries as far flung as Australia, Canada, Europe & the USA.
In 1990 Amr was chosen to represent Egypt at the 5th Tournament of African Sports where he sang in English and French as well as Arabic. This concert was televised by satellite throughout the Arab world and highlighted on CNN. He became the first Arab artist to make a video clip and in a parallel career, has acted in several films including "Deahk We La'ab" (Laughter & Fun), a film which opened the Egyptian Film Festival in 1993. In this film, directed by Tarek Al Telmasani, Amr played opposite the world famous Egyptian actor Omar Sharif. In the film "Ice Cream in Gleem" directed by Khairi Bishara, Amr played the role of the main hero. The singer has already been the subject of three biographies – Amr Diab, the owner of my heart, The Rebellious and Amr Diab, Star of the 20th Century. His nickname is Rebellious – due, it is said, to comparisons made with his contemporaries, in all aspects of life - his clothes, hairstyling, the performance and execution of his music, the melodies he composes and his many appearances at parties.
Amr became known for the new 'style' of his music which the Arabs came to call "Mediterranean Music" referring to its blend of Western and Arabic rhythms. He was named, by most satellite and TV stations, as the Best Singer in the Arab World throughout the nineties and continually sets new Arabic sales records with successive album releases.
1996 witnessed the release of "Nour El Ain" (Light Of The Eye – Sight) which was a tremendous success not only in the Middle East but throughout the entire world. The title track, and its English version "Habibi", was an international phenomenon, becoming a massive crossover hit in countries as far afield as India, Pakistan, Argentina, Chile, France and South Africa. The song was remixed by several top European arrangers and has become a big pull on the dance floors of Europe. The video clip, also produced by Alam El Phan for the song "Nour El Ain", was one of the most lavish and expensive productions in the field of Arab song, and set a new standard for his contemporaries to aspire to. "Nour El Ain" has become the best selling album ever released by an Arabic artist.
In 1997 Amr Diab won three Awards at the Annual Arabic Festival (for Best Video, Best Song and Artist of the Year). In the following year, he received a Triple Platinum Award for the sales of "Nour El Ain", and received the Worldwide Music Award in Monaco on 6 May 1998, under the patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert of Monaco, and attended by such International luminaries as Gloria Estefan, Céline Dion, Mariah Carey, The Backstreet Boys, Steven Segal and many more. This award was the first of its kind for an Arabic artist, emphasising that his appeal is not just confined to the Middle East unlike the majority of his contemporaries.
His follow-up studio album entitled "Awedooni" was released in July 1998, and as for "Nour El Ain" it was produced with Hamid El Shary and recorded in Cairo, Egypt. The first video from the album, the title track "Awedooni", was shot by the river Nile in Egypt and directed by Tareq Al Aryan. Like its predecessor this album was a huge success for Amr and reinforced his popularity in the Arab world and abroad.
The "Best of Amr Diab" released in early 1999 contained a brand new song "Maham Kibirt Sugheir" recorded as a tribute to the Legends of Arabic music such as Omm Kolsoum, Abdel Halim Hafez and Mohammed Abdul Wahab that have influenced him. A strong ballad with a spectacular video of the concert footage inspired by Puff Daddy (who he met at the Monaco Awards) it became another big hit for Amr. The album also contains a previously unreleased European remix of Habibi, and the most popular songs from Amr's albums of the 1990s. July 1999 sees the release of Amr's new studio album "Amarain", (two moons) already hailed as the best work of his career to date and including the eagerly anticipated duets with the France based international Rai superstar, Khaled of "Didi" fame, and with the Greek diva, Angela Dimitrou, whose crossover smash "Marguerites" was a huge hit across the Middle East in 1998. The title track Amarain is the first video to be broadcast and the album seems certain to confirm Amr's position as the leading and most innovative artist from the Middle East.
“Tamally Ma'ak” (Always With You) came next, which was released on17 July 2000, and achieved a high level of popularity and success. The title track’s video, Tamally Ma’ak, which was shot in the Czech Republic, was considered one of the best videos for Amr Diab. Again he appeared with a new look and a new style!
On 1 August 2001, and after a great anticipation by the huge number of fans, "Aktar Wahed" was released. The album's name is a short for one of the songs "Aktar Wahed Beyhebbak". It contains 10 tracks and a bonus oriental remix for the song "Wala Ala Balo". "Wala Ala Balo", a well-studied mash up of both Trance/Techno rhythms and Oriental Arabic Music. The song featured the rapper SandMan. The video on the other hand was shot in London in a discotheque. An even newer style for Amr Diab The album contains a good number of significant songs like "Adeeni Rege'telek", "Ya Habeeby La", "Sadda'ni Khalas" and "Ba'edd Ellayali".
Later in 2003, Amr released "Allem Alby" (Teach My Heart). The Album's release date was arranged to be with the debut broadcast of Alam El Phan's (Allem Alby's Production Company, Owned by Mohsen Gaber) music channel "Mazzika". The album was a great success, with the release of the video "Ana Ayesh" which was directed by Stuart Gosling. The video was intensely broadcasted on Mazzika . The album contains other good songs, like the album-titled "Allem Alby" which is a solid R&B influenced hit. Others that tend to be more oriental like "Kollohomm" and "Law Ash'any".
As most of the US and International populations have seen the Pepsi commercial which brings 3 important icons in Pop Music together; Beyoncé Knowles, Pink and Britney Spears. In the US version, Enrique Iglesias takes the role of the Cesar. But in the pan Arab version, the three American divas were maintained but the male figure was replaced with Amr Diab. This was not the first Pepsi Commercial Amr Diab has done. He did one using his song "Allem Alby".
In between 2003 and 2004, and after a long successful career with Alam El Phan, Amr Diab was officially announced the termination of his contract with Mohsen Gaber (owner of Alam El Phan). Rumors were spread around about the tense situation going on between Gaber and Diab. Since they've been known as good friends, it was a bit of a surprise. Then other rumors circulated that Saudi Prince Waleed Bin Talal (owner of Rotana) has lured Amr with offering a better deal.
In late summer of 2004, Amr's first album with Rotana was released, titled "Leily Nahari" (My Nights, -are- My Days) but it refers more that he's been up all his nights because his beloved is far away. The album's cover was from the promotional photo shoot of Pepsi, but the album was brand new. The video "Leily Nahari" directed by Casey Cameron was a great aid to give Amr his space in the record-exclusive music channels. Still, it was a bit criticized to be similar to his Previously Unreleased video of "El Alem Allah" from the album "Tamally Ma'ak".
Most of his albums so far had met wide popularity all over the Arab world and even globally.
He also won the world music award twice as the best selling middle eastern Artist in 2002 and 1998
He also obtained many local and international prizes in song festivals, including his song Nour El Ain.
Discography
Leily Nahary (My nights , My days) (2004)