lakilsoft noviembre 9th, 2008
If ever the Arab music world produced one optimisation of class, soul, and raw uninhibited talent, it was Nancy Ajram. The focal point of Middle Eastern pop music, she has continued to set the bar as the quintessential diva with the unmatchable voice.
Participating in the season’s premier fundraising event – The Arab Russian Gala Dinner – Ajram performed before a thousand guests all vying to raise funds for the Rashid Pediatric Therapy Centre, the Welfare Association, a leading Palestinian non-government organisation, as well as the construction of the first Russian Orthodox Cathedral in the UAE. Ajram, who belongs to a long list of charitable organisations in her native Lebanon, sang a set list of hits that stemmed from her decade long career as well as songs from her new album, ‘Betfekkar Fi Eih?’ (Are you thinking of me?).
ìI am so happy to be back in Dubai, especially at an event like this. I love performances that raise money to help children because it’s something that I dearly believe in,î she told City Times in a backstage interview.
Her fame and talent combined has placed Ajram in the category of superstar among Arab personalities. She made headlines in September after marrying dentist Dr. Fadi Hashem in a private ceremony on the island of Cyprus. Middle Eastern tabloids have reported that the marriage has already resulted in divorce, but Ajram defends her privacy with City Times.
ìTo be honest, I don’t even respond to such speculation from the media,î she said. But following local gossip seems to be of little concern for the best selling artist who has sold millions of albums resulting in the most prestigious awards and endorsements. She remains the first and only female sponsor of Coca Cola in the Middle East.
ìNext I will be in Monaco,’ she said, ìto take the World Music Award and then I will be performing a few concerts in Europe.î Setting the night ablaze, Ajram was rushed on stage to perform her greatest and newest hits. Even taking to the floor, guests got a chance to see the songstress up-close and personal as she made the rounds in her short green dress. The gala – a first ever coalition gathering between Russia and Arabia – also brought elite performances from the Russian state that included pop music heavyweight Dima Bilan as well as orchestra and ballet troupes.
Nancy – a child music prodigy – continues to exude her own invented innocent sensuality, one that has garnered her fans from every background, demographic, and age group.
At the age of four, signs of artistic sensations began to appear whenever a song played from the radio or TV, and by age twelve she participated in a TV program called ‘Noujoum Al Mostakbal’, and won top prize in her category.
Studying vocal and music theory with the best teachers in Lebanon, Ajram’s rise in the music world came at an alarming pace. Although she was less than 18 years old, the syndicate of professional artists in Lebanon accepted her as a member because they found her to be an exceptional talent and deserved to be qualified as a professional artist.
‘I worked really hard to get to this point in my career. But as hard as I worked to be successful, I never could have imagined reaching these heights of fame,’ she says.
‘There is always luck, of course, but it goes along with hard work and determination’.
SOURCE