Amr Diab
By Yasmine Shihata & Reham Snow Tago
April 2002

Whether in Monaco, Cairo or the US, when Egyptian singer Amr Diab performs, one can only be captivated by his music. A smashing singing sensation in the Arab world, Diab combines the melodies of Arabic music with various styles of modern music, making waves on the international scene with his phenomenal hits. Today, his crossover success brings him international acclaim and reconfirms his status as the most successful and engaging artist in the Middle East.

If one were to map Diab’s career across the globe, they would find it reaches such far-flung and innumerable destinations from Australia’s coastal shores to Los Angeles and London. And every moment of every day brings him to new audiences throughout the world. In the Arab world’s capitals, however, his star has burned bright for many years, causing his worldwide success to overshadow his humble beginnings.

Diab was born into an artistic family in Port Said, Egypt, and his family encouraged him to sing at an early age. Following his deeply instilled love of music, he studied music at the Cairo Academy of Art and graduated in 1986. With a voice that engulfs its listeners like a warm embrace, Arab audiences opened their arms to him and Ya Tareeq (The Road), his first album. His charisma was evident as he amassed a huge following day by day. Only four years after the beginning of his singing career, Diab was chosen to represent Egypt at the fifth Tournament of African Sports. The performer’s show at the tournament’s opening was televised by satellite throughout the Arab world and highlighted on CNN. Diab became known for the “new style” of his music, the blending together of Western and Arabic rhythms, which he refers to as “Rhythm of the Nile.”
Many years would pass before his Nile rhythms actually struck the international music scene, shaking the barriers between western and eastern musical audiences. When the Alam El Phan music company produced the album Nour El Ein (The Light of My Eye) in 1996, the same-titled debut song was remixed by several top European disc jockeys and became a big pull on the dance floors of Europe. From there the song’s echo traveled the globe, resonating in the streets of India, throughout South America, France and South Africa.To date, Nour El Ein is the best-selling album to be released by an Arab artist.As a result, Diab won three awards at the Annual Arabic Festival for Best Video, Best Song and Artist of the Year in 1997.Then the World Music Awards sought him out in 1998. Diab’s Triple Platinum album received a World Music Award (WMA) in Monaco, emphasising the fact that his appeal was not just confined to the Middle East.
His follow-up albums Awedouny (I’m Hooked) and the Best of Amr Diab were also huge successes. When Diab released Amarein (Two Moons), it was this album that showed his diverse musical tastes, which included duets with the France-based international Rai artist Chab Khaled and Greek artist Angela Dimitrou. The title track and video for Amarein found its home in European and eastern music broadcasts, pushing Diab’s music across the international boundaries.The title track for Tamally Ma’ak (Always With You) was released in July 2000. Its video was shot in the Czech Republic and is considered one of Diab’s best. Monaco and the international music world kept their eyes affixed upon Amr Diab throughout the years, and last March he accepted his second WMA for the Best Selling Artist in the Middle East for his latest album Aktar Wahed Behebek (One Who Loves You Most). Released in August 2001, the album contains ten tracks and a bonus oriental remix for the song Wala Ala Balu (Not on His Mind), a song with music that infuses house-western style with Arabic music.
Armed with an engagingly disarming smile and his handsome appeal, Amr Diab is at the forefront of Arabic music, bringing recognition to its distinctive vocalization and musical sounds. Enigma had the opportunity to speak to Amr Diab on more than one occasion, once in Sharm El Sheikh and the other in Monaco. Here we give you a peak into his elusive personality and his true feelings about success.
How would you describe your career so far? I have been in the music industry for more than 15 years and am very grateful to everyone who helped me become what I am today. My success allowed me to become a role model for this generation, and I try to maintain a positive image at all times. I lead a life of moderation and try to live my life as an ordinary individual. I also try to use my voice and my music to reach out to this generation, giving them [insight] into my self and mind. Although I am not much of a social person, I do go out every once in a while to keep up with everything happening around me. Whenever I have the time, I try to constantly educate and re-educate myself and make use of every minute of my waking hours. I read a lot of philosophical books as well as a lot of Islamic religious books. My mind works 24 hours a day. Sometimes I feel that I have too many ideas and thoughts inside my head, and I want to share them with those around me.

When was the first time you went to Monte Carlo? It was in 1998 for the song Nour El Ein. This invitation came to me by fax and not through a music company. They looked for me, since the single had become very popular outside the Arab world. During those days the larger Egyptian music companies had not merged yet. So although I was with Alam El Phan, my current producer, it was not yet part of the merged Fonoun Company. Today, Alam El Phan has offices abroad in New York, France and Belgium, as well as many other places. When I won my first World Music Award (WMA), I was rather surprised and did not fathom what it meant to have won an international award. I later found out that they also asked the international music federations and discovered that my single had the best sales in the Middle East. Some people said I did not deserve the award and that someone else more senior (in the music business) should have received the honour instead. This was very upsetting, since winning the WMA should have been a confirmation that my single deserved the praise it received.

How did you feel when you won your first World Music Award? When I came to Monaco to receive the award in 1998, there was a group of prominent businessmen who flew in to support me. This really meant a lot to me. Yet no importance was given to me by the Egyptian press, who I felt should have supported me. There were no interviews, no media coverage, nothing. To tell you the truth, nobody paid much attention to this award at all, although, I had wholeheartedly dedicated it to Egypt. It seemed most Egyptians did not like the idea of having a young singer win such an important award. I think in Egypt we are used to honouring people who are either older or who have already passed away. Thus, I was strongly attacked by many people who said that I bought the award somehow. All this did not really matter to me, because I just wanted to celebrate this award with my [musical] team at the time, consisting of Hamid El Shaeri, Nasser El Mezdawi and my producer Mohsen Gaber. Regardless of any criticism she might have received, Roubi describes working with Sabri as “one of the best experiences I’ve ever had”. It is obvious that in Sabri Roubi has found a true mentor and a role model. As Roubi explains, “When you work with Sherif, he really places you under his spell. He really knows how to get the best out of his actors, with just a few comments on the set. The second he says ‘action’, I suddenly find this strange energy and inspiration inside me that I never thought I had”.

Thus, winning the WMA in 1998 was an experience that slightly saddened me, because I did not expect to be attacked for representing Egypt in a positive way. When I previously won awards or found myself at the top of surveys for my music from the Egyptian media, nobody used to say that I [connived] to win, so I do not understand why they said that when I won the WMA. These awards actually push artists like me work even harder in the future.
After the first WMA, I went on my annual US tour of 12 states, including a concert in Toronto with 12,000 attendees. That was when foreign and international music moguls started taking interest in having joint ventures with Alam El Phan.Today, four years later, Alam El Phan is the biggest music company in the Arab world, with a selection of the biggest and brightest stars in the music industry.

Were you the first Arab singer to win the World Music Award? No, I was the second Arab singer. The first one was Chab Khaled, who won the same award in 1997 for his song Aisha. I am the first Arab singer to have won this award twice. Likewise, I am the first Egyptian singer to have won an international award in a prestigious event attended by so many people and international celebrities. When I first heard that I had won the award again, I was not really elated. I just said, “Thank you.” I had too much on my mind and had toured so many places before coming to Monaco. It was only when I arrived in Monaco that I began to realise its significance and became enthused. It is even more important for the people who worked hard with me like Tarek Madkour and Sherif Sabry, who joined me at the awards. I am also really happy that there is more coverage this time. Hopefully, there will be another Arab singer who will be able to win this award next year. The most important thing is for the Arabic music industry to project a good image by international standards.

How do you feel after winning the World Music Award for the second time? I am very happy to have received an award for something that required a lot of hard work. I am also very happy to be around international artists and receive awards with artists like Sonique, Shaggy, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira and Kylie Minogue. I have done my part, and I hope someone else follows in my footsteps. I have reached a point where I just want to enjoy making music with my team and reap the fruits of our labor. I dedicate the award this year to Mohsen Gaber, my producer, as well as my team and my wife and children, who have always been very patient with me. I also gave credit to my mother and brother, who have supported me all the way.
My hope is that this award will open a new market for me internationally, so I can be able to do something on a larger, more international scale. I hope that when an international audience of professionals listens to my music, they will appreciate it and get in touch with me, and perhaps it will allow me the opportunity to do a duet with other international singers. I do not want to do another house mix like Wala Ala Balu, but I would to try something with a different style mixed with Arabic music. I might also do a duet with Shakira pretty soon, as Mohsen Gaber has already contacted her music company. When Arabic melody is mixed with international sounds, the result can sound really amazing.

How do you feel now that you’re an international success?
I have come a long way, and it has been a very tedious trip to reach where I am today. In the beginning, I was sternly attacked by many who said that I would never make it, because I was a passing phenomenon that would soon fade away.Yet, I was adamant about becoming successful, and that is why I am here today. When Nour El Ein came out, it was an instant success and it reached international heights. It was even included in the Buddha Bar CD. My latest single Wala Ala Balu was also included in Buddha Bar III and in the Nirvana Lounge CDs. So I was very pleased about that.

Do you think Egyptian music can be appreciated internationally?
I do, because my album is sold everywhere. I am starting to have a special place for my albums at the Virgin Music Megastores. Whenever I see this, it makes me happy, and I hope that Egyptian music will be appreciated more internationally. We have very nice tunes and melodies that originate from Egypt. Look at Um Kulthoum’s One Thousand and One Nights when it was remixed and sold all over the world. It was an instant hit.

Do you create your own music?
I write the music, but not the lyrics. Many talented people that I worked with over the past few years composed the lyrics. I always chose to back the young generation in the music industry.Amr Mostafa, Sherif Tag, Mohamed Rifai and Mohamed Rahim have had my support, and I’d like to think that I helped with their success.Today, they are creating music for the biggest names in the music industry like Ragheb Alame, Angham, Nawal El Zoghbi, etc.

Did any of your family accompany you to Monaco?
My wife Zeina Ashour came with me. My children were all in London, because they are still very young. I called my eldest daughter Nour, and she was very excited to hear about the award. She wanted to come, because she knew that the actress Jennifer Love Hewitt was hosting the ceremony.

How has your wife influenced your success?
I am very grateful for my wife, because she is a truly refined lady who has really backed me up all the way. It is not easy being the wife of Amr Diab, and I say this in complete humility. I am constantly looking for ways to improve on my work and stay on the right path. This is why I hardly have the time to do anything else, including spending time with my family. Zeina completely understands my situation and makes it a point to provide the right atmosphere for me to work in total concentration, without having to worry about anything. She runs the house smoothly and makes sure that I have enough time to work in peace. Zeina also comes from a very good family, and I must say that it takes a lot to be the strong character that she is. I fell in love with her in an instant, and I am very happy to say that I am still very much in love with her. She is a very strong force in my life, and I owe a lot of my success to her.

What are your plans for the future?
After my next album, I will be working on a movie with Tarek Eryan and Medhat El Adl. The movie will be produced by Mohsen Gaber and will come out in the summer of 2003.

Is there a message you would like to send our readers?
I would like to thank all my fans, because they are the reason behind this award and my success. It is they who bought the album and supported me. Without them, I would not be where I am today.