Amr Diab
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| Amr Diab عمرو دياب |
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 Amr Diab's 2005 Kammel Kalamak promotional Photo (2005).
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Amr Abdel Basset Abdel Aziz Diab (عمرو عبد الباسط دياب) | |
| Born | October 11, 1961 | |
| Origin |  Port Said, Egypt |
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| Genre(s) | Egyptian Music, Arabic Music, Pop | |
| Years active | 1983 - present | |
| Label(s) | Rotana | |
| Website | amrdiabworld.com | |
Amr Abdel Basset Abdel Aziz Diab (Arabic:عمرو عبد الباسط عبد العزيز دياب) is a famous Egyptian musician, born on October 11, 1961 in Port Said, Egypt. Known as Amr Diab (عمرو دياب), he is one of the most popular and successful singers in Egypt and the Middle East, who was also able to garner world renown.
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[edit] Biography
amr diab
Pop
[edit] Career overview
In due course, Diab 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 and was an instant success. There have been, since then, 16 top selling albums in a prolific recording career which has established him as the super-star of Egypt and the Arab world.
Diab has toured widely throughout his career organizing galas and performing concerts in Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States.
In 1990, Diab was chosen to represent Egypt at the 5th Tournament of African Sports where he sang in English and French as well as Egyptian Arabic. This concert was televised by satellite throughout the Arab world and highlighted on CNN. He became the first Egyptian 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, Diab played opposite the world famous Egyptian actor Omar Sharif. In the film "Ice Cream fi Gleem" directed by Khairi Bishara, Diab 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. He is nicknamed the Rebellious due to comparisons made with his contemporaries, in his clothes, hairstyling, the performance and execution of his music, the melodies he composes and his many appearances at parties.
Diab became known for the new 'style' of his music which people throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean world came to call "Mediterranean Music" referring to its blend of Western and Middle Eastern/Egyptian 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 sales records with successive album releases.
[[ == [Moro] ==]]
[edit] Awedooni
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 Umm Kulthum and Abdel Halim Hafez that have influenced him. A strong ballad with a spectacular video of the concert footage inspired by Puff Daddy (whom he met at the Monaco Awards) it became another big hit for Diab. The album also contains a previously unreleased European remix of Habibi, and the most popular songs from Amr's albums of the 1990s.
Diab released his July 1999 new studio album "Amarain", (two moons) which is hailed as the best work of his career to date. Amr is working on eagerly anticipated duets with the France based international Rai superstar, Khaled of "Didi" fame, and with the Greek singer, 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.
[edit] Tamally Ma'ak
“Tamally Maak” (Always With You) came next, which was released on 17 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.
[edit] Aktar Wahed
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, he received a number of Platinum Awards for the sales of the album, and received his second World Music Award in Monaco in 2001 for best selling album for middle-eastern singer, the album contains a good number of significant songs like "Adeeni Rege'telek", "Ya Habeeby La", "Sadda'ni Khalas" and "Ba'edd Ellayali".
[edit] Allem Albi
Later in 2003, Diab 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 songs, like the album-titled "Allem Alby" which is a solid R&B influenced hit. Others that tend to be more oriental like "Kollohomm" "Law Ash'any" and "Alli al wada'a"
[edit] Rotana
In between 2003 and 2004, and after a long successful career with Alam El Phan, Diab 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. Then other rumors circulated that Saudi Prince Waleed Bin Talal (owner of Rotana) has lured Amr with offering a better deal.
[edit] Leily Nahari
In late summer of 2004, Diab's first album with Rotana was released, titled "Leily Nahari" (My Nights, My Days). The album's cover was from the promotional photo shoot of Pepsi. The video "Leily Nahari" directed by Casey Cameron which provided aid to give Amr his space in the record-exclusive music channels. It was still criticized because of its similarity to his previously unreleased video for "El Alem Allah" from the album "Tamally Ma'ak".
[edit] Kammel Kalamak
Diab's latest album, "Kammel Kalamak" is the long anticipated follow up to Leily Nahary. It was rumoured to be released in the summer of 2005 but was pushed back to Eid. The album took a reported $4M to record, and is Rotana's biggest album of 2005.
Full album releases appeared on many websites prior to its official release, which is speculated to be the reason why the album's release date was suddenly shortened to a few days prior to the previously mentioned release date.
The love ballad "We Malo" was released as the single of the album, "Kammel Kalamak". The music video was shot in London and was released on a late notice after the release of the album. Rumors surfaced in late 2005 and early 2006 stated that Amr is considering terminating his contract with Rotana due to the poor promotion of his latest album, Kammel Kalamak.
[edit] Khalleek Ma'aya
According to Amr Diab's Official Website amrdiabworld.com, Amr Diab will be releasing his latest album Khaleek Ma'aya on December 31st, 2006 in a worldwide release. Many websites speculate that, like previous albums, Diab has already sung tracks from the soon-to-be-released album in previous concerts, and many of those concert tracks have been circulating the web for some time now.
There have been no track previews released by Rotana as of November 25th, 2006.
[edit] Endorsements
Amr Diab has taken part of internationally known Pepsi commercial featuring four important icons in Pop Music together; Beyoncé Knowles, P!nk, Jennifer Lopez, and Britney Spears. In the US version, Enrique Iglesias takes the role of the Cesar. But in the pan Arab version, the four American singers were maintained but the male figure was replaced with Diab. This was not the first Pepsi Commercial Diab has done; he also filmed one using his songs "Ana Aktar wahed", "Allem Alby" and "Khad Alby Ma'aa".
[edit] Personal life
Amr Diab has four children. His oldest daughter, Nour was born in 1990 from his first wife Sherine Rida; his twins, Abdullah and Kenzy were born in 1999; and his youngest daughter, Jana was born in 2001. Amr's second wife, and mother of his three youngest, is Zina Ashour. Amr Diab currently resides in Cairo.
[edit] Discography
- Khalleek Ma'aya (Stay With Me) (2007)
- Kammel Kalamak (Continue Your Remark) (2005)
- Leily Nahary (My nights, My days) (2004)
- Allem Alby (Teach My heart) (2003)
- Aktar Wahed (The Most One) (2001)
- Tamally Maak (Always with you) (2000)
- Amarain (Two Moons) (1999)
- Awedony (They Make Me Used To) (1998)
- Nour Alain (Sight Of The Eye) (1996)
- Rag'een (Returnees) (1995)
- Weylomony ('and' They Blame Me) (1994)
- Zekrayat (Memories) (1994)
- Ya Omrina (Our Lifetime) (1993)
- Ayyamna (Our Days) (1992)
- Ice Cream Fe Gleem (Ice-cream In Glym) (1992)
- Habiby (Myarling/Beloved) (1991)
- Matkhafeesh (Don't Be Afraid) (1990)
- Shawwa'na (Made us Eager) (1989)
- Mayyal (Susceptible) (1988)
- Khalseen (We're Even) (1987)
- Hala Hala (Welcome) (1986)
- Ghanny Men Albak (Sing From Your Heart) (1984)
- Ya Taree' (Hey Road) (1983)
