Maya Nasri

Maya Asmar (Arabic: مايا أسمر‎‎), better known by her stage name Maya Nasri, is a Lebanese singer, recording artist, and actress. She participated in "Kas El Nojoum" in 1998 on the Lebanese Broadcasting Channel where she won all three gold medals. Her debut single, "Khalleeni Bel Jaw", topped several charts and launched her music career. Since then, she has released four studio albums and several chart-topping singles such as "Akhbarak Eih?", "Law Kan Lak Alb", "Habbit Hob", "El Asmarani", and "Rouh". Even though Nasri was largely successful in her music career, in 2008 she decided to shift to a career in acting and has halted her music career until now. Since then, she has starred in several Egyptian movies and TV shows.

Early life and beginnings

Maya Hussam Asmar was born in the small town of Miniara,Northern Lebanon and later moved with her family to Beirut. There she joined the Lebanese University of Fine Arts to study stage, TV and cinema acting and directing. In 1995, she participated to the Miss Lebanon Pageant. She acted in Lebanese series theater plays and movies. In 1996 she worked in the national TV but later made the transition to becoming a singer in 1999. She participated in the television show "Kas Al-Nojom" where she sang the famous songs of the late big Egyptian star "Layla Mourad" .She won all three gold cups. After her victory she began to work vigorously on creating her debut album. Nasri achieved fame when she entered the Arabic music industry with her debut single "Khallini Bel Jaw". Since then, she has released four studio albums, working with several Arabic composers like Ziad Boutros, Marwan Khoury, Mhammad Rahim, Mhammad Rifai, Samir Sfeir, and Salah Sharnouby

Musical career

Nasri first gained attention with the release of her album Akhbarak Eih...?. It exceeded expectations and was well received in Lebanon. The three singles "Akhbarak Eih?", "Ya Waheshni", and "Khalini Biljao" boosted Maya to her fame. The singles topped the charts in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Gulf and all of the Middle East and the Arab world. The album achieved record sales and Nasri became a household name. As a result of her album's success, Nasri embarked on two sold-out concert tours in the Middle East and in North America.

After taking a short break, Nasri returned with a new album, Law Kan Lak Alb. Law Kan Lak Alb was successful and received excellent reviews. It topped charts throughout the Middle East. The album's second single, "Habbit Hob" also achieved great success. It topped various charts and achieved extensive radio play. The album once again achieved record sales. She then released the single "Ana Bahtaglak" in season one of Star Academy Lebanon.

In July 2005, Izzay Te'rafni was released under the production company Rotana. The album produced two singles: "Rooh", "Al Asmarani". "Rooh" was an immediate success which topped countless charts across the Middle East. Nasri then released the single "Al Asmarani", which was also successful. It remained number one on various charts throughout the Middle East for over six weeks. After the success of "Al Asmarani", Nasri decided to release the last single off the album. "Shou Feeha Law", which was composed by Lebanese composer Samir Sfeir, was also successful. Fans have requested Nasri to film it, however this was not done due to war in Lebanon.

Jayi lwa't (The Time is Coming) was released in February 2008. The title song was composed by Marwan Khoury. The cinema clip was directed by Egyptian Director Ahmad Elmahdy.

Acting career

Maya has received countless offers to perform in Egyptian movies, considering her talent in acting directors discovered in Maya's cinema clips, not knowing her studies were in the same field .February 2007 witnessed the birth of Maya the Movie Star, by the release of the Egyptian movie " Code 36 " starring for the first time " Maya Nasri " and Egyptian Jeune Premier " Mostafa Sha'aban "..Since they started promoting the movie, Maya released a single "Ana Kont Eih" as a trailer and there started the offers for other big movies and series. The movie was not well reviewed by the critics but " Maya was the surprise of the movie and the only good thing there ." said Arab magazines. They all expected Maya to be a big movie star very soon. In September 2007, "Ramadan" month in Muslim calendar where we see lots of Egyptian series with big stars, Maya starred for the first time in Egypt in the Egyptian series " Sultan El Gharam" with the star actor Khaled Saleh and it was a big hit in the Arab world. In December 2007 was released the second movie " Khareg 'ala Lqanon "starring Maya with the big egyptian movie star " Karim Abdel'aziz ". During its first week it grossed EGP 7 million (USD 1.5 million). In March 2008 Maya started shooting a new Ramadan series Wekalet Aatiyya starring Houssein Fahmy and Ahmad Bedeir and directed by Ra'fat Elmihi. In the series Nasri plays the role of a Palestinian woman who ran away from Palestine in 1948. It is expected in Ramadan 2009. The series will during Ramadan 2009. In November 2008 Nasri's third film was released. Entitled Bamboozi, the film is directed by Ihab Lamey and also stars Hasan Hosny and Ezzat Abou Aof with young actor Khaled Sarhan. Lamey chose Nasri to be the female main role. The movie is a political black comedy, and was scheduled to be released in June 2009. In March 2009 Nasri began shooting another television series, Rijal al Hasm. In the series she plays the role of the role of Miraj, an officer in the Israeli Mossad . Concerning her role, Nasri said, "I am so proud that finally I will be able to show how bad the Israeli enemies are."

Personal Life

In 2008, Nasri accused her former Egyptian manager Sayyed Chaaban of criminal harassment after he quit working for her. She told the police he would call her nonstop theatening to kill her and was postted on the internet nude images with her face photoshopped onto them. The manager admitted to the offences, and claimed that he and Maya were secretly married for three years, after a long affair and that they were having severe marital problems.^[2][3]

She later married egyptian filmmaker Ihab Lamahi in 2010, they had a Church wedding ceremony took place in Beirut. ^[4] On October 5th 2013, she gave birth to their first child, Michaela Ihab Lamahi. Nasri announced online the news of daughter's birth with the message "I gave birth to the most beautiful thing my eyes have ever seen. It was the gift of God to my small family".^[5] In 2015, During the pregnancy of her second child she revealed that a sonogram showed complications, which meant the fetus would require heart surgery within the first 10 days after it's birth. Otherwise, the deformity in their fetus's heart, which could have severe consequences if the baby weren't immediately operated on, after the birth.^[6]The life saving surgery was performed on her son Giovanni, after he was born in February,2015. ^[7]

Discography

• Akhbarak Eih? (2001) (How are you doing?)
• Law Kan Lak Alb (2003) (If You Had a Heart)
• Izzay Te’rafni (2005) (How Do You Know Me?)
• Jayi Lwa't (2008) (The Time is Coming..)

Singles

• "Enta habib 3yone" (1999)
• "Akher Hammi" (1999)
• "Ana Bahtaglak" (2004)
• "Aywa Keda" (2006/2007)
• "Ana Kont Eh" (2006/2007)

Videography

• "Khallini bel Jaw" (2001)
• "Akhbarak Eih..?" (2001) – Tony Abou Elias
• "Ya Waheshni (2002)" – Myirna khayyat
• "Law Kan Lak Alb (2003)" – Ahmad El Mahdi
• "Ana Bahtaglak (2004)" – Mirna Khayyat Abou-Elias
• "Habit Hob (2004)" – Mhd. Gomea
• "Al Asmarani (2005)" – Salim elTurk
• "Rouh (2006)" – Emile Slaylati
• "Jaye ElWa2t" (2008) – Ahmad El Mahdi

Filmography

• Code 36 (2007) – Egyptian movie
• Sultan elGharam ("Sultan of Love") (2007) – Egyptian TV series
• Kharej An elQanoun ("Against the Law") (2007) – Egyptian movie
• Wekalet Atiyya (2008) – Egyptian TV series
• Bamboozia (2009) – Egyptian movie
• Rijal Alhasm (2009) – Syrian TV series

References

External links

• Maya Nasri on Facebook
• Maya Nasri on Twitter
• Maya Nasri on Instagram