Assi gets poetic

In his new album, to be released in May, Lebanese singer Assi Hellani chose to sing a poem by Nizar Kabbani.

This is not the first time that Assi has chosen a poem by the great Syrian poet who spent most of his life in Beirut. Five years ago Hellani released a song that bears the signature of the late poet. It was called Al Karar (The Decision).

Al Bahria (Marina) is the poem's title, and Assi himself will compose its music. The album also includes a duet with a female singer whose name is top secret.

For this album Assi will collaborate with writers and composers like Nizar Francis, Ahmad Madi and Jean-Marie Riachi. He has chosen the director of the new video; it will be signed by Adel Serhan, who directed Assi's last six videos.

Song for the soul

For her first performance in 2008, Haifa Wehbe chose to sing for a good cause. She performed in Morocco under the patronage of the association Ruban Rouge (Red Ribbon), a Moroccan NGO that takes care of orphans infected with HIV. Haifa, who is the goodwill ambassador for Ruban Rouge, donated a quarter of the concert's revenues to the NGO.

After her performance in Casablanca, Haifa received a standing ovation of more than 10 minutes. She told her fans: "I hope that peace is preserved in this beautiful and civilised country. This is not the case in Lebanon. We still don't have a president, but we hope and pray for security, a thing that you have in your country thanks to the efforts of King Mohammad VI," said Haifa.

Haifa's visit to Casablanca was widely covered by the Moroccan media. She gave an interview about her performance under the patronage of Ruban Rouge to Moroccan 2M.

Hourani's happy news?

Dominique Hourani, the Lebanese singer who married an Austrian billionaire last November, is believed to be pregnant.

The songstress returned from her honeymoon and went straight to the chalet her husband bought for her on the Lebanese seaside. According to friends, Dominique spent her time resting. She also cancelled her New Year's performance in Amman in order to…rest.

According to a source close to the singer, Dominique spent two days in bed tired because of the rigours of the first month of pregnancy, feeling sick and dizzy.

It seems that Dominique won't travel much in the near future. She'll spend most of her time in the chalet.

What we know is that Dominique's husband, who wants his wife to deliver on August 28, 2008 (28/08/2008), dreams of having a baby girl that looks exactly like Dominique.

Professionally, she is planning to record a song composed by Issam Karika. But we don't know if she will do so during or after the pregnancy.

Elissa hits the shops

Elissa is a happy woman. Not only is she beautiful, smart and talented, she also has great leisure time. The Lebanese singer spent two weeks shopping abroad. Unlike the average person, Elissa doesn't shop in huge, crowded malls during sales. Instead she chooses her clothes in carefully selected designer shops.

So Elissa went to Paris and Milan. She went to the French capital especially to participate in Paris Fashion Week where she attended the fashion shows of great designers such as Elie Saab, Christian Dior and Chanel.

After her shopping trip, Elissa is expected to take another look at the script of the first film she will star in. She recently agreed to appear in the Egyptian movie Kissat Hobb (Love Story), written by poet Jamal Bakhit. Elissa, who will co-star with Sherif Mounir, will sing four songs in the film.

Najwa's love story

Lebanese singer Najwa Karam is about to be seen in her new video Law Ma Btekzeb (If you didn't lie), directed by Fady Haddad, on Rotana in the next fortnight.

The video was shot in several places in Lebanon such as Harissa and Jounieh. It tells the story of a German who is selected as Najwa's bodyguard from among dozens of young men. Then a love story develops: Najwa becomes a very sensitive woman and the bodyguard a romantic hero.

The first day of shooting took place in a studio of New Jdeideh. On the second day, the crew went to the Habtoor hotel. Najwa wore a dress made especially for her by designer Zuhair Murad. Commenting her latest video, Najwa said that she admired several videos directed by Fady Haddad which is why she chose him to be behind the camera for her song Law Ma Btekzeb.

Karam's next move

Lebanese singer Fares Karam performed last weekend in the Syrian coastal city of Latakya. But before his performance he flew to Latin America, where he sang in Venezuela before thousands of Lebanese expatriates. For Valentine's Day, Fares will be in Abu Dhabi – no, not for a date: he will sing his best songs for his fans in the United Arab Emirates.