Sometimes a single event can change life in ways we never expect. This is what happened to Lara Scandar, a young Egyptian singer who was able to pursue her dreams thanks to the famous Lebanese talent show Star Academy 6.
Scandar's mixed origins proved to be a big advantage during the Arabic talent show, because it allowed her to stand out from the crowd and be recognised for her unique talent. Born to an Egyptian father of Italian origin and a Lebanese mother who is born and raised in Egypt, the young singer says she's very proud of her heritage and wants her music to reflect it. "I'm very proud of where I come from and I like to infuse it into my music. I mostly sing Western songs, but since I'm also Egyptian/Lebanese, I try to include that in my music. Star Academy was the perfect place to start," she says.
The singer, who is just 19, leads a normal life, attending school and sitting for exams. She's still not used to fame.
"This is something new and I don't understand it completely. Everything that happened put me on pause and I'm not sure of what's going on. That's a good way to keep thinking because when you become too confident about what you're going through, your head gets a bit too big. So I like the fact that I'm lost. It keeps me grounded."
Different isn't bad
Scandar who lost by only four per cent of the votes during the semi-finals, says she has always been very confident about her talent and says choosing to sing in English proved to be an advantage. She was the only one to sing in English, so in a way she wasn't competing with anyone. "I think that people everywhere are afraid of change. They are afraid of doing something different (which in my case is my music) and they automatically associate ‘different' with bad."
After Star Academy, Scandar was chosen by renowned producer Jean-Marie Riachi for the new single Mission Is You. "It was an honour to work with a producer like Riachi," says Scandar. "I was a bit nervous at first but you can't stay nervous for long when you're living the dream of your life."
Riachi believes the Star Academy finalist is someone Arab teenagers can relate to. "A nice song is not enough anymore," he was quoted as saying, "Teenagers nowadays look for a fashion icon, someone who can dance and move on stage, someone they can look up to."
And Scandar had all that. For her first video, she was offered the chance to work with Ray Kay, the director of Lady Gaga's Poker Face. This was an offer she couldn't refuse. The video was shot in Los Angeles and Scandar describes the experience as "amazing".
Working with Ray Kay was a great achievement for a singer who aspires to become an international artist and at the same time wishes to project a different image. "I am working to international standards and I hope that one day, I can make it big. It will take a long time, but this is not the only motive for doing this. I want to contribute to both the Western and Eastern world."
Scandar is now working on her new album which is still in the "brainstorming" stage. The album will include songs from her portfolio as well as new ones. It will also feature some Arabic tracks. "Everybody has been asking about them, so I guess I'll give them what they want," she says.
The album, says Scandar, will take some time and this will give her a chance to work on her Arabic. "It will take a lot of experimenting and risk, but I'm ready to do it."
To celebrate the debut of her single, Star Academy organised a party in Cairo and invited contestants from different series. Superstar Haifa Wehbe, Riachi and Scandar's close friend Mohammad Bash were also present.
Scandar and Bash have been a hot topic since the beginning of Star Academy 6. So, what's the true story?
According to the singer, Mohammad Bash is one of the people she can relate to. "In a competitive environment, away from parents and friends, people aren't always attentive to your needs," she explains. "So when you find someone who cares about you as a person and not because of the competition, you really become close."
The two also became good friends because they were paired up together, since he also sang in English. "I'm a really huge fan of his. I love his voice," she says.
Sadly, the rumoured love story ends here. Now the Star Academy finalist is focused exclusively on her career and is not interested in a relationship.
"There are only a few people who like you for who you are. And for that I have my family, a small group of friends and that's all that matters to me," she says. "My parents and my sister are very important to me. They give me the confidence to grow and succeed. "They travel with me everywhere and they take decisions for me. In fact, they remind me of who I am and I'm grateful for that."
Scandar is now figuring out how to strike a balance between her developing career and her life as a singer. She had to take time off school to shoot her video this year and the coming year might be even tougher as she'll be preparing for her first album.
"I just want to know how to maintain a balance and hopefully I'll be able to succeed. I know that music here is a difficult field, but I'm ready for a change," she smiles.
Fun Facts
- Her video directed by Ray Kay was shot in two days.
- The shooting would start at 7am and continue until 8pm.
- In the second part of the video, Scandar got to belly dance the way she liked.
- While making the video, the crew got stuck in traffic for about three hours and the singer who was wearing a leather outfit, got sunburnt.
- The actor and model whom she ended up stalking in the video was a dancer for the Pussycat Dolls.
- My music taste: "I like all kinds of music. I listen to country music, oldies, rap, R&B and Arabic music. My music taste is varied."
- Favourite Arabic artists: Nancy Ajram, Shereen (whom she adores), Wael Kfoury and Rami Ayash.
- Favourite international artists: Christina Aguilera, Michael Bublé, Tony Bennet, Laura Pausini, Tiziano Ferro and Beyoncé.
- "My style is simple but sexy. It's messy, mixed and not exact, just like my life. I don't like to show too much and at the same time I don't like to cover up completely. I like a style where you look pretty but you also make the effort to be beautiful."
