Not familiar with Mona Amarsha? Chances are you're going to see a whole lot more of her over the next few months.
The Moroccan singer has been chosen as the face of make-up brand Mikyajy, in a deal that is expected to take Amarsha across the region to promote the cosmetics brand.
The 22-year-old, who made her mark on the Arab music scene in 2008 with her debut album Eshataetelak (I Have Missed You), has been quite a success particularly across the GCC region thanks to her use of the Khaleeji dialect in most of her songs. A second album soon followed, and her hits include Makhtobah (I'm Engaged), Helm Aw Elm (Is This a Dream or Reality?), and Ya Asal (Sweetheart).
tabloid! met Amarsha, who lives in Dubai, to find out more about her.
This is the first time we meet you, so how would you describe yourself to our readers?
I have been singing for around two-and-a-half years now, so I guess I don't consider myself a newcomer any more. I am signed with Platinum Records, and I sing for teenagers — especially the girls — and I sing about love and romance quite a lot.
So how did your collaboration with Mikyajy come about?
Well, I had actually been using Mikyajy for five years, and the brand approached me via my record company, so obviously I was familiar with them. I was very excited about the idea, especially as I was picked by fans who voted online who they wanted as the brand ambassador.
What is the one beauty item you keep in your handbag?
I'm very simple, but I love mascara, so always have mascara with me. Once you put mascara on there is no need to use anything else like eyeliner as it really opens up the eyes.
Musically, what are you up to these days?
My third album is out at the end of February, but in two weeks' time, the first single off the album will be released. It's called Ta'al (Come Here), and I hope my fans will enjoy it.
A lot of Moroccan singers use the Khaleeji dialect — a recent example being Jameela from Najm Al Khaleej. What is it about the dialect that appeals to you so much? It can be quite difficult to pick up.
I don't know really, but personally, I love languages and dialects, because I love learning about different cultures around the world. I love Spanish, French, English, Italian... and I love food. I don't know how I don't gain weight as I love food!
What do you do in order to stay fit and in shape?
I don't have a beauty regime as such, but obviously I go to the gym as I have to maintain my figure due to the industry I am in. But otherwise I love eating. I love chocolate.
Back to music, a lot of singers are now incorporating Western influences into their music, and you mentioned you are a fan of different cultures. What are your thoughts?
The great thing is that Arab music now is not just for Arabs — it reaches the rest of the world and is becoming quite popular, plus, we're using a lot of elements from the West such as house music and so on. It's quite exciting.
So if you could duet with anyone in the world, who would it be?
My dream celebrity duet would be Ricky Martin, because I love Spanish music, and he's cute, so it would be a lot of fun.
A Youtube Hit
Nancy Ajram is the Lady Gaga of the Arab world. Much like Gaga, Ajram has become one of the biggest stars of YouTube.com after her most recent music video Fee Hagat (There Are Things) garnered over 10 million hits in less than four months. The video, directed by Nadine Labaki, was for the first single off Ajram's latest album, 7.Meanwhile, the Lebanese singer has recorded a song called Wahshani Ya Masr Mot (I Miss You Egypt) dedicated to the country. It is expected that Ajram will shoot a video for the song, but it remains to be confirmed whether or not she will show her baby bump on screen.
Facing Jail Time?
Egyptian singer Ruby is due to appear in court after a lawsuit was filed against her for tax evasion.According to news reports, Ruby, whose real name is Rania Hussain Tawfiq, owes 200,000 Egyptian pounds (Dh126,310) after she failed to pay tax on the 1 million Egyptian pounds she earned from the film Al Waed (The Promise).A court date has been set for February 27, and if found guilty, Ruby could face a prison sentence.
Hourani's still happily married
Dominique Hourani has denied rumours she has filed for divorce from her husband. The Lebanese model and singer confirmed to media that she is happily married to her Iranian businessman hubby, and that they have no problems. Earlier in the week, it was reported that Hourani was facing problems after she insisted on remaining in Lebanon with her daughter. However, she has said that her husband will join her in Lebanon later this year.Meanwhile, Hourani's next album will be released on February 14, and apparently will be full of love songs; a perfect opportunity to jump on the Valentine's Day bandwagon. Yawn.
Review:
Eh Al Nezam: what's the story?
Forgive us film fans, for we are confused. Why a certain UAE film distributor has decided to release a five-year-old Egyptian film in cinemas now is beyond us. What's worse is that it was one of the biggest flops of 2006.
Yes, Eh Al Nezam (What's the Story?) is this week's "new" film release. Needless to say, it is already out on DVD and has been shown on free-to-air television. Kids, if you're planning to go into film distribution in the future, remember this is a lesson in how not to do business.
Here Egyptian actress Nashwa Mustafa takes the lead as Amal in this so-called comedy directed by Hatem Moussa. Amal is a simple girl who gets into a bit of trouble after signing a blank cheque in return for some new electrical appliances. No, we don't know why this is funny either — but the situations she gets into are meant to be funny (they're not).
Support comes from Amr Mahdi and Inas Al Najjar, but to be honest, even a popular actress like Mustafa cannot save this production.
