A star has risen
Contests are the type of event that are capable of bringing a nation together regardless of age, race or religion — be it a sporting tournament or in this case, a singing competition.
Little over three months ago, Fouad Abdul Wahid was an aspiring artist, known only to his family and friends, who had won several local singing contests in his home country of Yemen. Now, his name is recognisable across the Gulf region, having emerged victorious in the Dubai TV American Idol-style show, Najm Al Khaleej (Star of the GCC).
Fifteen talented singers kicked off the show last September with one being eliminated every week through a public vote. The contestants had mentors in the form of three judges: Kuwaiti star Abdullah Ruwaishid, Egyptian singer Angham and Emirati artist Fayez Al Said. Abdul Wahid made it to the finals along with fellow contestants Ismail Mubarak from Saudi Arabia and Jamilla Al Badawy from Morocco.
Following huge online campaigns by his fellow Yemenis, Abdul Wahid won the grand prize of a recording contract, as well as Dh100,000. And there is no doubt he is proud of the way his country supported him.
Fans lined up at Sana'a International Airport after midnight on Tuesday last week with flowers and banners to welcome the hero of the day who had put Yemen in the news for a positive reason.
tabloid! caught up with Abdul Wahid to talk about his new found fame.
You got quite a reception when you returned to Yemen after the competition. How did you feel to see tens of thousands of fans at Sana'a Airport?
I was in complete shock as I never imagined there would be that many people supporting me. During the competition, contestants aren't allowed to use phones or the internet, so it's hard for you to realise the amount of support you have. It was an amazing feeling to hear the crowd shout my name. A lovely surprise.
After you arrived, you had the chance to meet your country's president too?
It was a huge honour to meet the President, and that he knew who I was. It is a big thing for the president of a country to make time to meet a singer.
During the competition, you made it a point to sing in the Yemeni dialect. Do you think that was one of the reasons the people of Yemen supported you throughout?
I think so, yes. Yemeni music is beautiful and I wanted to show the region my passion for it. To be honest, it was a risk in the beginning, because I didn't know how the wider public would react to it, especially since the show's producers were also advising me to try other dialects. But in the end it worked for me.
Tell us about the judges. Who was your favourite?
They were all great, but what I loved about Abdullah Ruwaishid is the sense of pride he always gave me. He is very passionate about Kuwait and loves his country, and when I would sing in Yemeni he would applaud the fact that I was promoting my heritage.
And what about your friends and family? How did they react?
It's funny, because I come from a very traditional family, and when I was younger they found it hard to accept the idea of a man singing as a profession. But gradually they started to accept it, especially now because I am also studying business at university, so I am focusing on education as well. My friends helped me through the bad times and definitely made me stronger. They are happy for me.
Finally, have you started recording yet?
No, not yet. We still need to meet composers and writers, and start work on new material. I look forward to beginning my first album.
What's The Rumour With omar?
Omar Sharif is probably one of the most hardworking 78-year-olds in the acting world.The legendary Egyptian actor, who has just finished filming a project in France, has signed up to do a film inspired by a film he starred in nearly 50 years ago.Sharif will star in Esha'aa Waheda La Takfee (One Rumour is Not Enough), a spin-off of the huge 1960s hit Eshaa'et Hob (A Rumour of Love) which starred the late Egyptian actress Souad Hosney. The movie, set for release next winter, will also star Ahmad Izz and Donia Samir Ganem, and filming will begin this March in Egypt.
Will Alame eat his words?
It looks like Ragheb Alama is in trouble with the editors of Amar magazine.The Lebanese singer had recently given an interview to the publication, stating that he held joint concerts with fellow singer Haifa Wehbe as she "couldn't do it by herself."The magazine also quoted Alama as saying: "Haifa is a doll, she is a great performer, but she needs a real star to pull off a concert." However, Alama quickly responded saying that Amar took his words out of context and called Wehbe to deny the reports. Interestingly, Amar is standing by its interview and threatening to put the whole transcript on YouTube if Alama doesn't apologise.
Dvd Review: Al Talata Yeshtghalonha: treat for a lazy evening treat for a lazy evening
Egyptian actress Yasmine Abd Al Aziz takes on not one, two or three, but four roles in the film, Al Talata Yeshtghalonha (The Three Who Fooled Her), one of last year's box office hits in the UAE, now out on DVD.
Here, Abd Al Aziz plays Nabila, a self-confessed geek who loves nothing but attending school, reading books and studying. After graduating from high school with higher marks than any other student in Egypt, Nabila attends the university of her dreams, but soon becomes torn between her mother and father's wishes. The mother wants her to find a husband, while the father just wants her to become a successful professor.
But soon Nabila realises that her Ugly Betty-type persona is not going to get her anywhere in her life, and so this is when the three other characters come in. Thanks to the influence of so-called friends, she attempts to change her personality to please people: enter the overly religious female, the passionate-about-politics fighter and the shallow yet stylish Hannah Montana-type.
Abd Al Aziz tends to do well with her movies, because she is a likeable actress that appeals to all ages. But at the end of the day, Al Talata Yeshtaghalonha is a bit of light-hearted comedy that doesn't deeply explore the issue of identity.
Nevertheless, if you're looking for an Arabic DVD for a lazy evening in, this should do the trick.
