Stars raise Voices

In star-studded film Bahr Al Noujoum, Haifa Webhe, Wael Kfoury, Carole Samaha and Ruweida Al Mahrooqi sing together.

Lebanese singer Haifa Webhe, Wael Kfoury, Carole Samaha and Ahmad Al Sherif (winner of the first series of LBC's Star Academy) and UAE singer Ruweida Al Mahrooqi have joined together for a movie due for release in the New Year. Bahr Al Noujoum (Sea of Stars), shot in different parts of Lebanon, promises to be the biggest musical in the Arab world.

Commercial

But Sea of Stars is no ordinary film — it is a Pepsi Cola commercial that lasts around an hour-and-a-half. Reportedly, Pepsi's splashed out several million dollars for the most extravagant example of celebrity marketing. The movie which also features a number of Egyptian actors such as Said Saleh and Karim Abdul Aziz, is part of a huge commercial campaign targeting the Arab World.

"In the film, Haifa, Wael, Carole, Ahmad and Roueida, all five stars, sing Alli Al Saut (Raise the Voice) together. It comprises a message, which is not only a commercial one," says Jean-Marie Riachi, in charge of the musical arrangements.

The film, written initially in English by an expert who works for Disney Studios, has nine songs. The result is a commercial musical that promises to be a hit among Arab audiences.