A few of my favourite things

It may be an exaggeration to say that Najwa Karam is the sole Lebanese diva, but it would also be unfair to say she isn't.

She's the only female Lebanese singer who sings with a pure Lebanese accent, and she's the only Lebanese singer who has made Lebanese mountain lyrics resound throughout the Arab world.

The Mediterranean mountains have imbued the population with interlacing traditions manifested in dress (shrwal), cuisine (kibbeh), dancing (dabkeh) and music (Mawal, Abul Zuluf, Mijana and Dalouna, which require great vocal ability). When the mountain people listen to their vibrant music, they feel the urge to dance dabkeh, a group folk dance, and as they dance they feel the need to wear shrwal.

When traditional Lebanese lyrics lost popularity in the 1990s, as the two icons Wadih Al Safi and Sabahh grew old, Najwa entered with her high vocal range and depth, and gave them a new lease of life. Since then she's been called "The Sun of Lebanese Song".

Najwa was a schoolteacher whose passion for music was suppressed by her father who regarded a singing career with disdain.

Success

In 1985 she participated against her father's wishes in Layali Libnan, a TV show that promotes young talent, and won the gold medal. Following this success she entered the Lebanese Institute of Music to develop her talent.

In 1989 she released her first album Ya Habayeb, which was well received, but only in Lebanon. Her second album Shams Al Ghinnieh won her prominence in the entire Arab world.

Her third album, Ana Maakon, was the precursor of the great success of her fourth album Naghmet Hob (The Rhythm of Love) which dominated the Arabian charts. All her subsequent albums made their way onto the charts.
Her album Nedmaneh (Regretful) sold four million copies worldwide and her latest, Haida Haki (released last June), was among the top ten in the Arab world.

She has received numerous awards and honours, including Honorary American citizenship, the key to the city of Chicago, Murex D'or, Highest Selling Album, Best Singer of Traditional Lebanese Song and an Honorary Award from Australia. But her popularity began to dwindle when she departed from her traditional image. Her later albums, especially Tahamouni (They Accused Me), were far removed from Lebanon's mountain folklore. Maybe she was trying to innovate, but rapping, copying others and adapting Indian songs fell far short of true innovation. Fortunately, Najwa has been aware of her fans' cool response. She took them by surprise with her latest album and confirmed that she's still the torchbearer of traditional Lebanese music.