Showbiz Arabia

Patricia Khoder brings you all the gossip about Arab celebs.

Costly beauty

Singer Roula Saad was elected the most beautiful Arab star by the International Federation of Beauty Pageants, but there are rumours that she paid for the honour.
Saad claims the title was a complete surprise to her. "I never wanted to be a beautiful woman. This title doesn't interest me. Beauty doesn't last forever. That's why I stress upon my singing and my art," she explained.

Lebanese singer Madonna, who received the same title a year ago, says the controversy is a result of the premature decision to honour Saad.

"This is my title and it is too early for me to give it up to someone else," Madonna said.

No Samaha please, we're Egyptian

The Egyptian Musicians' Union has banned Lebanese singer Carole Samaha from singing in Egypt after her "vulgar dance performance" during one of her concerts on the beach.

Sources in the Union said that the decision was taken to draw, once and for all, a line between art and vulgarity.

One Egyptian magazine even compared Samaha's dance to a striptease.

Samaha responded, "It is time for my audience to know that I am an exciting and beautiful woman. It is my right to show my femininity. My fans should appreciate my voice and my image as a woman as well."

Nevertheless, after the ban, Samaha performed in one more concert in Egypt, scheduled long before the ban was announced. The performance was allowed under several conditions, including that Samaha should dress chastely.

Meanwhile, in Lebanon the singer had an accident while shooting the music video of her song Majnouneh (Mad). She bumped into a glass door, shattering it.

All's well ...

A rough year for singer Amal Hijazi took a positive turn when she got married last week.

Just a few months ago Hijazi was struggling to get over two failed relationships. She also lost her voice and had to stop singing for a while. And to top it all off, she broke down because of family problems and spent weeks recovering.

But things changed three months ago when she met Mohammad Bassam, a diamond merchant. She married him last week, in a quiet ceremony.

They are now honeymooning in London, where Bassam, a British citizen, has also bought his new bride an apartment.

"Last year was hell for me but I never lost hope and I never stopped praying, asking God to make life better for me and He answered my prayers," said Hijazi.

She plans to continue singing, but might cut back on some of her private performances.