Amr Diab
The superstar Amr Diab is one of the most popular Egyptian singers in the world, not only due to his phenomenal singing talent, but also due to the fact that he always comes up with a different style of songs every year.
This year's new album, Kammel Kalamak, was officially released yesterday on CDs and cassettes by Rotana. The album includes 10 songs, including Kammel Kalamak, We Maloh, Hekaytak Eih, and Ayyam We Ben'eshha. Amr Diab has cooperated with a premium group of writers and composers in his new album, including Nasser Elmezdawy, Nour Alain's composer.
On the music arrangement part, the two tracks Oddam Oyonak and Agheeb are arranged by Amr's new discovery, Adel Ha'ey. In addition to Fahd's Aywa Ana Aref, Tarek Madkour is also back with Kammel Kalamak along with the remaining six tracks.
Since Amr Diab is the only Egyptian singer who succeeded to get two World Music Awards, aside from many other awards that he got, he is worth talking about his life and how he turned to be a superstar.
Born on 11 October, 1961 in Port Said, Amr Diab was inspired by his father to sing. His father, the chairman of Marine Construction & Shipbuilding, accompanied Amr to the July 23rd Festival, when Amr was just 6. It was there that Amr's voice was heard for the first time on the Egyptian Radio performing the National Anthem. When the time came, Amr enrolled in the Music Faculty in the Cairo Academy of Arts and got his bachelor degree in Arabic Music in 1986.
By that time, the promising singer had moved to Cairo to pursue his musical career. He started with his instant success debut album Ya Tareeq in 1986, followed by many other top selling albums like Mayal (1988), Hala Hala(1988), Shawakna(1989) and Matkhafesh (1990).
In 1990, the ambitious singer was also chosen to represent Egypt at the 5th Tournament of African Sports, where he performed in Arabic, English, and French. Then came some hit albums; Habibi (1991), Ayamna (1992) and Ya Omrena (1993).
That wasn't all for Amr, as he was out on a mission to claim the throne of musical excellence. He went on and released the albums We Youlomouny in 1994 and Rag'een and Zekrayat in 1995, thus establishing himself as the superstar of the Arab world.
The popular Nour El-Ein album, launched in 1996, was the turning point in Diab's singing career, not only in the Middle East, but in the whole world, as he got the World Music Award in Monaco on 6 May, 1998, as well as the Triple Platinum Award for the sales achieved by the song.
In 1999, the unique artist was ready to hit the markets with another magnificent album; namely Amarein, which included the duet Alby with Algerian king of Rai, Cheb Khaled and Ana Bahebak Aktar with the Greek Angela Dimitrou.
The popular star then set new Arabic sales records with his successive album releases; Tamally Maak, and Allem Albi which all soared to the top of the charts. In 2002, he got his second World Music Award, as the best selling Middle Eastern artist for the Aktar Wahed Beyhebbak album. In 2004, Leley Naharey hit the markets and proved to be just as successful as the previous albums. Throughout his career, Amr has gone on tours and performed in concerts in countries as far flung as Australia, Canada, Europe and the USA.
As to his personal life, Amr has four children; one from his first wife Sherine Reda and three from his second and current Saudi wife Zeina.
