Nancy Nabil Ajram ( ) (born May 16, 1983) is a
multi-platinum Lebanese singer and
Goodwill Ambassador for
the
UNICEF . By 2007, Ajram had sold over 30
million records ranking 3rd best selling female artist in Lebanese
history. She has released seven studio albums to date and appeared
in numerous music videos and commercials. She participated in the
most significant Arabic festivals and won multiple awards, most
importantly the 2008
World Music
Award of best-selling Middle Eastern artist, the youngest Arab
WMA winner to date. Nancy Ajram is the first and only female
sponsor and spokesperson of
Coca-Cola in
the Middle East and Arab world. Considered by many as an Arabic
music icon of the decade, Nancy was described on the
Oprah Winfrey Show as one of the most
influential personalities of the Middle East.
Early life and beginnings
Ajram was
born to Nabil Ajram and Rimonda Oun on May 16, 1983 in Achrafieh
, a district of East Beirut
Lebanon
.
In 1995, at the age of twelve, Nancy Ajram took part in the
entertainment show,
Noujoum
Al-Moustakbal, ("Stars of the Future"), a Lebanese
television musical competition, winning a gold medal in the
Tarab category after singing a song by
Umm Kulthum.
Ajram studied music following her early success with renowned
Lebanese musicians and although she was less than 18 years old, the
syndicate of professional artists in Lebanon accepted her as a
member. Her first songs were titled "Hobbak Allam Albi elGheere" by
Abdo Mounzer, and "Oulha Kelma Ala Shani". At the age of 15, she
released her first album,
Mihtagalak ("I Need You') in 1998, with most
of its songs holding a pure Tarab style. It was followed by
Sheel Oyoonak Anni
("Take Your Eyes Off Of Me") in 2000, which achieved more
success.
Fame and stardom
2002-2004: Akhasmak Ah
Ajram then began working with Jiji Lamara, an experienced producer
and manager. In early 2003, her third album,
Ya Salam
("How Beautiful") was an instant smash hit and became her most
successful album so far, driven by the tremendous success and
popularity of the song
Akhasmak Ah ("I'll taunt you") and
by its then-controversial music video. Reminiscent of older
Arabic films, Nancy appeared as a cafe
manager who dances and flirts with its customers. The release of
the next music videos, "Ya Salam" & "Sehr Ouyouno" quieted down
criticism as Nancy proved her vocal abilities through these
singles.
2004-2006:Ah w Noss, Coca-Cola
Her fourth album,
Ah w Noss
("Yes, and a half"), was released on April 12, 2004, and was also
an important marking point in Nancy's career. The tremendous
success "Ah w Noss" achieved stabilized Nancy's position as an
A-level star in the Arab music industry. Nancy then filmed "Lawn
Ouyounak" (The Color of Your Eyes) which portrayed Nancy as a bride
in a traditional Lebanese wedding, and since then that song became
a favourite at weddings. Negotiations between leading soft-drink
company
Coca-Cola and Nancy Ajram started
that period and towards the beginning of 2005, Nancy Ajram became
Coca-Cola's star and official celebrity sponsor and spokesperson
for the Western Asia and North Africa. Her first Coke commercial
was for her hit "Oul Tany Kida" (Say That Again?) which was filmed
with the international Italian director Luca Tomassini. The
commercial's success lead to its filming as a music video behind
the scenes of the commercial. The 4th hit single from the album,
"Inta Eih" (What Are You?), was a slow drama song by Samir Sfeir.
Nadine Labaki successfully created a drama that portrayed Nancy in
a much mature and different image, as she appeared as a wife who
sees her husband cheating on her and hides this to save her
relationship. The music video received tremendous positive reviews
and Nancy was greatly praised. Leading Egyptian actors and
directors, like
Faten Hamama praised
Nancy's acting abilities and movie offers doubled for Nancy. Nancy
performed in
Enrique Iglesias's
first concert in Egypt in 2004.
2006-2008:Ya Tabtab Wa Dalla, Shakhbat, El Donya
Helwa
Her fifth album,
Ya Tabtab Wa
Dallaa was released on February 15, 2006.
Atabtab was considered Nancy's best album to
date, with six music videos released, eight radio hits, and five
songs used for commercials.
The title song's video was Nancy's last video directed by Nadine
Labaki, as she then started working on her movie
Caramel. Nancy then released the video of her
Coca-Cola hit "Moegaba" (Admirer), as well as a video and
commercial for her newly signed
Damas Jewelry contract
advertising their "Farfasha" set. The song used was
Ana
Yalli which was promoted before the album's release. Nancy
then cooperated for the first time with prominent Lebanese director
Said el Marouk, filming
"Ehsas Jdeed" (A New Feeling)
which is widely considered to be the most successful song of the
album. The video, which was a salute from Said to his deaf and mute
parents, depicted the story of a rich woman who falls in love with
a deaf and mute man. Later in 2007, Nancy released all together the
video of "Elli Kan" (All That Was) for Damas's second campaign, her
Coca-Cola Side of Life commercial featuring a new single "
El
Donya Helwa" (Life is Beautiful), and a video and album
directed towards children, titled
Shakhbat Shakhabit (Scribbled
Scribbles). "El Donya Helwa", Nancy's 7th commercial, is considered
one of her most successful commercials representing her style and
Coca-Cola's with colors, happiness, and music, and it led her to
release a Live album featuring the single.
Ajram's sixth album was fully dedicated to children with a variety
of songs aimed towards teaching children good values and morals,
something she has wanted to do for a long time. The music video was
her second cooperation with Said El Marouk after
"Ehsas
Jdeed" and featured four songs from her album: Shakhbat
Shakhabit, Katkouta, Shater, and Eid Milad at the credits. Nancy
performed these songs at several fund-raising events for children
and other children's events. She then filmed with Fadi Haddad, the
director of photography of her previous works with ElMarouk, a
video for the song "
Resala Ilal Aalam" (A Message to the
World) which talks about world peace. The video was released on May
25, 2008, the day the Lebanese president General Michel Suleiman
was elected ending a deadlock that lasted since November. It was
the first video for Nancy that had an entirely graphical world that
implied the suffering of children worldwide and the need to bring
out a more colorful and happy world for them, like the one in the
video. Old rumors claimed that the video will be presented to the
UNICEF. In 2007, Nancy performed alongside
Lionel Richie in Egypt at a launching
event.
2008–present: Betfakkar Fi Eih, WMA
In February and March 2008, Nancy released three Coca-Cola
commercials that featured a brand new hit from her long awaited
album. The song, "
Meen Gheyri Ana (Noss elKawn)" (Who
Else?) was made by the successful
Yey and
Ana
Yalli trio (Nizar Francis, Samir Sfeir, and
Tarek Madkour). The song and commercials
served as a highly successful promotion 5 months before the album's
release.Nancy released her seventh studio album after several
delays on July 30 2008, which has been highly anticipated by fans
for almost three years. This long awaited comeback album held lots
of surprises for her fans with a huge change in her style that
presented her matured vocal abilities like never before. Nancy's
7th album,
Betfakkar Fi Eih?!, is
considered to be one of her most successful albums so far as it won
her first
World Music Award in her
career.The album included her first "Tarab" song called "Biteegy
Sirtak" since 1998's Mihtagalak album, and in general had a wide
mix of several different styles ranging from dance, beat, pop, to
drama, romance, Tarab and oldies.Even though the hit video had
mixed opinions, the second video of "Min Dally Nseek" was much more
accepted, peaking at #1 for seven consecutive weeks in Melody Hits
. The same musical trio who created "Ehsas Jdeed" did one of the
instant radio-hits of the album, "
Lamset Eed" (Touch of a
Hand), which was filmed with Leila Kenaan with a high budget, and
the song and music video peaked charts for months. Nancy announced
that she will be filming around 8 to 10 songs from the album as
requests for music videos for the songs were on the rise. With this
album Nancy signed a celebrity endorsement deal with
Sony Ericsson, as a special w595 phone was
released holding Nancy's signature, and
Wana Ben Idek was
chosen as the commercial song.
On November 9, 2008, about a month after her marriage, Nancy Ajram
won her first World Music Award for her best-selling album
Betfakkar Fi Eih. In her short speech,
Nancy thanked her parents, Jiji Lamara, her fans and album makers,
and husband, saying "2008 has been a fantastic year - a successful
album, my wedding, and now a World Music Award, what can I ask for
more?"
On September 28, 2009, the
Oprah
Winfrey Show aired an episode titled "Fame Around the World"
that talked about the most famous celebrities around the globe in
brief reports. Representing the Middle East region & Arab
world, Nancy Ajram appeared in a report featured on the show and
was described by Oprah as "the
Britney
Spears of the Middle East". Nancy Ajram is the first and only
Arabic artist ever mentioned on the show.
Marriage and motherhood
In September 2008, Nancy married Dr. Fadi Hachem after a three-year
relationship; the wedding was attended mainly by close friends and
family. Nancy continued her work during pregnancy, during which she
had filmed "Lamset Eed" and her first
Sony
Ericsson commercial, participated in several concerts such as
Layali Febrayer, and received her WMA. On May 16, 2009, Nancy gave
birth to her first baby daughter named "Mila", who shares her
birthday. Short for
Milagrosa (
miraculous in
Spanish), Mila is also an old Arabic name widespread in rural
Lebanon meaning a "blooming tree". However, Nancy revealed that the
name was Fadi's choice inspired from Ukrainia-born US actress
Mila Jovovic. Nancy released her song
for her daughter "Ya Rab Tekbar Mila" (I Pray That Mila Grows Up)
on the same day. In a survey done by
Rotana Magazine, Nancy was voted as
the "Most Beautiful Mom" of 2009.
Awards and titles
1995 Nojoom Al Mustaqbal Golden Award -
(Nancy's most significant pre-stardom award)
2003, 2005, 2007 Murex D'or Award - Best
Female Lebanese Singer of the year, Beirut
2003, 2006 Murex D'or Award - Best Video of the Year,
Beirut.(2003: Ya Salam -
Nadine
Labaki, 2006: Ehsas Jdeed - Said elMarouk)
2003 The Golden Lion Award Egypt
2003, 2007 LG Music Award
2003, 2005 Zahrat elKhaleej Magazine - Best Female Arab
Singer, Dubai
2004 Zahrat elKhaleej - Best Music Video of the Year,
Dubai
2004 Arabian Music Awards - Best Female
Arab Singer of the year, Dubai
2005 Newsweek - Most Influential Arab
Personalities, Kuwait
2005 - Honor from the Opera House of
Egypt
2007 Certificate from the Pope of
Rome'
2007 Middle East Music Awards (Mobinil) -
Best Female Arab Singer of the year,
Cairo
2007, 2009 Arabian Business - World's
Most Influential Arabs, Most Influential Contemporary Female Singer
in 2007 , Most Powerful Arab Singers
2007 Kol elArab Survey - Best Arabic Star
of the year 2007
2008 9th Annual Doha Festival - Honor Award, Doha
2008 World Music Award - World's
Best-Selling Middle-Eastern Artist, 20th Annual WMA, Monaco
2008 Student Choice Award - [College
Student Survey]: Best Album of the Year 2008, Beirut
2008 AlJumhuriya Newspaper, Freedom
Magazine - Best Female Arab Star of 2008, Egypt
2009 Regional Ambassador for the UNICEF in the Middle
East & North Africa
Discography
Studio albums
Other albums
DVDs and live albums
- 2004: Live at the Jarash Festival [DVD] -
MegaStar
- 2005: Ma La Ta'arifunahu 3an Nancy Ajram [DVD] -
MBC
- 2006: Ah w Noss: Collector's Edition [CD and DVD] -
MegaStar
- 2006: Ya Salam: Collector's Edition [CD and DVD] -
MegaStar
- 2007: Shakhbat Shakhabit [DVD]
- 2007: ElDonya Helwa - Live [Live CD]
- 2008: The Best of Nancy Clips [DVD]
- 2008: Greatest Hits [Compilation CD] - EMI
- 2009: Awwel Marra [Old Live Songs CD] - Artline
Music
Non-album singles
Nancy released several songs dedicated to special countries in the
Arab world, starting with "Kuwait alShahama" in 2005. In early
2006, she released a single, "Ana Masry" ("I am Egyptian"), timed
to coincide with Egypt's hosting and winning of the
African Cup of Nations football
tournament, taking it by storm. Its video showed Egyptians
representing the diversity of the country lip-sync the patriotic
lyrics of the song. Nancy also released a song for the rival
Egyptian soccer teams "Ahly and Zamalek", being the first to do so
after
Sabah. Nancy released a sensual
song for Lebanon called "Habib elOmr" composed by Ziad Boutrous,
which preceded the 2006 Lebanese war. After the 2007 "Nahr el
Bared" war, Nancy dedicated a song composed by Samir Sfeir to the
Lebanese Army, called "Khalleek Bwejj elGhadab".
- 2005 "Kuwait Al Shahama"
- 2005 "Ana Masry"
- 2005 "Agbal"
- 2006 "Ahli w Zamalek"
- 2006 "Habib el Omr"
- 2007 "Bwejj el Ghadab"
- 2007 "El Dunya Helwa" (featured in the Live album only)
- 2009 "Ya Rab Tikbar Mila"
- 2009 "Efta7 Albak Tefra7"
- 2010 "Masr elArousa"
Soundtracks
Ramadan 2009:
Ibn elArandaly
- Intro: "Ya Ibn el Arandaly"
- Outro: "Kol elHekaya"
Group works
- 2003 Il7a2ni (Follow Me) for the Lebanese Marathon,
featuring Haifa Wehbe, Dina Hayek, Joe
Ashkar, and Yuri Mrakadi.
- 2005 La Ma Khelset El Hekaya (It's Not Over) after the
assassination of late president Rafiq elHariri, featuring Nawal
elZoghbi, Haifa Wehbe, Wael Kfoury, Sabah, Maya Nasri, and many
others.
- 2008 ElDhameer el 3arabi (The Arab Conscience) the
sequel to the well-known "elHelm al3arabi" along with more than 100
artists including Wadih elSafi, Assala, Latifa, and Cheb
Khaled.
Global Coke Slogans
Coca-Cola Middle East have always incorporated International Coke
slogans into pan-Arab campaigns with Nancy. In 2007,
Coca-Cola released their international trademark
campaign of their popular slogan "The Coke Side of Life", which
focused on themes such as fun, happiness, colors, and life. A
collaboration with Nancy Ajram lead to the making of the song
"
El Donya Helwa" (The World is Beautiful) for
which a commercial was filmed with an American director on
international standards and hi-tech effects. Nancy insisted on
filming in Lebanon which had been hit by war a while back. "El
Donya Helwa" is considered Coca-Cola Middle East's and Nancy
Ajram's most successful commercial to date; the single became one
of Ajram's most successful songs, leading to its release as a
single track in a "Live" album with live performances from her last
studio album
Atabtab. In 2009, as the
campaign was sequeled internationally with "
Open Happiness", Coke Middle East and Nancy
released "
Eftah Albak Tefrah". However, due to
Nancy's pregnancy and giving birth, she was unable to participate
in the print or TV campaigns that year and the song was used on the
International commercial instead. A website was launched for that
campaign entitled
"Eftah Tefrah".
Videography
Official music videos
Commercials
Ajram's success as a singer led to high-profile advertising deals
with
Coca-Cola and
Sony Ericsson and Damas Jewelry. Nancy
remained the only Arab star promoting Coke until late 2007 when
Egyptian sensations Mohammed Hamaki and Tamer Hosni joined in as
well, as she still remains the only female. Coca-Cola and Nancy
formed a great team since five years making commercials and music
videos that stood out in the Arab world, synchronising local
campaigns with
worldwide
slogans.
Coca-Cola
Nancy in the Coca-Cola "Circus"
Campaign, 2006
Middle East Coke Campaigns
| Year |
Coke Hit |
Theme |
# of Ads |
Campaign |
| 2005 |
Oul Tany Kida |
Concert |
3 |
TV,MV,print |
| Instrumental: Lawn Ouyounak |
Tickle, Munroe, Wink |
3 |
TV,print |
| 2006 |
Moegaba |
Circus |
1 |
TV,MV,print |
| Ashtiki Minno |
Coke Bottle |
1 |
TV |
| 2007 |
ElDonya Helwa |
The Coke Side of Life |
1 |
TV,print |
| - |
Have a Coke |
- |
print only |
| 2008 |
Meen Ghayri Ana? Noss elKawn |
Live on the Coke Side of Life |
3 |
TV,MV,print |
| 2009 |
Eftah Albak Tefrah |
Open Happiness |
- |
print |
|
DAMAS and World Gold Council
DAMAS's youth-inspired set called "Farfasha", which are gold
collections from the
World Gold
Council said to be chosen by Nancy herself, was promoted by her
in three different campaigns. Each campaign had a new collection
for the set and a song, commercial, and music video:
2006
Ana Yalli ("I'm The One") from
Atabtab
2007
Elli Kan ("All That Was") from
Atabtab
2008
Ibn el Giran ("The Neighbor's Son) from
Bitfakar Fi Eih
2009
Sony Ericsson
A survey by
Sony Ericsson where Nancy
was named the most popular Arab star led them into signing a deal
with her as their celebrity spokesperson. The company co-sponsored
the release of her best-selling album
Bitfakkar Fi Eih. In Febrauary 2009 the
W595i phone was officially released with a Nancy special edition
kit that held her signature on the back of the phone, a free copy
of her album and ringtones of her songs. This was accompanied by
print advertising, a press conference in Dubai, as well as a
commercial that featured Nancy in March 2009:
2009
Wana Ben Idek ("In Your Arms") from
Betfakkar Fi Eih
Charity and social works
Nancy has participated in numerous charity events and concerts that
she considers a priority in her music career. In the year 2006,
Nancy opened an organization under the name "Jam'iyet Nancy Ajram
Al-Khayria" (Nancy Ajram's Charity Organization) in Beirut,
Lebanon, that works on collecting and distribubing money for the
poor.Nancy also released a song about peace "
Resala Ilal
Aalam" (A Message to the World) in her children's album as
a music video, which was rumored to be presented to the Unicef.
Ajram also participated amongst over a 100 other prominent Arab
artists in a huge production called "ElDhameer elArabi", a 10-year
sequel to "AlHelm Al Arabi" that outlines the major political
events in the Arab world in the past 10 years.
In June 2008, Nancy participated in The Big Ball, a charity event
in Dubai which raised over Dhs 940,000 for helping underprivileged
children by auctioning one of her favourite dresses and encouraging
children's fund raising events; she announced, "The Big Ball is
doing a wonderful thing and I'm happy to support it. I'm coming for
my love of children and because I want to help underprivileged
children find a happy place in this world. Children inspired my
latest album "Shakhbat Shakhabit" and especially the song "Resala
lel3alam" (A Message to the World)."Ajram, however, continues to
refuse announcing her other charitable projects to the
public.
Criticism and controversy
- Many rumors of boycotts against Ajram's concerts filled the
internet, although none appeared to be true.
- In
October 2003, a riot broke out outside a concert by Ajram in
Bahrain
. Islamists from the country's main
opposition parties, including Al Wefaq,
attacked concert goers. Al Wefaq's leaders defended the action, as
it was the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In May 2006, Ajram
returned to perform in Bahrain without any
incidents.
- On her official website, Nancy Ajram has apologized for
anti-Iranian remarks falsely attributed to her on a website posing
as her homepage.
- Nancy Ajram has expressed extreme anger towards recent
circulating rumors in Egypt regarding the spread of nude photos of
her on mobile phones. A large number of youths around Egypt and
around the Arab world have been spreading nude photos of the singer
supposedly taken at a women's spa for a full body wax. Nancy,
however, denies the spa visit and claims such photos are fake.
- Melissa Corken, the World Music Award representative defended
the award, threatening to sue whoever claims it is bought by its
recent Arab winners (Nancy Ajram, Elissa, and Amr Diab), and
scandaled several Arab singers and major production company
Rotana, claiming they attempted to purchase
it. This came as a response to the riot caused by fans of Elissa who had a competing album for the award;
however Corken shut the fuss down by announcing Ajram's album sold
more; Rotana, with whom Elissa has a record label, claimed that
they did not send any sales numbers internationally , showing no
clear reason for that.
References
- UNICEF appoints singer Nancy Ajram as Regional Ambassador
for the Middle East and North Africa (accessed
Oct.23,2009)
- http://www.arabianbusiness.com/power100/profile/996?clr=2 Nancy
Ajram - Power 100, (accessed July 8th, 2009)
- The Most Powerful Arab Singers, Arabian
Business, 2007, (accessed December 2008)
- "نانسي في حلقة أوبرا عن مشاهير العالم", (accessed
Oct.13,2009)
- www.melodyhits.tv
-
http://www.mbc.net/portal/site/mbc/menuitem.ff2c047b71869fec9318c4cd480210a0/?vgnextoid=f9dbb32adc351210VgnVCM1000008420010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=4e9ee30e61801110VgnVCM100000f1010a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=mbcArticle
- نانسي عجرم أجمل أم في 2009 (Accessed Sep. 19th,
2009)
- http://adserver.naharnet.com/pub/murex/Murex2004.htm
- Mobinil Music Awards - Nancy Ajram Best Arab Female 2007,
(accessed June.27th, 2009)
- http://www.arabianbusiness.com/power100/2009 Arabian Business
Power 100, 2009, (accessed April 12th)
- http://www.arabianbusiness.com//power100/list.php Arabian
Business
- نانسي عجرم نجمة العام 2007, Elaph, Dec. 28, 2007,
(accessed Jan.9,2009)
- www.worldmusicawards
- 2009 تكريم النجوم, Elaph, Jan. 20, 2009,
(accessed Jan. 28,2009)
- احتفالية حب في عيد ميلاد "الجمهورية" و"حريتي"
(accessed June 27th, 2009)
- The Big Ball raises over Dhs940,000 for the benefit of
underpriviledged children across the region, AME Info, October
28, 2008
- Nancy Ajram to attend The Big Ball as it aims to
raise $250,000 for the education of underprivileged Arabian
Business, May 8, 2008
- Arab Pop Video: "Weapon of Singing
Destruction"?, Associated Press, October 23, 2003.Retrieved
November 23, 2006
- Arab Pop Video: "Weapon of Singing
Destruction"?, Associated Press, October 23, 2003. Retrieved
November 23, 2006
- RadioJavan.com - News - "Nancy Ajram Apologized For
Fake Message"
- Nancy Ajram Official website - Response contained under
"News" section
- Nancyajram.com Retrieved on July 1 2007
- albawaba.com Middle East news information::Nancy
Ajram innocent of posing in the nude
- Elaph, Nov.10,2008
- Elaph Nov. 11, 2008
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