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Amr Diab
عمرو دياب
Amr Abdul Baset Diab.jpg
Diab in 2009
Born
Amr Abdel Basset Abdel Azeez Diab
عمرو عبد الباسط عبد العزيز دياب

(1961-10-11) 11 October 1961 (age 62)
Port Said, Egypt
Other names El Hadaba ("The Plateau", "The Hill")
Occupation
  • Singer
  • composer
  • actor
Years active 1984–present
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • oud
  • piano
Labels
  • Delta Sound (1984–1998)
  • Alam El Phan (1996–2003)
  • Rotana (2004–2015)
  • Nay for Media (2016–present)

Amr Abdel Basset Abdel Azeez Diab (Arabic: عمرو عبد الباسط عبد العزيز دياب, IPA: [ˈʕɑmɾe deˈjæːb]; born 11 October 1961) is an Egyptian singer, composer and actor. He has established himself as a globally acclaimed recording artist and author. He is a Guinness World Record holder, the best selling Middle Eastern artist, a seven-times winner of World Music Awards and five-times winner of Platinum Records.

Early life

Diab was born as Amr Abdel Basset Abdel Azeez Diab (Arabic: عمرو عبد الباسط عبد العزيز دياب) on 11 October 1961 in Port Said to a middle-class Muslim family from the Egyptian countryside of Menia Elamh, in Sharqia Governorate, Egypt. Diab graduated with a bachelor's degree in music from the Cairo Academy of Arts in 1986.

Music career

Diab released his first album entitled Ya Tareeq in 1983. Diab's second album, Ghanny Men Albak (1984), was the first of a series of records he released with Delta Sound; including Hala Hala (1986), Khalseen (1987), and Mayyal (1988), with the title track becoming one of the top 10 songs in the world at the time. His later releases include Shawa'na (1989), Matkhafesh (1990), Habibi (1991), Ayyamna (1992), Ya Omrena (1993), Weylomony (1994), and Rag'een (1995).

By 1992, he became the first Egyptian and Middle Eastern artist to start making high-tech music videos.

In 1996, Diab released his first album with Alam El Phan entitled Nour El Ain, and he won the World Music Award for the first time, which proved an international success and gained Diab recognition beyond the Arabic-speaking world. Diab recorded four more albums with Alam El Phan, including Amarain (1999). Diab also collaborated with Khaled (on the song "Alby") and with Angela Dimitriou (on the song "Bahebak Aktar").

According to research by Michael Frishkopf, he has created a style in the song "Nour El Ain", termed as "Mediterranean music", a blend of Western and Egyptian rhythms.

In the summer of 2004, Diab, having left Alam El Phan, released his first album with Rotana Records, Leily Nahary, which he followed up with the hugely successful Kammel Kalamak (2005), and El Lilady (2007).

Wayah was released for sale on the internet on 27 June 2009; however, the album was leaked online and was downloaded illegally amid complaints of slow download speed on the official site. Diab's fans initiated a massive boycott of the sites with the illegal copies.

On 18 October 2009, Diab won four 2009 African Music Awards in the categories of best artist, album, vocalist and song for "Wayah"; Diab had been nominated by the Big Apple Music Awards.

In February 2011, Diab released his hit single Masr Allet ("Egypt spoke"), followed by the release of his album Banadeek Taala in September, produced by Rotana. In 2012, Diab hosted the first Google Hangout in the Middle East during his performance in Dubai. In October 2014, Diab released his album Shoft El Ayam, which topped his last album El Leila and again became the best-selling album in Egypt on iTunes. In July 2015, Diab released a music video for his song "Gamalo" from his album Shoft El Ayam. In March 2016, he released Ahla w Ahla, his first album since he left Rotana Music. The album was produced by the record label Nay For Media. His new album Maadi el Nas was released in July 2017 with Nay Records.

His 2014 album Shoft El Ayam peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard World Albums Charts, making him the first Egyptian and Middle Eastern performer to accomplish such a feat.

In October 2018, he released a new album called Kol Hayaty. In 2019, he released a mini-album, Ana Gheir, and in February 2020 he released his 35th album, Sahran, which included 16 songs.

In February 2022, Anghami announced an exclusive partnership that will see the Diab's entire Nay Label audio and video catalogue and future releases available only on Anghami.

Musical style

Diab is known as the "father of Mediterranean music". David Cooper and Kevin Dawe refer to his music as "the new breed of Mediterranean music". According to author Michael Frishkopf, Diab has produced a new concept of Mediterranean music, especially with his international hit, "Nour El Ain". Moreover, Diab is known as a composer, having composed more than 97 of his own songs.

Music videos

Diab is one of the first singers to popularize music videos in the whole MENA region and is the first Egyptian singer to appear in music videos.

Film career

Diab's fame in the music industry has led him to experiment with other forms of media, such as film. Diab played himself in his first film, El Afareet, which was released in 1989. It also starred Madiha Kamel. His second film was Hussein El-Imam's production Ice Cream in Gleam (Ays Krim fi Glym), in which Diab starred in 1992, was chosen as one of the best five Egyptian musical films by the University of California, Los Angeles (ULCA) School of Theater, Film and Television. The film was featured in the UCLA Film and Television Archive's new program "Music on the Nile: Fifty Years of Egyptian Musical Films" at James Bridges Theater at UCLA on 6, 8 and 10 April 1999. David Chute of the LA Weekly termed it "observant" and "a big leap". His third movie was released in 1993, and was named Deahk We La'ab (Laughter and Fun). The film premiered in the Egyptian Film Festival in 1993. Diab played alongside international Egyptian movie star Omar Sharif (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago) and Yousra. Overall, Diab did not experience the same level of success in film that he had with his music career. Since 1993, Diab has focused on his singing career.

Amr Diab in movies

Diab's songs have been used in several films, including:

  • "Wala Ala Baloh" in Divine Intervention (2002)
  • "Awedouni" in The Dancer Upstairs (2002)
  • "El Alem Alah" and "Nour El Ain" in O Clone (2001)
  • "Nafs El Makan" in Double Whammy (2001)
  • "Tamally Ma'ak" and "Nour El Ain" in Coco (2009)
  • "Wala Ala Baloh" in The Dictator (2012)

Egyptian Revolution

During the 2011 uprising, some protesters criticized Diab for staying silent, and for fleeing Egypt for London. A few days after former President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, Diab composed and sang a memorial song, "Masr A'let" (Egypt Said), and released it in conjunction with a music video showing pictures of the martyrs who died in the uprising. He initiated a charity campaign "Masry Begad" ("Truly Egyptian"). His online radio station Diab FM often presents talks and discussions about what the Diab FM team can offer to the community as well as applying it practically by being present in different sites across Egypt with a new humanitarian project each week.

Personal life

Diab has an elder daughter from his first marriage to Egyptian actress Shereen Reda. In 1994, he was married to Saudi businesswoman Zeina Ashour. They have three children. In 2018, he went on to marry Egyptian actress, Dina El Sherbiny, after his relationship with Ashour ended. It is unknown whether they were separated or divorced. However, Diab and El Sherbiny separated in late 2020.

Discography

Main studio albums

Year Original Title Translation Label
1983 Ya Tareeq Oh Road Sawt Al Madina
1984 Ghanni Min Albak Sing From Your Heart Delta Sound
1986 Hala Hala Welcome Welcome
1987 Khalseen We're Done
1989 Shawa'na Make Us Miss You
1990 Mayal Leaning
Matkhafesh Don't Be Afraid
1991 Habibi Baby
1992 Ayamna Our Days
1994 Weylomony Let Them Blame Me
1996 Nour El Ain Light of the Eye Alam El Phan
1998 Awedony Made Me Used To You Delta Sound
1999 Amarain Two Moons Alam El Phan
2000 Tamally Maak Always With You
2001 Aktar Wahed The One That Loves You The Most
2003 Allem Alby Teach My Heart
2004 Lealy Nahary Night and Day Rotana
2005 Kammel Kalamak Keep Talking
2007 El Lilady Tonight
2009 Wayah With Her
2011 Banadeek Taala Come I'm Calling You
2013 Al Leila This Night
2014 Shoft El Ayam I saw the days
2016 Min Asmaa Allah Al Hosna In the Names of God Nay For Media
Ahla w Ahla Prettier and Prettier
2017 Meaddy El Nas Contagious to People
2018 Kol Hayaty All My Life
2019 Ana Gheir I'm Different
2020 Sahran Up All Night
2021 Ya Ana Ya La Either Me or No One

Famous songs

Year Original Title Translation Composers Album
1984 Ghanni Min Albak Sing From Your Heart Hani Zaki, Azmi Al Kilany Ghanni Min Albak
Ashof Ainaik I See Your Eyes Traditional, adaptation Issam Abdallah
1986 Hala Hala Welcome Welcome Amr Diab, Magdi El Naggar Hala Hala
1987 Khalseen We're Done Reda Ameen, Khalil Mostafa Khalseen
1989 Shawa'na Make Us Miss You Shawa'na
1990 Mayal Leaning Magdi El Naggar, Haggag Abdel Rahman Mayal
Matkhafesh Don't Be Afraid Amr Diab, Magdi El Naggar Matkhafesh
1992 Ice Cream Fi Glym Ice Cream in Glym Amr Diab, Medhat El Adl Ice Cream in Glym
Raseef Nemra Khamsa Sidewalk Number Five
Wehna Maak We'll Sing With You
1992 El Mady The Past Magdi El Naggar, Abdel Azeez Al Nasir Ayamna
1993 Ya Omrena Our Days Together Amr Diab, Magdi El Naggar Ya Omrena
1994 Africa Africa Zekrayat
1995 Ragein We're Coming Back Medhat El Adl, Tarek El Hamshari Ragein
1996 Nour El Ain Light of the Eye Ahmed Shatta, Nasser Al Mezdawy Nour El Ain
1998 Awedouny Made Me Used to You Amr Tantawy, Abdel Monem Taha Awedouny
1999 Amarain Two Moons Mohamed Refahy, Sherif Tag Amarain
Alby
(featuring Khaled)
My Heart Magdi El Naggar, Amr Mahmoud
Bahebbak Aktar
(featuring Angela Dimitriou)
I Love You More Mohamed Refahy, Sherif Tag, Panos Falaras
2000 El Alem Allah God Knows Amr Diab, Amr Mostafa, Amir Taeema Tamally Maak
Tamally Maak Always With You Ayman Bahgat Amar, Sherif Tag, Ahmed Ali Moussa
2001 Wala Ala Balo Not On Her Mind Mohamed Refahy, Mohamed Rohaym Aktar Wahed
Aktar Wahed The One Who Loves You Most Mohamed Refahy, Mohamed Rohaym
Kan Tayeb He Was Good Amr Diab, Ayman Bahgat Amar
Baed El Layaly I Count The Nights Mohamed Refahy, Khaled Ezz
2003 Allem Alby Teach My Heart Amr Diab, Khaled Ezz, Waleed Galal Allem Alby
Ana Ayesh I'm Alive Amr Diab, Amr Mostafa, Rabih El Sewefy
2004 Lealy Nahary Night and Day Amr Mostafa, Khaled Tag Eldeen Lealy Nahary
2005 Kammel Kalamak Keep Talking Amr Taeema, Nasser Al Mezdawy Kammel Kalamak
W Eh Malo What's Wrong Amr Mostafa, Khaled Tag Eldeen
2007 El Lilady Tonight Amr Mostafa, Ayman Bahgat Amar El Lilady
2009 Wayah With Her Amr Mostafa, Tamer Hussein Wayah
2011 Banadeek Taala Come I'm Calling You Amr Diab, Tamer Hussein Banadeek Taala
2013 Al Leila This Night Amr Tantawy, Tamer Hussein Al Leila
2014 Shoft El Ayam Did You See the Days Tamer Hussein, Shady Hassan Shoft El Ayam
Gamalo Her Beauty
2016 Amaken Al Sahar Up All Night Tamer Hussein, Aziz Elshafey Single Release
2021 Ya Ana Ya La Either Me or No One Ayman Bahgat Amar, Mohamed Yehya Ya Ana Ya La

Awards

He has been awarded the World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist four times: 1996 for album Nour El Ain, 2001 for album Akter Wahed, 2007 for album El Lillady and 2013 for El Leila album. He has also won (Best Egyptian Artist, Best Male Arab Artist and World's Best Arab Male Artist Voted Online) at the World Music Awards 2014. Amr Diab is the only Middle Eastern artist to have received 7 World Music Awards. Five of his albums reached the top 10 of Billboard's World Albums chart, with Shoft El Ayam reaching No. 1 in 2014, the first for an Arabic performer. Alongside that accomplishment, two of his albums (2014's Shoft El Ayam and 2016's Ahla w Ahla) both peaked at 29 and 14 respectively on Billboard's Heatseekers charts.

On 28 September 2016, Diab announced that he achieved a Guinness World Records title for "Most World Music Awards for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist".

Amr Diab with Guinness Record

List of awards received by Amr Diab

  • Seven World Music Awards (1997/2001/2007/2014/2020)
  • Six African Music Awards (2009/2010)
  • Two All Africa Music Awards (2016/2017)
  • Guinness World Record (2016)

Program "Al-helm"

A program produced by Amr Afifi, consisting of 12 parts aired on Rotana Music, Rotana Cinema and Egyptian Channel 1 station. The program detailed the biography of Diab and was scheduled to be launched simultaneously with the release of Amr Diab's new album, but the album's release was postponed to a later date.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Amr Diab para niños

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