Dounia Batma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dounia Batma
دنيا بطمة
Batma in 2012
Born	(1991-04-01) 1 April 1991 (age 34) Casablanca, Morocco
Occupation	actress, singer
Musical career
Genres	Arab pop, Arabic music, Moroccan music, Moroccan pop, Middle Eastern music, Raï
Labels	Al-Turk Production

Dounia Batma (Arabic: دنيا بطمة) was born on April 1, 1991. She is a talented Moroccan singer and actress. Dounia became very popular after she was the runner-up on the first season of Arab Idol. This show is the Arabic version of Pop Idol. She appeared on the MBC channel. Dounia came in second place to the Egyptian singer Carmen Suleiman. She is married to Mohamed Al Turk, who is the father of Bahraini singer Hala Al Turk.

Dounia grew up in Casablanca, Morocco. Her family has a strong musical background. Her father, Hamid Batma, played in bands like Mesnawa and Nass El Ghiwane. Her uncle, Laarbi Batma, led the famous Moroccan group Nass El Ghiwane. This group is even called "Africa's Rolling Stones" by director Martin Scorsese. After high school, Dounia studied tourism. But she always dreamed of a career in music.

In 2010, when she was 18, Dounia joined a Moroccan music competition. It was called Studio 2M and shown on 2M TV. She sang many Moroccan and Middle-Eastern songs. Dounia reached the semi-finals of the competition. She didn't win, but she released a song called "Aalash Tgheeb." It means "Why are you hiding?" This song was in Moroccan Arabic. It wasn't a big hit, but Dounia knew she needed to do more. She saw Arab Idol as a great way to reach a wider audience.

Dounia's Big Break

On September 8, 2011, Dounia Batma tried out for the Arab Idol music competition. This show is a big singing contest for the whole Arab world. It's similar to Pop Idol. The winner gets a music contract and other prizes.

Auditioning for Arab Idol

Dounia auditioned in Casablanca. She sang "La Tfaker" by the late Tunisian singer Thekra. The judges were famous singers and producers. They included Lebanese pop singer Ragheb Alama, Emirati diva Ahlam, and Egyptian music producer Hassan Shaf'ei. They were very impressed and invited her to join the show. This was her first step to becoming known across the Arab world. She was chosen as one of the top 10 contestants. These singers came from countries like Tunisia, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt.

Amazing Performances

Dounia's singing skills amazed the judges. She quickly became a favorite. In her first live show, she sang "Magadir" by Talal Maddah. Her performance was so powerful that it made judge Ahlam cry. Dounia showed she could sing in many different styles and dialects. She performed classic Egyptian songs by artists like Umm Kulthum and Mohammed Abdel Wahab. She also sang Arabic pop and Gulf music songs.

Some of her most memorable performances included "Darrat El Ayam" by Umm Kulthum. The judges praised her greatly for this song. She also sang "Akhtar Men Awal Ahebak" by Ahlam. Ahlam, who is the original singer of the song and a judge, said it was an honor that Dounia sang it.

On March 24, 2012, Dounia finished as the runner-up. The winner was Egyptian singer Carmen Suleiman.

After the Show

After Arab Idol, Dounia spoke about her career. She explained that she chose to start her music career in the Middle East. This was because of the many opportunities there. She also said that this would not stop her from promoting Moroccan art. She was very proud of her Moroccan language. Many people noticed that Dounia often spoke in a different Arabic dialect on the show. She mostly used the Khaliji dialect. This is common for Moroccan artists when they travel to the Middle East. Dounia looks up to singers like Asma Lamnawar and Hoda Saad.

The CEO of Saudi Platinum Records, Rashed Al-Majed, signed Dounia to his label. He said her voice was "rare" and special.

Her Journey on Arab Idol

Here are some of the songs Dounia performed during her time on Arab Idol:

• First casting (Casablanca): "La Tfaker" by Thekra
• Second casting (Beirut): "Hob Eih" by Umm Kulthum
• Top 10 Girls: "Magadir" by Talal Maddah
• 1st Prime: "Youm Leek" by Thekra
• 2nd Prime: "Darrat El Ayam" by Umm Kulthum
• 3rd Prime: "Lashhad Hobbak" by Najwa Karam
• 4th Prime: "Habina Wa Thabina" by Mayada El Henawi
• 5th Prime: "Akhtar Min Awal Ahebak" by Ahlam
• 5th Prime: "Khayna" by Rashed Al-Majed and Asma Lamnawar
• 6th Prime: "Olli A'amalak Eh Albi" by Mohammed Abdel Wahab
• 6th Prime: "Aal Bal" by Samira Said
• 7th Prime: "Ma Aad Badri" by Mohammed Abdu
• 7th Prime: "Akthar" by Asala Nasri
• 8th Prime: "Tab Wa Ana Mali" by Warda Al-Jazairia
• 8th Prime: "Wagif Aala Babikom" by Naima Samih
• 8th Prime: "Tashakurat" by Fulla
• Final: "Allah Ya Moulana" by Nass El Ghiwane
• Final: "Ebta'ad Aani" by Talal Maddah
• Final: "Marsoul El Hob" by Abdelwahab Doukkali
• Final: "Hob Eih" by Umm Kulthum

Medleys in Results Shows

Dounia also performed in medleys during the Saturday results shows:

• 1st Prime's Results: "Yalli Bjamalek" by Saber Rebaï
• 2nd Prime's Results: "Bataminak" by Sherine
• 3rd Prime's Results: "Bab Am Yabki" by Assi El Helani
• 4th Prime's Results: "Bin Edeya" by Majid El Muhandes
• 5th Prime's Results: "Bilba'lak" by Nawal El-Zoughby
• 6th Prime's Results: "Law Taarafo" by Elissa
• 7th Prime's Results: "Zidini Ashqan" by Kadhem Al Saher
• 8th Prime Results: "Akhasmak Ah" and "El Donia Helwa" by Nancy Ajram
• 8th Prime Results: "Sit El Habayeb" by Fayza Ahmed

Dounia's Songs