Dounia Batma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dounia Batma
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| دنيا بطمة | |
Batma in 2012
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| Born | 1 April 1991 |
| 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 singer and actress from Morocco. She became very famous after being the runner-up in the first season of Arab Idol. This show is the Arabic version of the popular Pop Idol TV series. Dounia competed on MBC and was a fan favorite. She finished second to Egyptian singer Carmen Suleiman. Later, she married Mohamed Al Turk.
Dounia grew up in Casablanca, Morocco. Music was a big part of her family. 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 so well-known that director Martin Scorsese called them "Africa's Rolling Stones." Even though Dounia studied tourism after high school, she always dreamed of a music career.
In 2010, when she was 18, Dounia joined a Moroccan music competition called Studio 2M. She sang many songs from Morocco and the Middle East. She made it to the semi-finals but didn't win. She released a song called "Aalash Tgheeb," but it wasn't a big hit. Dounia knew she needed a bigger stage to become a star. That's when she decided to try out for Arab Idol.
Becoming an Arab Idol Star
On September 8, 2011, Dounia auditioned for Arab Idol. This show is a huge music competition across the Arab world. The winner gets a music contract, a new car, and a big advertising deal.
Dounia auditioned in Casablanca. She sang "La Tfaker" by the late Tunisian singer Thekra. The judges were famous singers and producers: Ragheb Alama, Ahlam, and 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 contestants came from countries like Tunisia, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt.
Dounia's Amazing Voice
From her first performance, Dounia's voice amazed everyone. She was a favorite right away. She sang "Magadir" by Talal Maddah, and her performance was so powerful that judge Ahlam cried. Dounia showed she could sing many different styles. She performed classic Egyptian songs by legends like Umm Kulthum and Mohammed Abdel Wahab. She also sang modern Arabic pop songs and Gulf music.
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, told Dounia, "It is an honor that you sung this for me."
On March 24, Dounia finished as the runner-up. The winner was Carmen Suleiman from Egypt.
After the show, Dounia explained why she chose to start her career in the Middle East. She said it offered more opportunities. She also promised that she would always promote Moroccan art and be proud of her Moroccan language. Many people noticed that Dounia often spoke in other Arabic dialects, like the Gulf dialect, when on TV. This is common for Moroccan artists who want to reach a wider audience in the Middle East. Dounia looks up to singers like Asma Lamnawar and Hoda Saad.
After her amazing run on Arab Idol, Rashed Al-Majed, the head of Saudi Platinum Records, signed Dounia to his label. He said her voice was "rare" and very special.
Images for kids
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Dounia Batma in 2012
