Salma Rachid facts for kids

Salma Rachid (Arabic: سلمى رشيد, born June 13, 1994) is a talented Moroccan pop singer and actress. She became famous when she was just 18 years old. This happened after she joined the TV show Arab Idol (season 2), which was shown on MBC. She was the youngest person competing and finished in fifth place. People loved her strong voice, how well she could sing different music styles, and her friendly personality. Her fans even gave her the nickname El Sultana, which means "The Sultaness." She says that the famous singer Umm Kulthum is one of her biggest inspirations.

Early Life and Dreams

Salma's family comes from a beautiful desert area called Tafilalt in southeastern Morocco. However, Salma was born and grew up in the Hay Mohammedi neighborhood of Casablanca, Morocco. From a very young age, Salma loved music, drawing, and fashion. She once shared in an interview that she used to take clothes from her family. Then, she would tear them apart and sew them back together to create new outfits. After finishing high school in June 2012, Salma went to university. There, she decided to study economics.

Journey on Arab Idol

When Salma was 18, she decided to try out for the second season of Arab Idol. The auditions for the show in Morocco took place in Casablanca. Salma sang a Yemeni song called "Ya Moniyati." This song is very popular in the Persian Gulf region. She sang it for a panel of famous judges. These judges included Arab superstars Ragheb Alama, Ahlam, Nancy Ajram, and Egyptian producer Hassan El Shafei. All the judges liked her performance, and she was accepted! She then flew to Beirut, Lebanon, to continue the competition.

In Beirut, Salma performed "El Ward Gamil" by Umm Kulthum with five other contestants. After that, she sang "Awal Marra" by Abdelhalim Hafez. She did so well that she was chosen as one of the 27 finalists. These finalists would then compete to reach the final stage of the show.

During the first live show, Salma sang "Zaman El Samt" by Talal Maddah. The judges were impressed by her beautiful and powerful voice. However, they felt her performance was a bit too strong. Judge Ahlam told her that if she focused more, she could become the next big Arab music star. Unfortunately, Salma did not get enough votes from the public. She was one of eight contestants chosen by the judges to perform again. This was to win one of four "wildcard" spots. Ragheb Alama chose her, and she sang "Ya Msaharni" by Umm Kulthum to stay in the competition. She was saved along with Hanane Reda from Bahrain. This meant she finally became one of the thirteen finalists!

Throughout the competition, Salma sang many different songs. She performed classics from singers like Sabah, Umm Kulthum, and Mayada El Henawi. She also sang folk songs by Fouad Ghazi and pop songs by Samira Said and Sherine. What was amazing about Salma's journey was that even though she didn't get many votes at first, she usually stayed safe in the competition. This was thanks to her growing number of fans. The judges and the audience loved her performances every Friday. Even the famous Egyptian superstar Mohammed Mounir told her, "You have something rare in the Arab world: a great voice with a huge charisma." Many people from the Arab music world contacted her to praise her voice. These included Syrian singer Rouwaida Attieh and Lebanese songwriter Salim Assaf. Salim Assaf, who writes songs for top singers, even told her he would write a song for her.

On the seventh live show, Salma sang "Nawaylak Ala Niya" by Ahlam. Then, she sang the folk song "Bayn El Assr wa El Maghreb" with Lebanese pop singer Diana Haddad. This was part of a special performance for the Bedouin music star Samira Tawfik. She also performed the famous song "Mistaniyak" by the Moroccan diva Aziza Jalal with the two other female contestants. On June 8, 2013, Salma was voted off the show along with Parwas Hussein from Kurdistan. She finished in fifth place. Even though she didn't win, the judges praised her. They said she was the biggest surprise of the season and had a truly special voice.

According to judge Hassan El Shafei, Salma signed a ten-year contract with Platinum Records. This is a music company connected to MBC and led by the Saudi superstar Rashed Al-Majed. Salma will also go on tour with Ragheb Alama for all his concerts. She was chosen with Mohammed Assaf from Palestine, Ahmad Gamal from Egypt, and Farah Youssef from Syria to be part of the group of contestants who will tour across the Arab world.

Arab Idol Performances

Audition Songs

• Casting (Casablanca): "Ya Monyati" by Abdelmohssen El Mohanad
• Casting Beirut (Group audition): "El Ward Gamil" by Umm Kulthum
• Casting Beirut (Final audition): "Awal Marrah" by Abdelhalim Hafez

Live Show Songs

• Top 27: "Zaman El Samt" by Talal Maddah
• Wildcards Survival Prime: "Ya Msaharni" by Umm Kulthum
• 1st Prime: "Lazraalak Boustan Worood" by Fouad Ghazi
• 2nd Prime: "Aal Bal" by Samira Said
• 3rd Prime: "Li Sabr Hdoud" by Umm Kulthum
• 4th Prime: "Zay El Aassal" by Sabah
• 5th Prime: "Ana Baash'ak" by Mayada El Hennawi
• 6th Prime: "Kattar Kheiry" by Sherine
• 7th Prime: "Nawaylak Ala Niya" by Ahlam