Nancy Ajram

Nancy Nabil Ajram or Nancy Agram was born May 16, 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon, is a multi award-winning Lebanese pop singer and entertainer.

She has sold over thirty million records in the Arab world making her one of the richest Lebanese singers. Her personal wealth, mostly earned from her high album sales, semi-public and public concerts, and commercials, has exceeded $26 million. She has sold over four million albums in Lebanon and ranks as the third best-selling female artist in Lebanese music history.

She came to fame as a winning member of the entertainment show Noujoum Al-Moustakbal ("Stars of the Future"), a Lebanese television musical competition, in mid-1990s, after which she produced two unsuccessful albums, Mihtagalak ("I Need You') in 1998, followed by Sheel Oyoonak Anni ("Take Your Eyes Off Of Me") in 2000. She subsequently emerged at the forefront of the pop music scene in the early 2003.Ya Salam ("How Fantastic") was crafted by Lebanese producer Jiji Lamara. Her second album, Ah W Noss, was released in 2004.

In the early 2000s, Ajram's success as a singer led to high-profile advertising deals, most notably for Coca-Cola and Damas Jewelry. Her second and third albums were released during this era and included more artistic input that Ajram developed.

In 2007, Nancy Ajram released a statement that she is not planning to marry at the moment and is currently focusing on her career.

In 2003 her third album, Ya Salam ("How Fantastic") included the song Akhasmak Ah ("I'll taunt you"), which became an enormous hit, as did its provocative music video. Reminiscent of older Arabic films, it features the singer as a cafe manager who dances for and flirts with her dominantly-male clientele. Two other singles from the album were shot as music videos; Ya Salam had Ajram playing a 1930s style cabaret performer, carries similarity to Chicago's character Roxy, while Yay (Sehr Oyoono) ("Oh,the Magic of his Eyes") became a mini-drama with Ajram discovering romance as a demure Beirut hairdresser.

In 2004 Ajram released her fourth album Ah W Noss ("Yes, and a half"), which also spawned several videos.

In 2005, Ajram signed a contract for a Coca-Cola endorsement. "Oul Taany Keda" ("Tell Me That Again") from Ah W Noss was used in the commercials, and its video contains Coke product placement.


She was named as the best Arabic singer by the magazine Zahrat el Khalij for both 2003 and 2004. She was also dubbed by the Arabic version of Newsweek as one of the most influential personalities of the Arab world in 2005.

In early 2006, she released a single, Enta Masry ("You're Egyptian"), timed to coincide with Egypt's hosting of the African Cup of Nations football tournament. Its accompanying video is unusual in that the singer does not appear. Instead, Egyptians representing the diversity of the country lip-sync the patriotic lyrics of the song.

Yatabtab...Wa Dalla was released in February 2006 from which six videos were released. The title song's video, again directed by Nadine Labaki, preceded its release. The music video's story was widely based on the classic Italian movie, La Strada.

Previously, Ajram has appeared and used the song "Mo'gaba" ("An Admirer") in her latest Coca-Cola commercial. She has been described as "that most effervescent of Arab sex kittens."[1]

"Ehsas Jdeed" is widely considered to be the most successful song of Ajram's Ya Tabtab...Wa Dallaa album. Early this June, a music video for the song 'Elli Kan' taken off her album Ya Tabtab...Wa Dallaa was released, promoting the new Damas jewellery Ajram is currently endorsing. At around the same time, the new commercial for Coca-Cola was released, carrying another new song entiltled 'El Donia Helwa' (Life is Good).

Ajram's latest work, a studio album titled Shakhbat Shakhabit. The album is fully dedicated to children, with a variety of songs aimed towards her audience of the younger age. A music video, directed by Said El Marouk, who she previously worked with on her "Ehsas Jdeed" music video, includes 3 songs from her album; Shakhbat Shakhabit, Katkouta and Shater.

Ajram released an album including live hits and the single "El Donya Helwa" which was the Coca-Cola song of the year 2007.

In 2007, Nancy recently performed live at the Mobinil Music Award.

Nancy will be releasing her seventh studio album in around May 2008, which has been highly anticipated by fans for about two years. The album is expected to be Nancy's biggest hit, including lots of surprises and changes.

Awards & Nominations

2003 Murex D'or Award - Best Female Lebanese Singer of the year

2003 Murex D'or Award - Best Video of the Year: Ya Salam - Nadine Labaki

2004 Arabian Music Awards - Best Female Arab Singer of the year

2005 Newsweek List - Most Influential Arab Personalities

2006 Murex D'or Award - Most Popular Female Arab Singer of the year

2006 Murex D'or Award - Best Video of the Year: Ehsas Jdeed - Said elMarouk

2007 Certificate from the Pope of Rome

2007 Mobinil Music Awards - Best Female Arab Singer of the year

2007 Arab Business List - Most Influential Contemporary Female Singer.

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.

Discography

Mihtagalak (1998)
Sheel Oyoonak Anni (2001)
Ya Salam (2003)
Ah W Noss (2004)
Ya Tabtab...Wa Dallaa (2006)
Shakhbat Shakhabit (2007)

Non-album tracks

La Ma Khelset El Hekaya (Along with other singers)
Il7a2ni/Follow Me (Along with other singers)
ElDhameer el 3arabi (Along with other singers)
Enta Masry (Sponsored by *Mobinil)
Habib El-Omr
Ahly W Zamalik
ElDhameer El 3arabi
Kuwait El Shahama
3agbal
El Donia Helwa
Khalleek Bwejj elGhadab

Videography
Official site