Nancy Ajram

Nancy Ajram
Nancy Nabil Ajram (born May 16, 1983) is a Lebanese singer, television personality, and businesswoman, dubbed by Spotify as the "Queen of Arab Pop". With the support of her father, she began performing as a child and appeared on several television shows in her early years. By the age of 15, Ajram signed a recording contract with EMI and released her debut studio album Mihtagalak (1998). In spite of being under the legal age, Ajram was exceptionally accepted to the Syndicate of Professional Artists in Lebanon. The following year, she released her second album Sheel Oyoonak Anni (2001).
Her breakthrough occurred with the start of her collaboration with well-known Lebanese producer Jiji Lamara, when she released her controversial smash hit single "Akhasmak Ah"; created by Egyptian composer Mohamed Saad, and third studio album Ya Salam (2003) in which she adopted a public image as a sex symbol while reinventing her music. Ajram's fourth album Ah W Noss (2004) was another commercial success, spawning the chart-topping singles "Ah W Noss", "Lawn Ouyounak", "Oul Tani Keda" and "Inta Eyh", at which point she had established pop icon status in the Middle East. In 2007, Ajram released her first children's album, Shakhbat Shakhabit, which was the most notable and successful work for children at the time. Betfakkar Fi Eih (2008), her sixth album produced seven singles including the commercially successful Egyptian hits, "Betfakkar Fi Eih", "Min Dally Nseek" and the Lebanese single "Mashi Haddi", won Ajram's first World Music Award as world's best-selling Middle Eastern artist, the youngest Arab WMA winner to date.
Having sold over 30 million records worldwide as of 2007, Ajram is one of the best-selling Middle Eastern music artists. By 2010 she was announced the best-selling Middle Eastern female singer of the decade (2000–2009). Throughout her career, Ajram has released twelve studio albums to date (including two dedicated for children) and numerous chart toppers such as "Yay", "Ya Tabtab", "Moegaba", "Ehsas Jdeed", "Ibn El Giran", "Fi Hagat", "Ya Kether", "Ma Tegi Hena", “Aam Betaala' Feek", "Badna Nwalee El Jaw", “Salamat”, and “Aala Shanak”. Ajram is the first and only female spokesperson of Coca-Cola in the Arab world, releasing several promotional Coke anthems that became instant smash-hits, such as "Oul Tani Keda", "El Dounya Helwa", "Noss El Kawn" and "Shaggaa Bi Alamak". Ajram has made the list of Most Powerful Arabs on Arabian Business several times, and was similarly listed by Newsweek as one of the most influential Arab singers.
She has also featured in patriotic songs for her country Lebanon, and has also dedicated seven patriotic songs to Egypt; a country she's widely popular in thanks to her Egyptian hits such as "Akhasmak Ah" and "Ah we Noss".
Between 2013 and 2017, Ajram served as a judge on MBC's reality talent show Arab Idol. She also began serving as a coach on The Voice Kids Arabia in 2016. In 2020, Nancy was the most-streamed Arab female artist on Spotify, achieving more than 100 million plays of her songs, followed by Lebanese icon Fairuz with 67 million plays.
Biography
1983–2001: Early life and career beginnings
Nancy Ajram was born into a Lebanese Greek Orthodox Christian family on May 16, 1983, in Achrafieh, a district in Beirut, Lebanon. She is the eldest child of Nabil Ajram and Raymonda Aoun. She has one sister, Nadine, and one brother, Nabil Jr. Ajram was only eight when she started her journey singing the good oldies with her grandmother. She carried on with successful participation in children's contests in two local television stations, TL and LBC. In 1995, at the age of twelve, Ajram took part in a variety show, Noujoum Al-Moustakbal (English: Stars of the Future) on Future TV, a Lebanese reality television competition, which finds new solo musical talent. Ajram won a gold medal in the Tarab category after singing a song by Umm Kulthum. Ajram studied music with renowned Lebanese musicians and although she was less than 18 years old, the syndicate of professional artists in Lebanon accepted her as a member. At the age of 13, Ajram released her debut single "Kel Ma B'ello B Albi El Gheere" in 1996, followed by "Oulha Kelma" one year later. In 1998, she signed a recording contract with EMI and released her debut studio album Mihtagalak, followed by Sheel Oyoonak Anni (2001).
2002–2004: Breakthrough and new image
In early 2002, Ajram signed a contract with renowned Lebanese producer and artist manager Jiji Lamara, four months after his splitting with Aline Khalaf. They started working together in preparation for the third studio album shifting her musical style and image away from the decent girl. Ajram's breakthrough single, "Akhasmak Ah", was released in December. The music video caused a controversy; reminiscent of older Arabic films, she appeared as a café manager who dances and flirts with its customers. It received criticism from various news publications, and it was meant to be banned on several Arabic televisions due to its sexually suggestive content. However, in early 2003, Ajram rose to fame, propelled by the success of the single, and the release of her third studio album, Ya Salam which was a best-seller.
Her fourth album, Ah W Noss, was released on April 14, 2004, and it was also an important marking point in Ajram's career. The tremendous success that Ah W Noss achieved, stabilized Ajram's position as an A-List star in the Arab music industry. Ajram then filmed "Lawn Ouyounak" (Color of Your Eyes), which portrayed Ajram as a bride in a traditional Lebanese wedding. After the release of the album, Ajram signed-up with Coca-Cola to be their official celebrity spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa region. Her first Coke commercial featured her hit, "Oul Tani Keda?" (Say That Again?), which was filmed with the international Italian director Luca Tomassini. The commercial's success led to it being filmed as a music video behind the scenes of the commercial. The 4th hit single from the album, "Inta Eyh?" (What Are You?), was a slow composed by Samir Sfeir. Nadine Labaki directed another clip that featured Ajram as a wife who sees her husband cheating on her yet she hides it in torment to save their relationship. The music video received tremendous positive reviews and Ajram was greatly praised. Leading Egyptian actors and directors, like Faten Hamama praised Ajram's acting abilities and movie offers doubled for Ajram.
2005–2007: Ya Tabtab...Wa Dallaa and Shakhbat Shakhabit
Her fifth album, Ya Tabtab...Wa Dallaa was released on February 21, 2006. Ya Tabtab was considered Ajram's best album back then, with six music videos released, eight radio hits, and five songs used for commercials.
The title track's music video was Ajram's last collaboration with Nadine Labaki, as she then started working on her movie Caramel. Ajram then released the video of her Coca-Cola hit "Moegaba" (Admirer), as well as a video and commercial for her newly signed Damas Jewellery contract advertising their "Farfasha" set. The song used was "Ana Yalli" (I'm the One) which was promoted before the album's release. Ajram then cooperated for the first time with prominent Lebanese director Said El Marouk, filming "Ehsas Jdeed" (A New Sentiment) which is widely considered to be the most successful song of the album. The video, which was a salute from Said to his deaf and mute parents, depicted the story of a rich woman who falls in love with a deaf and mute man. In December 2006, Ajram performed alongside Lionel Richie in Egypt at a launching event. Later in 2007, Ajram released all together the video of "Elli Kan" (What Used to Be) for Damas's second campaign, her Coca-Cola Side of Life commercial featuring a new single "El Donia Helwa" (Life is Beautiful), and a video and album directed towards children, titled Shakhbat Shakhabit (Scribbled Doodles). "El Donia Helwa", Ajram's seventh commercial, is considered one of her most successful commercials representing her style and Coca-Cola's with colors, happiness, and music, and it led her to release a Live album featuring the single.
Ajram's first album which was fully dedicated to children included a variety of songs aimed towards teaching children good values and morals, something she has wanted to do for a long time. The music video was her second cooperation with Said El Marouk and featured four songs from her album, the most successful of which were "Shakhbat Shakhabit" & "Shater Shater". Ajram performed these songs at several fund-raising events for children and other children's events, such as the children's TV channel MBC3, and the children's entertainment TV Show "Star Zghar". She then filmed with Fadi Haddad, the director of photography of her previous works with El Marouk, a video for the song "Risala Lil Aalam" (A Message to the World) which talks about world peace. The video was released on May 25, 2008, the day the Lebanese president General Michel Suleiman was elected ending a deadlock that lasted since November. It was the first video for Ajram that had an entirely graphical world that implied the suffering of children worldwide and the need to bring out a more colorful and happy world for them. Old rumors claimed that the video was presented to the UNICEF.
2008–2010: Betfakkar Fi Eih, WMA, FIFA World Cup and Nancy 7
In February and March 2008, Ajram released three Coca-Cola commercials that featured a brand new hit from her long-awaited album. The song, "Meen Ghairy Ana (Noss El Kawn)" (Who Else But Me?) was made by the successful "Yay" and "Ana Yalli" trio, Nizar Francis, Samir Sfeir, and Tarek Madkour. The single was an instant hit and served as a highly successful promotion 5 months before the release of the album. Ajram released her sixth studio album after several delays on July 30, 2008. This long-awaited comeback album held many surprises for her fans with a huge change in her style that presented her matured vocal abilities like never before. Ajram's sixth album, Betfakkar Fi Eih, is considered to be one of her most successful albums so far as it won her first World Music Award in her career.
The album included her first "Tarab" song called "Biteegy Sirtak" since 1998's Mihtagalak album, and in general had a wide mix of several different styles ranging from dance, beat, pop, to drama, romance, Tarab and oldies.
Even though "Betfakkar Fi Eih" music video had mixed opinions, the second single video, "Min Dally Nseek" was much more accepted, peaking at No. 1 for seven consecutive weeks in Melody Hits. On November 9, 2008, about two months after her marriage, Ajram won her first World Music Award for her best-selling album Betfakkar Fi Eih. In her short speech, Ajram thanked her parents, Jiji Lamara, her fans and album makers, and husband, saying "2008 has been a fantastic year – a successful album, my wedding, and now a World Music Award, what can I ask for more?". The same musical trio who created "Ehsas Jdeed" did one of the instant radio-hits of the album, "Lamset Eed" (Touch of a Hand), which was filmed with Leila Kanaan with a high budget, and the song and music video peaked charts for months. With this album Ajram signed a celebrity endorsement deal with Sony Ericsson, as a special w595 phone was released holding Ajram's signature, and "Wana Ben Ideik" was chosen as the commercial song.
On September 28, 2009, The Oprah Winfrey Show aired an episode titled "Fame Around the World" that talked about the most famous celebrities around the globe in brief reports. Representing the Middle East region and Arab world, Ajram appeared in a report featured on the show and was described by Oprah as "the Britney Spears of the Middle East". Ajram is the first and only Middle-Eastern artist ever mentioned on the show.
In the summer of 2010, Ajram was nominated by Coca-Cola the Middle East to sing, along with K'naan, his international hit and song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, "Wavin' Flag". The Arabic version, titled "Shaggaa Be Alamak" and directed to the Middle East region, had its Arabic parts written by Ayman Bahgat Amar (who previously wrote Ah W Noss, Ya Tabtab and Eftah Albak for Ajram) and the music remastered by Tarek Madkour. The original music video was used for K'naan's parts while Ajram's parts were filmed separately in Lebanon on the same protocol under Leila Kanaan's co-direction. Both the video and song were aired heavily during the FIFA season and part of the song was particularly played during commercial breaks on Al Jazeera channel, which exclusively aired the games to the Arab world. One month later, Ajram filmed a commercial for her newly signed contract with Lactalis advertising their Lactel yoghurt.
On August 30, Ajram's official Facebook page posted a 16-second preview of the music video for Ajram's next single, "Fi Hagat". Later, it was announced that Nadine Labaki directed the video, thus making her comeback to music video direction after her 4-year break. The video is also the first collaboration between Ajram and Labaki since 2006's "Ya Tabtab". The full music video premiered on September 6, 2010, at 8:00 pm on Arabica TV and MTV Lebanon, the same day of her seventh full-length studio album release entitled Nancy 7. As of January 2011, Ajram became the first and most viewed Arabic music video owner on the Internet.
2011–2014: Super Nancy, Arab Idol and Nancy 8
In August 2011, Nissan chose Ajram to be the official ambassador in the Middle East and North Africa. On September 7, Ajram officially launched the all-new 2012 Nissan Micra at a special press conference in Lebanon.
On January 6, 2012, it was officially announced that Ajram won her second World Music Award as the World's Best-Selling Middle Eastern Artist for Nancy 7 album sales in 2011.
On September 13, 2012, Ajram released her second album dedicated to children, entitled Super Nancy with the lead single "Ya Banat". By the end of the moth, Anlene named Ajram their new regional Ambassador for the fortified adult milk brand. The commercial was filmed in August with Lebanese born American director Oliver Ojeil in Beirut. In a press conference held in Dubai on October 20, Ajram stated that she will help raise awareness of osteoporosis and bone health amongst women in the Middle East. A month later, it was officially announced in that Ajram joined the second season of the popular talent show Arab Idol, joining fellow judges Lebanese singer Ragheb Alama, Emirati singer Ahlam and Egyptian record producer Hassan El Shafei. After many delays, Ajram finally released her eighth full-length studio album entitled Nancy 8 on March 21, 2014, which has been highly anticipated by fans for almost four years. The album's lead single, "Ma Tegi Hena", was well received by music critics who compared it to "Akhasmak Ah," Ajram's breakthrough hit single. Two months later, Ajram received her third World Music Award as the best-selling Middle Eastern artist on May 27, 2014, in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
In September 2014, Ajram returned as a judge on the third season of Arab Idol. Three of the four judges, including her, returned with Ragheb Alama being replaced, after two consecutive seasons, by another well-known Lebanese singer, Wael Kfoury. A month later, October 2, 2014, Huawei announced Ajram as its Middle East and North Africa Brand Ambassador at the launch of the Ascend Mate 7 smartphone in Dubai. A day before, the TV commercial came out on Ajram's official Facebook page featured her hit "Nam Bi Albi" from Nancy 8 album, which was filmed with Lebanese director Said El Marouk and produced by Oliver Ojeil under the label of his production company Chiaroscuro Films. 48 hours later, the TVC reached 1 Million views.
2015–present: The Voice Kids, Nancy 9 and Nancy 10
In July 2015, Ajram was officially confirmed as a judge in the first season of the highly acclaimed TV show The Voice Kids alongside Kathem Al-Saher and Tamer Hosny. The show premiered on MBC1 on January 2, 2016. As of 2020, Nancy was still a judge on the show's 3rd and most recent season wherein her contestant won.
On its 20th anniversary, Home Centre announced Ajram as brand ambassador. During the launching event that took place on October 13, 2015, in Dubai, Ajram said: "I'm delighted to be part of the Home Centre family. Homes are an extension of one's personality through which they are able to express themselves and Home Centre very well gives you the kind of products that help you create that space. As someone who takes pride in my home, Home Centre is certainly a brand I can connect to. I look forward to our association in the months to come."
A year after Ajram began working on her ninth studio album, the single "Maakoul El Gharam" was released on November 15, 2015, which reached the No. 1 spot on Anghami, setting a new record in 12 hours; it was ultimately removed from the final track listing for her ninth studio album. Ajram returned as a judge on Arab Idol for its fourth season alongside fellow judges Wael Kfoury, Ahlam and Hassan El Shafei; the fourth season premiered on November 4, 2016.
On April 21, 2017, Ajram released her ninth studio album, Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek), through In2Musica. The album peaked at number one on the Hit Sorter'''s Best-Selling Albums Chart and remained atop for 16 continuous weeks since its release. The record topped Virgin Megastores sales in Lebanon for 4 continuous months, while in Egypt it remained atop for 15 continuous weeks, as well as in KSA, UAE and Bahrain for continuous weeks. The album was supported by the release of two singles, including the lead single "Aam Betaala' Feek", which broke a new record as the fastest song to reach one million streams on Anghami. The song also received commercial success, topping several Arabic music charts and radio stations for consecutive weeks.
In the Arabic dub of "Power of Four," a one-hour special episode of The Powerpuff Girls, Ajram voices the fourth Powerpuff Girl, Bliss, who appears in the episode. "Power of Four" premiered on Cartoon Network MENA on November 9, 2017.
In 2018, Ajram became the first Lebanese singer to surpass 100 million views on YouTube with her song "Ya Banat" on an unofficial YouTube channel. In September 2018, she released the single "Badna Nwalee El Jaw" first on Anghami and then on her official YouTube channel. It was followed by another single "Albi Ya Albi" in January 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ajram performed in an exclusive live concert on YouTube in May 2020, titled Hope Beyond Borders. It was followed by another live concert on TikTok in September 2020, titled The 2020 Live Show. The event was scheduled to take place in August but was delayed due to the 2020 Beirut explosion.
Ajram marked Mother's Day by releasing the song "Emmi" in March 2021. Between May and July 2021, she released four promotional singles from her upcoming tenth album. The album titled Nancy 10 was released on July 10, 2021.
On 25 July 2022, Ajram's single "Sah Sah" became the first Arabic language song to enter Billboards Dance/Electronic Songs.
Personal life
Ajram began dating the well-known Lebanese dentist Fadi El Hachem in 2005, after knowing him for several years as his patient. The couple managed to keep the relationship from the public and maintain their privacy until being photographed together during a trip to Tunisia. After a three-year relationship, the two married in an intimate ceremony attended by their immediate family and close friends in Cyprus on September 1, 2008. On her 26th birthday, May 16, 2009, she gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Mila. Ajram released a song for her daughter, "Ya Rabi Tekbar Mila" (I Pray For Mila To Grow Up) on the same day. In a survey done by Rotana Magazine, Ajram was voted as the "Most Beautiful Mom" of 2009. Ajram decided not to keep her daughter Mila from the public until they both appeared on the cover of Prestige Magazine in an exclusive photoshoot. Mila later appeared in the set of Ajram's "Ya Kether" music video in the presence of the media who publicized her pictures. On April 23, 2011, she gave birth to her second daughter, Ella, and released a song for her "Hadri Laabek" on the same day. On January 30, 2019, she gave birth to her third daughter, Lya. Four days later, Ajram released a song titled "Lya" for her.
Ajram is the most followed Arab celebrity on social media.
Philanthropy and humanitarian work
Ajram has participated in numerous charity events and concerts that she considers a priority in her music career. Ajram also released a song about peace, "Risala Lil Aalam" (A Message to the World), in her first children's album Shakhbat Shakhabit as a music video, which was rumored to be presented to the UNICEF. Ajram also participated amongst over 100 other prominent Arab artists in a huge operate called "Al Dhameer Al Arabi" (released on February 27, 2008), a 10-year sequel to "El Helm El Arabi" that outlines the major political events in the Arab world in the past ten years.
In June 2008, Ajram participated in The Big Ball, a charity event in Dubai which raised over Dhs 940,000 for helping underprivileged children by auctioning one of her favourite dresses and encouraging children's fund-raising events; she announced, "The Big Ball is doing a wonderful thing and I'm happy to support it. I'm coming for my love of children and because I want to help underprivileged children find a happy place in this world. Children inspired my latest album Shakhbat Shakhabit and especially the song "Risala lil Aalam" (A Message to the World)."
On October 22, 2009, the UNICEF chose Ajram to be the first female regional ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa, as was announced in a press conference held in Beirut. Ajram announced that she will be starting her charity projects in 2010. In late 2009 she appeared in the UNICEF's commercial marking the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, joining other influential Middle Eastern celebrities such as Kathem Al-Saher, Saber El Rebai, Mahmoud Kabil, Khaled Abol Naga, Djamel Laroussi, Caresse Bashar, Fayez Al Malki and Iranian actress Mahtab Keramati.
In 2013, Ajram performed the theme song for Worth 100 Men ("Bmeet Ragel" in Arabic) – a radio fiction series produced by The Womanity Foundation, which focuses on women's education, training and development.
Controversies
Ajram caused controversy in 2018 when her management team arrived during the Pride festival in Gothenburg and asked for all of the rainbow flags to be removed for her to perform. The Lebanese singer, Hamed Sinno criticized her on a Facebook post and said that they [Mashrou' Leila] played the festival opening while all the pride flags were up. Ajram later clarified through a tweet that it was neither her decision nor her management's to remove the pride flags, but rather the organizer's.
Trespassing incident
In the early hours of January 5, 2020, an armed trespasser named Mohamed Hassan Moussa broke into Ajram and her husband Fadi El Hachem's villa in Sehaileh, Keserwan District. During the break in Moussa was shot dead by El Hachem. Lebanese prosecutor Ghada Aoun later issued an arrest warrant for El Hachem and opened an investigation into the incident. Ajram herself sustained a minor injury on her right leg. On January 7, El Hachem was released from prison with prevention from travelling abroad until investigations are concluded. Ajram noted that her husband's "reaction to the killer was after intense threatening that took place for almost 6 to 7 minutes".
Local media sources reported that Moussa, who was born in 1989 in Basqala, Idlib Governorate, Syria, was married and a father. He used to work as a gardener for El Hachem, and had confronted his previous employer with a fake unloaded gun, asking for his unpaid salary. However, Ajram denied both that they knew Moussa and that he worked for them.
The trespasser was seen masked on CCTV footage, and was recorded waiting outside for a couple of hours before entering the villa, despite the presence of bodyguards. Later, he pointed a gun at El Hachem before he entered the children's room. At this point, El Hachem claimed that he acted in self-defense and shot and killed the trespasser. According to the forensic pathology report, Moussa was shot 17 times with a Glock 17 pistol: once in the right forearm, twice in the left shoulder, once under the left armpit, three shots in the chest, two shots in the abdomen, seven shots in the back, and one shot in the left thigh. In the meantime, Ajram was hiding in the bathroom shaking while calling her father. The family of the trespasser initially refused to take his corpse from the hospital, since El Hachem was released from custody before burial, which contradicts their traditions; however, they took the corpse to be buried in Damascus as investigations were announced to continue.
On November 24, 2020, El Hachem was charged with intentional murder; however, it was considered as a legitimate act of self-defense. On February 13, 2023, a local court issued its decision that cleared El Hachem from murder charges, as the family of the trespasser claimed that the latter should be liable to pay compensations. On October 2, 2023, the Court of Cassation issued its final verdict to clear El Hachem from all charges.
Discography
Studio albums
Mihtagalak (1998)
Sheel Oyoonak Anni (2001)
Ya Salam (2003)
Ah W Noss (2004)
Ya Tabtab...Wa Dallaa (2006)
Shakhbat Shakhabit (2007)
Betfakkar Fi Eih (2008)
Nancy 7 (2010)
Super Nancy (2012)
Nancy 8 (2014)
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek) (2017)
Nancy 10'' (2021)
Videography
Awards and titles
References
External links
1983 births
Living people
Singers from Beirut
Greek Orthodox Christians from Lebanon
21st-century Lebanese women singers
Lebanese pop singers
Singers who perform in Classical Arabic
Singers who perform in Egyptian Arabic
Lebanese women pop singers
Lebanese oud players
Lebanese film actresses
Lebanese television actresses
21st-century Lebanese businesswomen
Lebanese philanthropists
Lebanese humanitarians
Lebanese women philanthropists
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors
World Music Awards winners
Folk-pop singers
Universal Music Group artists
21st-century Lebanese businesspeople