Samira Said
Encyclopedia
Samira Said
Samira Said ( (native name: Samira Bensaïd) (born January 10 1959) is an Egyptian
-Moroccan
singer.
. She began singing at the age of 9 and she was discovered on a music program on Royal Moroccan TV, "Mawaheb," alongside another popular singer, Aziza Jalal
, when she was 17. She was quickly recognized as a young prodigy. She began singing professionally, encouraged by her family and backed up by important people in the Moroccan music scene like Al Rashdi and others.
In a short time, Samira Said became one of the leading names in her home country, recording many popular Arab songs such as "Kifash Tlakina" ("How we Met"), "Fayetli sheftek shi marra" ("I've seen you once") and "Sarkouh" ("They Stole Him"), not to mention "Al Behhara" ("Mariners"). Her best known singles at this time included "Maghlouba" ("Beaten") and "Wa'ady" ("My Love").
Samira represented the Kingdom of Morocco in the Eurovision Song Contest
singing 'Bitaqat Khub
', a song that was a messenger of peace in the midst of Arab-Israeli tensions in their heyday. The song placed 18th in a pool of 19 contestants, and so far, has been the only entry by Morocco (or any other Arab country) at Eurovision.
Thriving in the Moroccan music scene, Samira decided to turn her past failure into a constructive experience. Already an authority in the Moroccan music scene and with good personal savings, Samira Bensaid traveled to Egypt
, the epicentre of art and Arab songs in the pre-oil era. There, she started another chapter of her singing and artistic career.
Samira connected with the Arab singer Abdul Halim Hafez and Abdul Wahhab, to finally meet Baligh Hamdi
. Her financial status also made her transition to Egypt a smooth one. In Egypt, she could chose the right composers for her songs. But her transition to Egypt was welcomed with some unease amongst the Moroccan public. She stayed a regular visitor to Moroccan music festivals and sung fully in Egyptian.
, Helmi Bakr and Mohamad Al-Mouji.
Said's idol and close friend Abdel Halim Hafez encouraged Said to expand her career in which she followed and did.
In 1980 Said sang Morocco's only entry in the Eurovision Song Contest
. The song, "Bitaqat Khub
" ("Love Message"), written by Malou Rouanne and composed by Abdel Ati Amenna came 18th out of the 19 competing countries.
Said's performance of "Alemnah Al hob", on Layali Television in 1980, is credited with making her well known in Egypt. Said is known for her selectivity of both songs and accompanists, having worked with several well known composers and lyricists. As a result, many of her songs have won critical acclaim, including "Asmar malak", "Malak moch zay aweydak", "Sayidati anissati sadati", "Ech gab li gab", "El Leila dee", "Min ghir sabab", "Amrak ajib", "Al gani Baad Yomeen", "Mosh Hatnazel Anak" and "Alf Leila wal Leila".
She continued to release material including “Aiwa Bashta’lak Sa’at” ("Yes, sometimes I miss you"), a sultry jazz track and “Oyoonak Alit” ("Your eyes say so") and Al Gani Ba’d yomein ("He came two days later").
Said's work drew upon and crossed many musical styles and genres ensuring the continued expasion of her fanbase. A significant change in direction came with the release of “Al Bal” ("On my mind"). The title track was popular in the Arab world along with other tracks such as “Halit Malal” ("Situation of Boredom") and the “Beteegee witimshee” ("You come and you go".) On the subsequent "Rohi" ("My soul") album, Said continued to collaborate with new producers and lyricists experimenting with sounds influenced by her Moroccan heritage.
In 2000, she released the single “Lailah Habibi,” ("One night, my love") which went on to win the best video award in the Arab world for 2001. The album of the same name contained ballads such as “Te’dar Te’oli” ("Can you tell me?"), jazz influenced numbers like “Malee,” ("What's it got to do with me?") and traditional Arab songs including “Beyban Alaya” ("It shows in me").
Her popularity continued to rise in 2002 with the release of “Youm Wara Youm” ("Day after Day") by the commercial “Alam El Phan” record company. The title track of the same name, is a collaboration with Cheb Mami
. Launched in Virgin Megastores in Dubai and Beirut, the album went on to achieve further international recognition.
In 2003, Samira Said won a World Music Awards
. The 2003 World Music Awards (15th annual 2003 World Music Awards
) were held on 12 October 2003 in Monaco. Awards are given based on worldwide sales figures for that year. Samira won also the BBC Awards for world music for the best artist in the Middle East with her album 'Youm Wara Youm'. In fact, Samira Said has won more than 40 awards around the Arab World.
In the summer of 2005 Said performed at the Carthage Festival in Tunisia, singing a collection of songs in dialects varying from Moroccan to Egyptian and Lebanese. She followed this success with 'Aweeny Beek' ("Make me stronger") which had its title track shot in Barcelona (Spain) and went on to sell more than 5,600,000 copies.
In January 2006, she sang 'Kollena Ensan' ("We are all human") in French, English, and Arabic during the African Cup Of Nations
in Cairo. Samira Said has significantly supported AIDS
awareness in the Arab world, as well as rallying European and African stars to raise funds for earthquake victims across North Africa
.
Samira has performed across the world, raising awareness of significant issues, the latest being HIV/AIDS. She performed in front of Pope John Paul II
at the Vatican
and gave support to out-of-status immigrants in ill-served suburbs in France
. She has also sung for the people of Gaza
and supported a Jewish-Arab understanding. Samira Said is a proud custodian of peace and intercultural, interreligious understanding and has throughout adopted a neutral stand towards Egyptian papparazzi. She's also respected and strongly admired by her host country Egypt where she's become almost at home and to whom she has shown a lot of love, attachment and gratitude. This country has shaped her international career and has boosted her international career, rounding off her musical talents emerging since her very young age.
Diva of Arabic Music is what Samira Said Fans like to call her. This is due to her ever changing style and image in her music and appearance.
Today, she is loved and respected by people from all over the Arab world from Tangiers to Damascus. She has lately been the recipient of a worldwide award in London for best singer in North Africa/ the Middle East and model humanitarian artist. In Morocco today, Samira is viewed as the strong model of womanhood that stood as a great ambassador for her country overseas. The Moroccan public admire her and respect the guts she has had to trace her gigantic paths in the Mashreq (the Eastern hemisphere of the Arab world.) After all, as Abdul Wahhab the genius composer and singer of Egypt once said in a TV interview,
"Samira is the epitome of extreme intelligence in her ability to assimilate Mashriqi singing, even though bathed in a somehow different tradition."
Samira Said ( (native name: Samira Bensaïd) (born January 10 1959) is an Egyptian
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
-Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
singer.
Early career
Samira Said was born and raised in RabatRabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
. She began singing at the age of 9 and she was discovered on a music program on Royal Moroccan TV, "Mawaheb," alongside another popular singer, Aziza Jalal
Aziza Jalal
-Career:Aziza Jalal is a native of Meknes, Morocco. She began singing professionally at the age of 14 on Moroccan TV. Encouraged by her family, she began her career by participating in talent shows. Her first appearance on television was in the show "Mawaheb"....
, when she was 17. She was quickly recognized as a young prodigy. She began singing professionally, encouraged by her family and backed up by important people in the Moroccan music scene like Al Rashdi and others.
In a short time, Samira Said became one of the leading names in her home country, recording many popular Arab songs such as "Kifash Tlakina" ("How we Met"), "Fayetli sheftek shi marra" ("I've seen you once") and "Sarkouh" ("They Stole Him"), not to mention "Al Behhara" ("Mariners"). Her best known singles at this time included "Maghlouba" ("Beaten") and "Wa'ady" ("My Love").
Samira represented the Kingdom of Morocco in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
singing 'Bitaqat Khub
Bitaqat Khub
Bitaqat Hub was the Moroccan entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980, performed in Arabic by Samira...
', a song that was a messenger of peace in the midst of Arab-Israeli tensions in their heyday. The song placed 18th in a pool of 19 contestants, and so far, has been the only entry by Morocco (or any other Arab country) at Eurovision.
Thriving in the Moroccan music scene, Samira decided to turn her past failure into a constructive experience. Already an authority in the Moroccan music scene and with good personal savings, Samira Bensaid traveled to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, the epicentre of art and Arab songs in the pre-oil era. There, she started another chapter of her singing and artistic career.
Samira connected with the Arab singer Abdul Halim Hafez and Abdul Wahhab, to finally meet Baligh Hamdi
Baligh Hamdi
Baligh Hamdi ' was an Egyptian composer who created hit songs for many prominent Arabic singers, during the 1960s and 1970s especially.-Early years:...
. Her financial status also made her transition to Egypt a smooth one. In Egypt, she could chose the right composers for her songs. But her transition to Egypt was welcomed with some unease amongst the Moroccan public. She stayed a regular visitor to Moroccan music festivals and sung fully in Egyptian.
International career
Once in Cario, In the early 1975s, Said recorded "Al hob Elli Ana Aichah", a song composed by Mohamad Sultan. She went on to record with significant influences in the Egyptian music scene, including Baligh HamdiBaligh Hamdi
Baligh Hamdi ' was an Egyptian composer who created hit songs for many prominent Arabic singers, during the 1960s and 1970s especially.-Early years:...
, Helmi Bakr and Mohamad Al-Mouji.
Said's idol and close friend Abdel Halim Hafez encouraged Said to expand her career in which she followed and did.
In 1980 Said sang Morocco's only entry in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. The song, "Bitaqat Khub
Bitaqat Khub
Bitaqat Hub was the Moroccan entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980, performed in Arabic by Samira...
" ("Love Message"), written by Malou Rouanne and composed by Abdel Ati Amenna came 18th out of the 19 competing countries.
Said's performance of "Alemnah Al hob", on Layali Television in 1980, is credited with making her well known in Egypt. Said is known for her selectivity of both songs and accompanists, having worked with several well known composers and lyricists. As a result, many of her songs have won critical acclaim, including "Asmar malak", "Malak moch zay aweydak", "Sayidati anissati sadati", "Ech gab li gab", "El Leila dee", "Min ghir sabab", "Amrak ajib", "Al gani Baad Yomeen", "Mosh Hatnazel Anak" and "Alf Leila wal Leila".
She continued to release material including “Aiwa Bashta’lak Sa’at” ("Yes, sometimes I miss you"), a sultry jazz track and “Oyoonak Alit” ("Your eyes say so") and Al Gani Ba’d yomein ("He came two days later").
Said's work drew upon and crossed many musical styles and genres ensuring the continued expasion of her fanbase. A significant change in direction came with the release of “Al Bal” ("On my mind"). The title track was popular in the Arab world along with other tracks such as “Halit Malal” ("Situation of Boredom") and the “Beteegee witimshee” ("You come and you go".) On the subsequent "Rohi" ("My soul") album, Said continued to collaborate with new producers and lyricists experimenting with sounds influenced by her Moroccan heritage.
In 2000, she released the single “Lailah Habibi,” ("One night, my love") which went on to win the best video award in the Arab world for 2001. The album of the same name contained ballads such as “Te’dar Te’oli” ("Can you tell me?"), jazz influenced numbers like “Malee,” ("What's it got to do with me?") and traditional Arab songs including “Beyban Alaya” ("It shows in me").
Her popularity continued to rise in 2002 with the release of “Youm Wara Youm” ("Day after Day") by the commercial “Alam El Phan” record company. The title track of the same name, is a collaboration with Cheb Mami
Cheb Mami
Ahmed Khelifati Mohamed better known by his stage name Cheb Mami , is an Algerian-born raï singer...
. Launched in Virgin Megastores in Dubai and Beirut, the album went on to achieve further international recognition.
In 2003, Samira Said won a World Music Awards
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
. The 2003 World Music Awards (15th annual 2003 World Music Awards
2003 World Music Awards
The 2003 World Music Awards were held on 12 October 2003 in Monaco. Awards are given based on worldwide sales figures for that year. Big winners of the night was 50 Cent, who took home four awards and t.A.T.u...
) were held on 12 October 2003 in Monaco. Awards are given based on worldwide sales figures for that year. Samira won also the BBC Awards for world music for the best artist in the Middle East with her album 'Youm Wara Youm'. In fact, Samira Said has won more than 40 awards around the Arab World.
In the summer of 2005 Said performed at the Carthage Festival in Tunisia, singing a collection of songs in dialects varying from Moroccan to Egyptian and Lebanese. She followed this success with 'Aweeny Beek' ("Make me stronger") which had its title track shot in Barcelona (Spain) and went on to sell more than 5,600,000 copies.
In January 2006, she sang 'Kollena Ensan' ("We are all human") in French, English, and Arabic during the African Cup Of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
in Cairo. Samira Said has significantly supported AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
awareness in the Arab world, as well as rallying European and African stars to raise funds for earthquake victims across North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
Samira has performed across the world, raising awareness of significant issues, the latest being HIV/AIDS. She performed in front of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
at the Vatican
Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...
and gave support to out-of-status immigrants in ill-served suburbs in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. She has also sung for the people of Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
and supported a Jewish-Arab understanding. Samira Said is a proud custodian of peace and intercultural, interreligious understanding and has throughout adopted a neutral stand towards Egyptian papparazzi. She's also respected and strongly admired by her host country Egypt where she's become almost at home and to whom she has shown a lot of love, attachment and gratitude. This country has shaped her international career and has boosted her international career, rounding off her musical talents emerging since her very young age.
Diva of Arabic Music is what Samira Said Fans like to call her. This is due to her ever changing style and image in her music and appearance.
Today, she is loved and respected by people from all over the Arab world from Tangiers to Damascus. She has lately been the recipient of a worldwide award in London for best singer in North Africa/ the Middle East and model humanitarian artist. In Morocco today, Samira is viewed as the strong model of womanhood that stood as a great ambassador for her country overseas. The Moroccan public admire her and respect the guts she has had to trace her gigantic paths in the Mashreq (the Eastern hemisphere of the Arab world.) After all, as Abdul Wahhab the genius composer and singer of Egypt once said in a TV interview,
"Samira is the epitome of extreme intelligence in her ability to assimilate Mashriqi singing, even though bathed in a somehow different tradition."
Personal life
Samira Said has been married twice, previously to musician Hani Mhanna. She married for a second time in 1994, to an American-established Moroccan businessman, Mustapha Ennaboulssi. She has one son, Shady (b. 1995).Discography
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Further reading
- Women of Fes: ambiguities of urban life in Morocco:Singing to So Many Audiances by Rachel Newcomb, by Rachel Newcomb, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2009 - 236 pages. ISBN 081224124X, 9780812241242.
- La religion de la vie quotidienne chez des Marocains musulmans: rites, règles et routine: de Jean-Noël Ferrié, by Jean-Noël Ferrié, KARTHALA Editions, 2004 - 242 pages. ISBN 2845865651, 9782845865655 .
- Égypte de Jean-Paul Labourdette, Dominique Auzias, by Jean-Paul Labourdette, Dominique Auzias, Petit Futé, 2007 - 472 pages. ISBN 2746919729, 9782746919723.
- The hustle and women and little-known writer, by Badr Ali, by Badr Ali, AIRP, 2005 - 222 pages. ISBN 9953367140, 9789953367149.
- Iraqi Maqam voices of women: an analytical study of the critical technical experience of Iraqi women in singing Almqami, by Hussein Azami, by Hussein Azami, AIRP, 2005 - 316 pages. ISBN 9953366772, 9789953366777.
- Songs and stories, by Karīm Irāqī, by Karīm Irāqī, Company Whites of Arts and Letters, Volume 1 de Aghānī wa-ḥikāyātuhā, Karīm ʻIrāqī - .
External links
- SamiraSaid.com, All about Samira Said
- MySpace.com, Samira Said Myspace Site
- SamiraSaid Tweets, Samira Said Tweets Diva.vze.com
- MySpace.com, Samira Said Myspace Site
- Ayamhayati-Samirasaid.blogspot.com, Ayaam Hayati Album
- BBC.co.uk, Awards for World Music 2003: Samira Said Artist Profile BBC Radio
- BBC.co.uk, Samira Said: Youm Wara Youm, Review by Garth Cartwright, 16 November 2007, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- Mazzika.tv, Mazzika Alam El Phan
- Awards 2003, Listen to the sounds of all the nominees for the BBC Awards for World Music at the BBC website