Four-armed and dark-complexioned Yama rides on his bejewelled and caparisoned buffalo. In his upper right hand is the danda (staff)

Yama's Court and Hell. The Blue figure is Yama with his consort Yami and Chitragupta.
A 17th-century Painting from Government Museum in Chennai.

In Hinduism, Yama (Sanskrit: यम) or Yamarāja (यमराज) is the god of death, belonging to an early stratum of Vedic mythology. In the Vedas, Yama is said to have been the first mortal who died. By virtue of precedence, he became the ruler of the departed.^{[citation needed]} There is a one-of-a-kind temple in Srivanchiyam, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to Yama.^{[citation needed]}

Mentioned by the Buddha in the Pali canon, Yama subsequently entered Buddhist, Chinese, Tibetan, Korean, and Japanese mythology as a wrathful god under various transliterations.

Hinduism[link]

Yama from Tibet

In Hinduism, Yama is the lokapala ("Guardian of the Directions") of the south. Three hymns (10, 14, and 35) in the 10th book of the Rig Veda are addressed to him. He has two dogs with four eyes and wide nostrils guarding the road to his abode (cf. hellhound). They are said to wander about among people as his messengers.^[1]

He was sometimes the son of Surya,^{[citation needed]} the sun god & Usha, and sometimes the son of Vivasvat & Saranya.^[who?] In Sanskrit, Yama's name can be interpreted to mean "twin",^{[citation needed]} and in some myths, he is paired with a twin sister Yami or Yamuna.^{[citation needed]} In these myths, they are the first pair of humans in the world.

In art, he is depicted with green or red skin and red clothes and rides a water buffalo. He holds a loop of rope in his left hand with which he pulls the soul from the corpse.

Yama's abode[link]

Naraka (Hindu)[link]

The Court of Yama, God of Death, circa 1800

Naraka in Hinduism is similar to the Christian Hell, but serves only as a temporary purgatory where the soul is purified of sin by its suffering. In Hindu mythology, Naraka holds many hells,^{[citation needed]} and Yama directs departed souls to the appropriate one. Even elevated Mukti-yogyas and Nitya-samsarins can experience Naraka for expiation of sins. The seven Narakas are: Athala, Vithala, Suthala, Paathaala, Mahaadhala, Rasaadhala, Dharaadhala.

Although Yama is the lord of Naraka, he may also direct the soul to a Swarga (heaven) or return it to Bhoomi (earth). As good and bad deeds are not considered to cancel each other out, the same soul may spend time in both a hell and a heaven. The seven Swargas are: Bhuvas, Swas (governed by Indra), Tharus, Thaarus, Savithaa, Prapithaa, Maha (governed by Brahma).

Naraka (Sikhism)[link]

The idea of Naraka in Sikhism is like the idea of Hell. One's soul, however, is confined to 8.4 million life cycles before taking birth as a human, the point of human life being one where one attains salvation, the salvation being sach khand. The idea of khand comes in multiple levels of such heavens, the highest being merging with God as one. The idea of Hell is like it comes in multiple levels, and hell itself can manifest within human life itself. The Sikh idea of hell is where one is apart from naama and gurus charana (God's lotus feet (abode)). Without naama one is damned. Naama is believed to be a direct deliverance from God to humanity in the form of Guru Nanak. A sikh is hence required to take the Amrit (holy nectar/water) from gurubani, panj pyare (khanda da pahul) to come closer to naama. A true Sikh of the Gurus has the Guru himself manifest and take that person into sach khand.

Naraka (Buddhist)[link]

Main article: Naraka (Buddhism)

Yama Nat in Burmese representation.

Naraka is usually translated into English as "hell" or "purgatory". A Naraka differs from the hells of western religions in two respects. First, beings are not sent to Naraka as the result of a divine judgment and punishment; second, the length of a being's stay in a Naraka is not eternal, though it is usually very long. Instead, a being is born into a Naraka as a direct result of his or her previous karma (actions of body, speech and mind), and resides there for a finite length of time until his karma has exhausted its cumulate effect.

Diyu (Chinese mythology) and Meido and Jigoku (Japanese mythology)[link]

Chinese Diyu, Japanese Jigoku, literally "earth prison", is the realm of the dead or "hell" in Chinese mythology and Japanese mythology. It is based upon the Buddhist concept of Naraka combined with local afterlife beliefs. Incorporating ideas from Taoism and Buddhism as well as traditional religion in China, Di Yu is a kind of purgatory place which serves not only to punish but also to renew spirits ready for their next incarnation. This is interchangeable with the concept of Naraka.

In Japanese mythology Enma-O or Enma Dai-O judges souls in Meido, the kingdom of the waiting dead. Those deemed too horrible are sent to Jigoku, a land more comparable to the Christian hell. It is a land of eternal toil and punishment. Those of middle note remain in meido for a period awaiting reincarnation. Others, of high note, become honored ancestors, watching over their descendants.

Related concepts[link]

Yama and Ymir[link]

In a disputable etymology, W. Meid (1992) has linked the names Yama (reconstructed in Proto-Indo-European as *yemos) and the name of the primeval Norse frost giant Ymir, which can be reconstructed in Proto-Germanic as *umijaz or *jumijaz, in the latter case possibly deriving from PIE *ym̥yos, from the root yem "twin". In his myth, however, Ymir is not a twin, and only shares with Yama the characteristics of being primeval and mortal. However, Ymir is a hermaphrodite and engenders the race of giants.

Yama in Iranian mythology[link]

A parallel character in Iranian mythology and Zoroastrianism is known as Yima Xšaēta, who appears in the Avesta. The pronunciation "Yima" is peculiar to the Avestan dialect; in most Iranian dialects, including Old Persian, the name would have been "Yama". In the Avesta, the emphasis is on Yima's character as one of the first mortals and as a great king of men. Over time, *Yamaxšaita was transformed into Jamšēd or Jamshid, celebrated as the greatest of the early shahs of the world.

Yama in Javanese[link]

There is Yamadipati in Javanese culture, especially in wayang. The word adipati means ruler or commander. When Hinduism first came to Java, Yama was still the same as Yama in Hindu myth. Later, as Islam replaced Hinduism as the majority religion of Java, Yama was demystified by Walisanga, who ruled at that time. So, in Javanese, Yama became a new character. He is the son of Sanghyang Ismaya and Dewi Sanggani. In the Wayang legend, Yamadipati married Dewi Mumpuni. Unfortunately, Dewi Mumpuni fell in love with Nagatatmala, son of Hyang Anantaboga, who rules the earth. Dewi Mumpuni eventually left Yamadipati, however.

See also[link]

• Death (personification)
• Mrtyu
• Yama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology)
• Yama (Hinduism)
• Ymir

References[link]

Amr Abdol-Basset Abdol-Azeez Diab (Arabic: عمرو عبد الباسط عبد العزيز دياب‎; born 11 October 1961)^[1] is an Egyptian singer and composer of geel music; the contemporary face of Egyptian el-geel pop music, according to World Music. Diab is the best-selling Arab recording artist of all time, according to Let's Go Egypt. He was awarded the World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist four times: 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2009.He is currently one of the top singers in the Arab world, and considered a living legend by many of his fans in the Arab world.

Amr Diab is known as the Father of Mediterranean Music.^[2][3][4] He has created his own style which is often termed "Mediterranean Music" or "Mediterranean Sound", a blend of Western and Egyptian rhythms.^[5]

In The Mediterranean in Music, David Cooper and Kevin Dawe referred to his music as "the new breed of Mediterranean music".^[6]

According to author Michael Frishkopf, Amr Diab has produced a new concept of Mediterranean music, especially in his international hit, "Nour El Ain".^[5]

In his analysis of The Very Best of Amr Diab album, Victor W. Valdivia of Allmusic said: "His music melded traditional Arabic sounds and textures with Western rhythms and instruments. The mesh was dubbed Mediterranean music, and The Very Best of Amr Diab displays Diab's superb skill in creating it."^[7]

According to the BBC, Diab "has ruled the Arab music world, especially Egypt and the Middle East, since the mid '80s, continually breaking sales records".^[8]

Musical career[link]

In 1983, Diab released his first studio album, Ya Tareeq. Diab released three more albums between 1984 and 1987. 1988's "Mayaal" garnered huge success all around the Middle East. It was produced, arranged and remixed by German musicians, Frank Von Dem Bottlenberg and Jörg Evers, with various releases. More success followed in the following years including the albums Shawakkna, Matkhafesh, and We Yloumouni.

Amr Diab quickly developed fame for his new style of "Pan-Mediterranean" Arabic music, fusing touches of flamenco and raï with western pop with traditional Arabic rhythms. B1992, he became the first Arabic artist to start making high-tech music videos.^[5]

"Habibi" from Diab's 1996 album, Nour El Ain became a hit worldwide, and was remixed by many of the world's top DJs at the time.^{[citation needed]} A special CD named Habibi: The Remix Album was released later with all of these remixes. Since then, Diab has remained at the top of the Arabic music scene, expanding reach to all parts of the Mediterranean with his 1999 release, Amarain, that featured duets with Algeria's king of rai Khaled in a song called "Qalbi" and Greece's Angela Dimitriou in "Ana Bahibak Aktar" and "Eleos". "Tamally Maak" from Diab's 2000 album became a huge success. Leily Nahari, Diab's first album with Rotana Records, was released in 2004. Diab's album El Leila De was released in the summer of 2007 and topped the Arabic music charts for 22 weeks. Diab received a World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist for the album. In 2008, Diab renewed his contract with Rotana for five more years.^{[citation needed]} In 2009, Diab released a new album Wayah.

Influences and contributions[link]

Diab revolutionized Egyptian show business in several respects,^{[citation needed]} and some of his biographers have referred to him as rebellious, because he challenged everything in Middle Eastern show business, from hairstyle and appearance to music style, presentation, and the financial scale of his projects.

Diab’s blending of Western rhythms with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music styles created a new music style, referred to as Mediterranean music. His song “Tamalli Ma’ak”/“Always With You,” wherein he introduced classical guitar, is a good example of the genre.

The world's perspective[link]

Diab is one of the most popular and acclaimed Arab pop singers of the modern age.^{[citation needed]} In 1997 he won three awards at the Annual Arabic Festival; one for Best Video, for Best Song, and for Best Artist of the Year. The following year Diab received a Triple Platinum Award for the sales of Nour El Ain and also received a World Music Award in Monaco.

Albums[link]

[edit] Nour El Ain

In 1996, Nour El Ain (Light of The Eye – Sight) was released, becoming a tremendous success not only in the Middle East but throughout the entire world. The song was composed by Nasser el-Mizdawi, lyrics were written by Ahmed Sheta and it was arranged by Hameed Elshaery. The title track, and its English version "Habibi", was an international phenomenon, becoming a massive crossover hit in countries such as Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka (performed by Sangeeth Wickremasinghe) and Malaysia (Malay version sung by Datuk Sharifah Aini). The song was remade with Malayalam lyrics, a south Indian language, in the Malayalam movie Chandralekha. In a style reminiscent of the Aldo (musician) Franco-Arabic style, the song was remixed by several top European arrangers and has become a big pull on the dance floors of Europe. The video clip, also produced by Alam El Phan for the song "Nour El Ain", was one of the most lavish and expensive productions in the field of Egyptian song, and set a new standard for his contemporaries to aspire to. This album sold 3 million copies. In 1997, Amr Diab won three Awards at the Annual Arabic Festival (for Best Video, Best Song and Artist of the Year). In the following year, he received a Triple Platinum Award for the sales of Nour El Ain, and received a World Music Award in Monaco on 6 May 1998, under the patronage of H.S.H. Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and attended by Gloria Estefan, Céline Dion, Mariah Carey, The Backstreet Boys, Steven Seagal and others. This award was the first of its kind for an Egyptian artist, emphasizing that his appeal is not just confined to the Middle East unlike the majority of his contemporaries.

[edit] Awedooni

His follow-up studio album entitled Awedooni (they made me used to...) was released in July 1998, and as with Nour El Ain (the light of the eye) it was produced with Hamid El Shaery and recorded in Cairo, Egypt. The first video from the album, the title track "Awedooni" (they made me used to...), was shot by the river Nile in Egypt and directed by Tareq Al Aryan. Like its predecessor, this album was a huge success for Amr and reinforced his popularity in the Arab world and abroad.

[edit] Amarain "Two Moons" in English

Diab released his July 1999 new studio album Amarain (two moons), which is hailed as the best work of his career to date.^{[citation needed]} Amr is working on eagerly anticipated duets with the France-based international Rai superstar, Khaled of "Didi" fame, and with the Greek singer, Angela Dimitrou, whose crossover smash "Marguerites" was a huge hit across the Middle East in 1998. The title track "Amarain" was the first video to be broadcast.

[edit] Tamally Ma'ak

In July 2000, Diab revolutionized Arab music when he issued Tamally Ma'ak (I'm Always With You). The song was composed by Sherif Tag, a modern Egyptian Composer. He introduced the Spanish guitar in his song "Tamally Ma'ak" and in other songs. The clip of this song was made in the Czech Republic with much success. The album contained songs like "El Allem Alla" (Only God Knows), "Ba'terf" (I Confess) which were composed by Amr Mostafa the best middle-eastern composer, "Sa'ban Alaea" (It Makes Me Feel Sorry) and "We Heya Amla Eih" (And How Is She?). The song "Tamally Ma'ak" was even copied in the hit Bollywood song "Kaho Na Kaho" from the film Murder and also "I'm Calling U" by the group, Outlandish.

[edit] Aktar Wahed

Aktar Wahed was released on 1 August 2001. The album's name is short for one of the songs, "Aktar Wahed Beyhebbak" (One loves you the most). It contains 10 tracks and received the World Music Award for the best-selling album in the Middle East for 2001.

[edit] Allem Albi

In February 2003, Diab released Allem Alby (Teach My Heart). The album's release date was arranged to be with the debut broadcast of Alam El Phan's (Allem Alby's production company, owned by Mohsen Gaber) music channel "Mazzika".

The album was a great success, with the release of the video "Ana Ayesh" (I'm Alive) which was directed by Stuart Gosling. The video was intensely broadcast on Mazzika. The album contains other songs, like the R&B-influenced hit, "Allem Albi". Others that tend to be more distinctively Arabic-sounding are songs like "Kolohom" (All of Them), "Law Ash'any" (If You Adore Me), and "Alli El Wadaa'" (Goodbye To Me).

[edit] Leily Nahary

In late summer 2004, Diab's first album with Rotana was released, titled Leily Nahary (My Nights, My Days). The album's cover was from the promotional photo shoot of Pepsi. The video "Leily Nahari" directed by Cameron Casey provided aid to give Diab his space in the record-exclusive music channels. It was criticized because of its similarity to his previously unreleased video for "El Alem Allah" from the album Tamally Ma'ak. This album sold over 1.5 million copies.

[edit] Kammel Kalamak

Diab's album Kammel Kalamak, released on 14 December 2005, was the follow-up to Leily Nahary. The album cost a reported $4 million to record, and was Rotana's biggest album of 2005. The love ballad "We Malo" was released as the single of the album, Kammel Kalamak. The music video was shot in London and was released on a late notice after the release of the album. Rumors surfaced in late 2005 and early 2006 stated that Amr is considering terminating his contract with Rotana due to the poor promotion of his latest album, Kammel Kalamak.

[edit] El Leila De (Tonight)

The album El Leila De was originally set to be released after Ramadan 2006. However, it was pushed back several times due to Diab's repeated changes in the musical producers he was dealing with. Diab attributes the changes to the producer's lack of new and strong styles. In early 2006, Music Arranger Fahd was supposed to work on this album; however, later that year Tarek Madkour joined Amr Diab, and they started together to work on it. On 25 March 2007, Madkour's official website announced that Amr Diab and Madkour had decided jointly to skip the collaboration on the album due to the lack of time and conflicting working schedules. Fahd and a new producer called Hasan Al Shafei are elected to produce the music in the album, which is supposed to hit the markets in July 2007. The title of the album was changed from Khaleek Ma'aya to El Leila De. After the release Amr, shot a new Pepsi advertisement in Europe. On 21 June 2007, two of the biggest sites (AmrDiabWorld.com & AmrDiab.info) for Amr Diab announced that the album, now entitled El Lilady, would hit the market on 7 July 2007. The album would contain 10 tracks; AL Shafei and Fahd shared the production Al Shaei 7 songs & Fahd 3 Songs. Before releasing his album, Diab traveled to Portugal to shoot the new Pepsi ad choosing "Inta El Ghaly" song from his upcoming album El Leila De as the ad music. Amr then traveled to the USA to film the music video for his upcoming album.

The album master copy was given to Rotana, Amr Diab's CD production company, on the last week of June to meet the 7 July 2007 release date he had planned earlier. Rotana, however, has delayed the release of the new CD for a couple of days for unknown reasons. The album has also been leaked. The album was officially released on 11 July 2007. The album has already become a huge hit in Egypt and all over the Middle East. The album sold over 1,000,000 copies in only 5 days of release. The video clip has been slated for a 27 July release. The song that Diab chose to film was "N'eoul Eih", which is in the new style of House Music mixed with oriental Arabic music. The video clip was filmed in Santa Monica and Malibu, and also near Hollywood.

On 27 July, Rotana News announced that El Leila De had sold over 5 million copies in less than two weeks in the Middle East, which gives the album a good chance to surpass Kammel Kalamak's 3 million copies only. On 30 October 2007, the management of the World Music Awards announced that Amr Diab was to receive an award for best selling artist in the Middle East for this album. Amr Diab received the award in the festival that was held in Monaco, Monte-Carlo, on 4 November 2007.

[edit] Wayah (With Her) (2009)

The world music award of for the best-selling album in the Middle East 2009 Wayah (With Her) was released for sale on the internet on 27 June; however, the album was leaked online and was downloaded illegally amid complaints of slow download speed on the official site. Diab's fans initiated a massive boycott of the sites with the illegal copies^[9] and by 3 July 2009 Wayah had sold more than 1.5 million copies in the first week.^[10] Later on Amr Diab's administration announced that the album has become the highest-selling album in Diab's career. This album sold 3 million copies.^[11]

On 18 October 2009 Amr Diab won four 2009 African Music Awards in the following categories: best artist, best album, best vocalist and best song for "Wayah" and Amr Diab has been nominated by the Big Apple Music Awards^[12]

[edit] Aslaha Betefre' (2010)

Amr Diab has released a mini album for the first time in his career history, produced by Rotana, in July 2010. The mini album contains 1 song with 3 arrangements (Original song + Club Mix + Karaoke).

[edit] Banadeek Ta'ala (2011)

In May 2011, it was announced that Amr Diab's new album (at the time titled Heya Hayati) was slated for an Eid Al Fitr release. Due to the unstable political situation in Egypt, the album was pushed back and delayed until further notice. In late August 2011, Amr Diab's official website announced the new album's final title, "Banadeek Ta'ala" and Rotana slated the album for a 28 September release. The album contains 12 songs that include: Banadeek Ta'ala, Heya Hayaty, Aloomak Leh, Aref Habibi, Maly Enaya, Yaret Sennek, and Tagreba o Addet. The album is arranged by Adel Hakki and is produced by Rotana.

Music videos[link]

Diab is one of the first singers to popularise music videos in the Arab World, and the first Egyptian singer to appear in music videos.^[5] With the exception of his very early releases, all of his albums have had at least one song shot as a music video. Diab has collaborated with a variety of music video directors in the Middle East, including Tarek El-Erian and Sherif Sabri.

The most anticipated video clip of 2007, N'eoul Eih, was released on 14 August that year on Rotana TV. It was broadcast minutes later on Egyptian television on "El Beit Betak". The video was a great success.

6 August 2009 witnessed the release of Amr Diab's latest video clip for his smash hit Wayah. Working alongside Cameron Casey and [Leily Nahari] for a second time, Amr Diab presented a fresh video clip which was filmed mostly on Green Screen and in Amr Diab's personal villa in Cairo, Egypt. The biggest surprise was the appearance of Amr Diab's children alongside his niece, who represented the younger generation of children who are still inspired by the music of Amr Diab.

Diab also filmed "Ba2dem Alby" which was released on Valentine's Day.

[edit] El Helm/The Dream

The Dream or El Helm is a biographical TV production produced by Amr Afefy that gives viewers the story of Amr Diab's life. The show consists of 12 episodes and began airing on 24 December 2008. El Helm is narrated by actor Ezzat Abou Ouf and includes interviews with Diab and people he worked with throughout the span of his career. The show, which aired on Rotana TV, saw great success and was preceded by one of the biggest advertising campaigns in the history of Middle Eastern music.

Film career[link]

Diab's fame in the music industry has led him to experiment with other forms of media, such as film. Amr played himself in his first film, El Afareet, which was released in 1989. The film also starred Madiha Kamel. His second film Ice Cream in Gleam (Ays Krim fi Glym), the 1992 movie in which Diab starred, was chosen as one of the best five Egyptian musical films by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. The film was also featured in the UCLA Film and Television Archive's new program "Music on the Nile: Fifty Years of Egyptian Musical Films" at James Bridges Theater, UCLA, 6, 8 and 10 April. David Chute of the Los Angeles Weekly termed the film "observant" and "a big leap".^[13] His third movie was released in 1993, and was named Deahk We La'ab (Laughter and Fun). The film premiered in the Egyptian Film Festival in 1993. Amr played alongside international Egyptian movie star Omar Sharif (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago) and Yousra in the movie. Overall, Diab did not experience the same level of success in film that he had with his music career. Since 1993, Diab has focused on his singing career.

Egyptian uprising[link]

A few days after former President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, Amr Diab composed and sang a memorial song, "Masr A'let",^[14] and released it in conjunction with a music video showing pictures of the martyrs who died in the uprising. He also initiated a charity campaign "Masry Begad" ("Real Egyptian"), a social national program aimed at serving and rebuilding Egyptian society. His online radio station Diab FM often presents talks and discussions about what Diab FM team can offer to the community as well as applying it practically by being present in different sites across Egypt with a new humanitarian project each week.^[15]

Endorsements[link]

Amr Diab has taken part in an internationally known Pepsi commercial featuring four other pop musicians: Beyoncé Knowles, Pink, Jennifer Lopez, and Britney Spears. In the US version, Enrique Iglesias takes the role of Caesar. But in the pan Arab version, the three American singers were retained but the male figure was replaced with Diab. This was not the first Pepsi commercial Diab has done; he also filmed commercials featuring his songs "Ana Aktar Wahed" (I'm the most), "Allem Alby" (teach my heart) and "Khad Alby Ma'aa" (She took my heart with her). Diab also appeared in a commercial alongside Jennifer Lopez, singing The Troggs hit "Wild Thing". In 2009 Pepsi decided not to renew his contract. In 2010 he was the star of "Hayat" bottled water campaign.

Local record labels[link]

Diab's earliest albums were released by Delta Sound. In 1996 Diab moved to Alam Al Phan where he released his greatest hits. In between 2003 and 2004, and after a long successful career with Alam El Phan, Diab officially announced the termination of his contract with Mohsen Gaber (owner of Alam El Phan) and move to the company that owned by Prince El Waleed Ebn Talal, Rotana Records and the owner of part of media huge muscel [Fox].

International record labels[link]

Over 18 international companies have produced studio albums, compilations and exclusive music for Amr Diab across the globe.

• Ariola - Germany
• Hot Records - Germany
• EMI Music - Greece
• EMI Music - Arabia
• EMI Music - Turkey
• EMI Music - Canada [Hemisphere]
• EMI Music - Europe
• EMI Music - International
• World Music Network - USA
• George V Records - France
• Putumayo World Music - USA
• Wagram Music - France
• Virgin - International
• Nascent - UK
• Milano 2000 - Italy
• Reverb Music - UK
• Toast Records - Italy
• Warner Bros. - France

Collaboration with international musicians[link]

Various international musicians have collaborated with Amr Diab:

• Stuart Crichton (The founder of Progressive House)
• Frank Von Dem Bottlenberg - Germany
• Jorg Evers - Germany
• Shazz (Didier Delesalle) - France
• Klubbheads (Koen Groeneveld and Addy van der Zwan) - Dutch
• Phunk Phorce (Leon and Matthew Roberts) - UK
• Rhythm Masters (Robert Bruce Chetcuti and Steve McGuinness) - UK
• Pete Beachill - UK
• Simon Gardner - UK
• Andy Greenwood - UK
• Kevan Gallagher - UK
• Jon Bishop - UK
• Juan Cerro - Spain
• Angela Dimitriou - Greece

Amr Diab in movies[link]

Amr Diab's songs have appeared in several films, including:

• "Wala Ala Baloh" in Divine Intervention (2002)^[16]
• "Awedouni" in The Dancer Upstairs (2002)^[17]
• "El Alem Alah" and "Nour El Ain" in O Clone (2001)^[18]
• "Nafs El Makan" in Double Whammy (2001)^[19]
• "Tamally Ma'ak" and "Nour El Ain" in the French movie, Coco (2009)
• "Nour El Ain" in Malcolm in the Middle TV series (Season 4, Episode 4, Episode name: Stupid Girl), released on 9 January 2000 (USA)^[20]

"Wala Ala Baloh" in The Dictator 2012

Further reading[link]

• Mediterranean Mosaic by Goffredo Plastino
• Egypt by Virginia Maxwell, Mary Fitzpatrick, Siona Jenkins, Anthony Sattin
• World Music by Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham, Richard Trillo, Orla Duane, Vanessa Dowell
• Teens in Egypt by Barbara A. Somervill
• Syria & Lebanon by Terry Carter, Lara Dunston, Andrew Humphreys, Damien Simonis
• World Music by Richard Nidel
• The Mediterranean in Music by David Cooper, Kevin Dawe
• The Middle East by Library Information and Research Service
• Let's Go Egypt by Let's Go, Inc., Joey Shabot, Dave Newman, Elizabeth Ogburn, Charlotte Houghteling

Official Albums

• 1983: Ya Tareeq (يا طريق - O Road)
• 1985: Ghanny Men Albak (غنّي من قلبك - Sing From Your Heart)
• 1986: Hala Hala (هلا هلا - Welcome, Welcome)
• 1987: Khalseen (خالصين - We're Even)
• 1988: Mayyal (ميّال - In Love)
• 1989: Shawaana (شوقنا - Missing You)
• 1990: Matkhafeesh (متخافيش - Don't Worry)
• 1991: Habiby (حبيبي - My Love)
• 1992: Ayamna (أيامنا - Our Days)
• 1992: Ice Cream Fi Gleam (أيس كريم في جليم - Ice Cream In Gleam)
• 1993: Ya Omrena (يا عمرنا - Our Life)
• 1994: W Ylomoony (و يلوموني - And They Blame Me
• 1994: Zekrayat (ذكريات - Memories)
• 1995: Ragaeen (راجعين - We'll Be Back)
• 1996: Nour El-Ain (نور العين - Light Of The Eye)
• 1998: Awedoony (عوّدوني - They Got Me Used To)
• 1999: Amarein (قمرين - Two Moons)
• 2000: Tamally Maak (تملي معاك - Always With You)
• 2001: Aktar Wahed (أكتر واحد - The Most One)
• 2003: Allem Alby (علم قلبي - Teach My Heart)
• 2004: Leily Nahary (ليلي نهاري - My Night, My Day)
• 2005: Kammel Kalamak (كمّل كلامك - Keep Talking)
• 2007: El Leila De (الليلا دي - This Night)
• 2009: Wayah (ويّاه - With Her)
• 2010: Aslaha Btefre' (اصلها بتفرق - Because She Makes A Difference)
• 2011: Banadeek Ta'ala (بناديك تعالى - I'm calling you come )

Unofficial Albums

• 1984* Forsan Asia ( Asia Knights - فرسان آسيا )
• 1986 Menin Ageeb Nas (Where Can I Get People - منين أجيب ناس ) - ( Yanabee' El Nahr TV Series - مسلسل ينابيع النهار )
• 1986* Ya Helwa ( Sweetie - يا حلوة )
• 1987 Assef ( Sorry - آسف ) - ( Assef la yogad hal akhar TV Series - مسلسل آسف لا يوجد حل آخر )
• 1999 The best of Amr diab ( أحلى ما غنى عمرو دياب )
• 2002 Rewind
• 2004 Amr Diab Greatest Hits (1986–1995)
• 2005 Amr Diab Greatest Hits (1996–2003)
• 2005 Mateftekrish ( Don't Even Think - ماتفتكريش )
• 2009 Henyet El Donya ( Tenderness of Life - حنية الدنيا )

(*/ unconfirmed Date)

Concerts[link]

Amr Diab held so many concerts in the Arab World and around the world. Every year, one of his main concerts is held by the Mediterranean at the exclusive Egyptian resort city, Marina El Alamein. In addition, he holds an annual spring concert (The Carnival) at the American University in Cairo. In 2011, he held six concerts in the USA and 1 concert in Toronto, Canada.

References[link]

1. ^ "Bio". IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0229018/bio. 
2. ^ Lesswing, Bryan (October 2009). "Sounds of the Middle East, Minnesota provide options for listeners". The DePauw. http://www.thedepauw.com/features/sounds-of-the-middle-east-minnesota-provide-options-for-listeners-1.1993168. Retrieved 20 December 2009. 
3. ^ Crane, Kelly (April 2010). "Egyptian superstar Amr Diab is set to rock Dubai". Gulf News. http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainment/music/egyptian-superstar-amr-diab-is-set-to-rock-dubai-1.615728. Retrieved 24 April 2010. 
4. ^ Matt, Ross (January 2011). "Q&A: Amr Diab". Rolling Stone Middle East. http://www.rollingstoneme.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43. Retrieved 5 January 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d} Frishkopf, Michael (2003). "Some Meanings of the Spanish Tinge in Contemporary Egyptian Music". In Plastino, Goffredo. Mediterranean mosaic: popular music and global sounds. Routledge. pp. 145–148. ISBN 978-0-415-93656-9. http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/~michaelf/Some%20Meanings%20of%20the%20Spanish%20Tinge.pdf. Retrieved 4 June 2009. 
6. ^ Cooper, David; Kevin Dawe (2005). The Mediterranean in music: Critical perspectives, common concerns, cultural differences. Scarecrow Press. p. 117. ISBN 0-8108-5407-4. 
7. ^ Valdivia, Victor W.. "The Very Best of Amr Diab". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r565771. Retrieved 4 June 2009. 
8. ^ JJC (August 2005). "Ghana's Tic Tac, Nigeria's Ayetoro and Egypt's Amr Diab". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/africabeyond/africaonyourstreet/hosts/jjc/17911.shtml. Retrieved 4 June 2009. 
9. ^ "Amr Diab's album sweeping cassette market". Musicananet. 30 June 2009. http://www.musicananet.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=831:2009-06-30-21-53-47&catid=55:2009-02-18-21-10-52&Itemid=93. Retrieved 2 July 2009. ^{[dead link]} (Arabic)
10. ^ "Amr Diab sales exceed one million and a half". Musicananet. 3 July 2009. http://www.musicananet.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=851:2009-07-03-20-27-58&catid=55:2009-02-18-21-10-52&Itemid=93. Retrieved 2 July 2009. ^{[dead link]} (Arabic)
11. ^ Salman (20 April 2010). "Amr Diab in Dubai". DubaiMoves. http://www.dubaimoves.com/9944/amr-diab-in-dubai. 
12. ^ Khaled Taha (25 October 2009). "Amr Diab wins four African Music Awards" (in Arabic). ART. http://artonline.tv/Entertainment/newsdetails.aspx?newsID=17963. Retrieved 28 October 2009. 
13. ^ Chute, David; Irene G. Behnan (8 April 1999). "All Singing! All Belly-Dancing". Los Angeles Weekly. http://www.laweekly.com/1999-04-08/film-tv/all-singing-all-belly-dancing/2. Retrieved 4 June 2009. 
14. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsxyHbWY71s
15. ^ http://diabfm.com/masry-begad
16. ^ "Soundtracks for Yadon ilaheyya". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274428/soundtrack. Retrieved 11 June 2009. 
17. ^ "Soundtracks for The Dancer Upstairs". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118926/soundtrack. Retrieved 11 June 2009. 
18. ^ "Soundtracks for O Clone". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289800/soundtrack. Retrieved 11 June 2009. 
19. ^ "Amr Diab Filmography". Yahoo! Movies. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1809493507. Retrieved 11 June 2009. 
20. ^ "Malcolm in the Middle, Season 4, Episode 4 notes". CNET Network: TV.com. http://www.tv.com/malcolm-in-the-middle/stupid-girl/episode/187386/trivia.html. Retrieved 12 October 2009. 

External links[link]

• http://www.amrdiab.net/ - Official Website
• http://amrdiabworld.com/ - Official Online Store
• http://DiabFM.com/ - Official Online Radio

Cheb Bilal (born Bilal Mouffok) is a well-known raï singer. He was born on July 23, 1966 in Cherchel, Algeria.

Career[link]

Bilal spent much of his youth in Oran, Algeria where he studied at the conservatory of music. He was raised by his grandfather.

Initially, Cheb Bilal performed at weddings and festivals around Oran. In 1980, he created the group El Ahouar. In 1989 he went to Marseilles, France, which he described as a turning point in his career.^[1] He also spent much of his time on the prision of "l3awad" in Kenitra ( Morocco). He is a well-known singer in morocco.

It is said^{[by whom?]} he gained his inspiration from former legendary singer Abdul.

References[link]