Zein el Omr, born in the Bekaa, Lebanon, took the Arab world by storm back in 1994 with his single Kazdarna w Tal el Mishwar, which elevated the young teenager to national and Arab stardom in a few weeks. As the Arab world opened its arms to the charming young singer, his charismatic personality, his nostalgic voice, and his ability to master all styles of Oriental singing earned him a warm place in the majority of Arab hearts.
From the tender age of 12, Zein sang at school performances and family gatherings, and quickly acquired the ability to perform live. In 1989, Zein moved to a school in Montreal, Canada, and his talent soon became obvious to the Lebanese community in Montreal. The young boy started singing in Arabic nightclubs and at private parties and weddings, establishing a strong name for himself, and, in less than four years, became Canada’s hottest Arab star. In 1993, Zein moved back to Lebanon and released his debut single Wijik Kheir Aleina, which smashed into the Lebanese music charts at #1, and Zein began to receive recognition for his talent in his home country. The young star followed his first single by two consequent hits, La Ouyounak Inta Ya Helou and Ayel Mani Ayel. An album soon formed under the name Min Bein Kol el Bachar and was warmly received by a rapidly growing fan base.
In 1994, Zein released Kazdarna w Tal el Mishwar and was instantly rocketed to Arab stardom as the single shot to the top of music charts around the Arab world. The song was so popular among the French-Moroccan community that it was translated to French. For Zein el Omr, the journey of stardom had just begun.
The second album, Sameh, was even more successful and contained a number of hits including Nejmet Hayati, Ana Be’chaa Hali Fiki, and Sameh, which established the young star’s voice as one of the most impressive in the Arab world.
In 1996, Zein’s third album, Aala Zawki produced his folkloric hit Faya Mandilik and earned him even greater recognition for his powerful voice.
The subsequent album, Dari, featured some of Zein’s most romantic love ballads ever, including Khaliki Ma’i and Bhebbik, along with some great pop songs like Laziza and Habibi el Hob Hayarni.
Zein astonished his fans in the year 2000 by releasing a socio-political, patriotic song titled Chou Emeltelli Bil Balad – a cry of anguish at the social and political factors that are leading to the emigration of the country’s youth. The song was tremendously successful and earned Zein a Phoenix d’Or, the title of #1 singer chosen by University students, and larger recognition as an educated, serious artist. This hit was followed by Saket Ma Baddak Tehki, another intense, rebellious scream directed at national conscience.
In the year 2001, Zein El Omr won the Golden Murex Award (Murex D’Or) for the best song of the year for his song Shou 3meltelli bel balad. The song music was composed by Ziad Boutros and writen by Nabil Abou Abdo.
In 2001, Zein released Hibbini Aktar and in 2002 Ala Eyni, two singles that topped the charts around the Arab world. Zein was chosen for a second consecutive year by all University students in Lebanon as their #1 singer whose “songs reflect the spirit of the new generation.”
Zein el Omr has toured in Europe, America, Australia, and Canada and performed in major music festivals. Many of the Arab world’s greatest artists and art critics, including Wadih el Safi, Sabah, George Ibrahim el Khoury, Mohamed Ali Suleiman, and Mohamed Kabil have praised his voice and his captivating personality.
With each new release, Zein manages to top his previous successes and to show immense growth as a performing artist and as a person.
This article is courtesy of ZeinElOmr.com website