X Factor Arabia Latest Stunning Updates

X Factor is very close to ending its successful run, they names of the bands and performers is getting shorter by the week, and I think we have surpassed the half point. Every week, the show loses a band/artist. The Egyptian hip-hop R&B band seems to all but have secured winning the first season--if they do they might be the first band to win such a show in the Arab world

Every act is trying to win the title, each has a story to tell, and each wants that contract, but most of all winning the people and their votes. I feel Ibrahim Abdel Azim from Libya might be in the danger zone. Same goes for the Miraya band, they may also be in the same position.

I feel the Moroccan contestant, Mohammed El Rifi will go far, he is the treat that everyone loves, so mark my word he will be among the three finalists. The same goes for Hossam from Lebanon for starter the show is being filmed in Lebanon and I think he will be in for some time. If talent is the only way, the kid from Oman will be traveling far, the dude is a beast on stage--not a great choice.

Marwa had a good night, and the judges showered her with praises. She got better, but not sure if she has the vocal muscles to shine. Iman had a classical song to cover, I think she did well and owned the song--I loved how she took the song and made it work for her. Each judge loves his/her teams, but this is becoming harder to hide as the list narrows.

وملخص الاداء - العروض المباشرة 4 - vote promo The X Factor 2013


 Young Pharoz - العروض المباشرة - الاسبوع 4 - The X Factor 2013


ابراهيم عبد العظيم - العروض المباشرة - الاسبوع 4 - The X Factor 2013


فرقة مرايا - العروض المباشرة - الاسبوع 4 - The X Factor 2013


محمد الريفي - العروض المباشرة - الاسبوع 3 - The X Factor 2013


المنتصر بالله - العروض المباشرة - الاسبوع 4 - The X Factor 2013

Video: Khaled Selim Enables Saudi Racing Fans On MBC "Driven"

What's with Khaled Selim, the once beloved pop star and cars? I have no idea. Dudes and bros like sweet rides and talk about them like they would talk about gorgeous women. I have never been obsessed with cars, but I know many how do. So, Saudis who have been seeing a surge in death due to a number of racing accidents, are about to get a new racing show.

The show will air on MBC Action and I am seeing a Lebanese racer in an energy drink car ready to do some stunts. I think it's irresponsible to do these shows when last week few young Saudi died in a car racing accident. Driven is the name of the show and Khalid will help bring in new viewers to this new show. This show is on its third season now and more to come.

There has been many stars on this show before, and simply put you cannot stop young people form doing crazy stunts that might lead to their death.

Khaled Selim ...Promo Program DRIVEN S3

The X Facror Arabia Celebrates With Angham "أنغام "

XFactor Arabia had Angham on yesterday and the people on the show showered her with love. She brought her usual warmth and dapper outfits for the show. She is the classy lady who keeps a distance between her person and her fans. As an artist she is very accessible.

She is a fine lady who has rocked the stages around the Arab world, she communicated her emotions, but is a fun person to interview  because she is always open and honest in her conversation. she does not do canned answers as you will see.

Angham was the life of the party, her unique style is so hard to copy. She is the heart and the mind of the women where the conflicts rest. No other woman can expresses the complexity of being a woman as much as Angham has done. There's a halo around her when she takes on the stage, and she brings out the best listener and music appreciator in the attendees.   

This must have been a night to remember on the popular show. She has two looks and each of them were a hit. She rocked the in studio audience and the judges sat there and perhaps learned some of her secrets. I only wish she sang live, she has the talent, but the technical stuff might have been the roadblock. 

أنغام - الحلقة الثانية - The XTRA Factor 2013 لقاء المطربة


أنغام - أنا نفسي أحب - العروض المباشرة 3 - The X Factor 2013


أنغام - مهزومة - العروض المباشرة 3 -

Bassem Yousef Shouldn't Go To Jail, But He Should Think Twice

The famed Egyptian host of some TV show with satire news is being sued. For more on his legal woes, visit this Arabic link it details some of the charges. To be clear, Baseem is no hero of mine. You too should be tired of being told who your heroes are. I am sick of lies circulating around the internet that conservative Muslims are the ones who want Bassem Yousef in Jail. I think it's safe to say, a lot of business interest people want to see him in jail. This is not a joke, you see laws of defamation and libel are tricky even in the West. You could be in serious trouble if someone has a serious case against you.

Per US Legal Journal

Most defendants in defamation lawsuits are newspapers or publishers, which are involved in about twice as many lawsuits as are television stations. Most plaintiffs are corporations, businesspeople, entertainers and other public figures, and people involved in criminal cases, usually defendants or convicts but sometimes victims as well. 

Bassem is not doing his show for free, he has a contract worth millions, and with that comes a great deal of prestige and access. I bet he enjoys all that fame and media attention he received from around the world. I love how American media is using this ordeal to further damage Egypt and get back at president Morsi--the guy who won an election.

I have one question, do you think if Bassem Yousef was a support of the president of Egypt, the international media would care what happens to them? No! Not in a million year. It's all about self-interest. CNN and such follow Bassem only because he is casing trouble in Egypt and because he is critical of the democratically elected president.

All he has to know, those media folks who cheer him on, will be with him so long as he stays on the same page with them. The moment he tries to do or say something un-american or hostile to the West, they all will jump ship. So he would lose at home and lose abroad.

Every night of the week, Bassem Yousef finds a way to call the Morsi an idiot, and when he is not on air, he is tweeting about him. As someone who holds freedom of speech to be absolute  I know there is no such thing.

Bassem Yousef is milking his 15 minutes of fame, and his friends are talking about him as if he is some modern-day Martin Luther King. MLK did not have a million dollar contract, MLK did not insult people for money, MLK did not try to embarrass his foes. Let's stop pretending Bassem is fighting the good fight. He is just fighting for a pay check.

Now, I do not want to see him jailed for stuff he said, he should not have to be subjected to a witch haunt. He must now know, that he is playing with the fat cats, and if he tries to rock the boat too much, he would be shown the door.

On another note, is Bassem Yousef being patriotic? I do not think he puts Egypt first! It only takes one deranged person to ruin the reputation of an entire nation, Bassem Yousef has entertained so many people and in the process he has mocked all things that make Egypt the place loved by so many people. Because last thing, Egypt needs is a voice that promotes divisions.

If things get serious  I am certain he would not have a hard time moving somewhere else and doing his who--I think he might actually end up doing that, I see him doing his show in Dubai or even Beirut. It's sad but Egypt right now is in a delicate state.  

Funny Clip For Those Who Know Their Arabic Pop

People who follow singing competitions will tell you, funny stuff happen all the time. But no one can outdo this clip from a B movie movie where an actor is taking part of one of those shows and he mocks half a dozen of Arabic pop references.

While the singing is funny, the lines and the actor's performance are the real deal. You really cannot translate the clip into English because it's play on words, names of celebrities and songs. I find it funny, I hope you do too.

مقطع مضحك من فيلم-اخر كلام

WATCH: The Arabic X Factor Airs الحلقة الأولى كاملة - تجارب الأداء

Pepis is dancing as the latest singing competition show airs in Arabia, the X Factor brings together four of the true biggest pop stars in Arabia are set to judge the show. Three Lebanese and one guy from the United Arab Emirates. Egypt is missing, but at least three of those singers are a huge draw in Egypt.

The first episode aired with an introductory tone by talking up the stars who will judge the upcoming singers. It's an education too. 25 thousand young voices from all over the Arab world wanted to join in, only few will make the cut. The good news, the winner will get a contract for a music label  and will be touring around as the Pepsi star. That means good voice won't cut it, you need to have that personality and sexy attraction to be the worthy winner.

We are months away from that time, but the four stars will make sure we are entertained. I hope this show does not turn them from greats to goats. You have to be in the age range of 16 to 80 years old. Four different groups based on age and gender. Not sure how different this will be from the Voice, it sounds similar to me. Note how the voice over is in Egyptian.

I will follow it when I sense there is a reason to do so. I give it to the production company for singing the four best and most relevant voices in today's pop scene. I love the exchanges between the judges, Hussein Al Jassmi, Elissa, Carol Samahe, and Wael Kfoury are making sure we are tuning in.


 الحلقة الأولى كاملة - تجارب الأداء - The X Factor 2013

Three Sisters Soup Dana/ Mai / and-Mais Airs On MBC

The Hamdan girls are very talented bunch, together that have excelled in just about every from of entertainment there is to have. Dana, Mai and Mais, sing, act do radio, dance, comedy and host shows. Each of them is talented in a different way, but they can do the same thing and have manged to cultivate a large audience.

This time the three sisters will join forces and appear in a new show "Sisters Soup" which will air on MBC. This is a triple threat for three lovely sisters who are hell bent on entertaining their fans wherever they are. They will use their skills and connections with other stars to lure them into appearing on their show. The hope is to get the star to share some of the intimate details and most private personal traits on the show.

I can see the three sisters ganging up on their guests and having their way. The guests will be tested and put on the spot, the way they react will be very telling. The show will have music, fashion, humor and few other surprises. Their first guest is going to be opinionated pop composer and singer Amr Mostafa.
Sisters' Soup عمرو مصطفي - حصريا في رمضان

WATCH: The X Factor Arabia Judges Promo 2013 اكس فاكتور ٢٠١٣,

The British are coming to invade the Arab world once more time, this time they are doing it through shows like the X Factor. Yes, I know this is the hundredth singing competition program, but it seems they have truly scored some of the biggest names in Arabia pop to judge the show.

Three Lebanese (Wael Kfoury, Elissa and Carol Samahe), and one hit maker form the United Arab Emirates Hussein Al Jassmi. The panel of four judges will be providing their skills, personalities and celebrity status to bring rating to the program, which will air on Lebanese network MTV.

Such shows are advertiser's wet dream, Pepsi seems to have a lot of control over the X Factor and its various editions around the globe. I am sure people will watch this show for few reasons I can think of. For starter, those are all hot names and active in making pop music. Second. those names do not particularly give many interviews, so people are hungry to get a peak at those celebrities when they are being themselves.

The first episode will air on February 8th, and the promos are already dazzling us with what to come.
  
The X Factor Arabia Judges Promo


The X Factor Arabia - إكس فاكتور فى الوطن العربى

Why Do I Hate Comedian Bassem Youssef So Much

I was one of the few people who first spoke about the new comedic guy who Egypt who satirizes the news. Read This post dated March 2011, when no one knew who this guy was. I dubbed him the Jon Steward of Arabia then and loved his show with passion. But now I am starting to see some push back against this show of his. A number of Facebook groups have emerged chronicling his insults and attacks (here).

Slowly, the former surgeon has been gaining fans and rocking the boat with his jokes and zingers. I loved him and thought he was the missing breeze the comedic world in Arabia has been missing. Naturally, his success has made a lot of people happy as he was their cash cow. A Little known TV network took a chance with him, and ended up making a killing in advertising revenues.

As his popularity skyrocketed and his fan base grew, Bassem Youssef started to creep into politics and developing idea of his own. He was prompted by his popularity, and he started biting more than he could chew. In a second he has turned himself into a leader of those lazy people who are too tired to do their own research on crucial issues. It's really the easiest thing in the world to shoot someone down, he is like that cynical colleague who shoots down every idea before it picks steam.

Another issue with him is his repeated attacks on news anchors and talking heads. The world according to Bassem Youssef is pretty simple. There are two kinds of people he makes fun of. the ones he calls Mubarak folks, and lunatic Muslims. He has bullied so many of them and has even stepped on their own freedom of speech. Some of those names have sued him for defamation.

I do not think Egypt needs that cynicism, they need someone to tell them calm down, go to work and everything will be OK. "You Got Screwed",  "Your President Hates Your Country" are examples of the last thing people who live in a transitional phase. Egyptians are emotional people and when you come such statements on TV, some of your audience are not on the joke. So causing chaos, confusion and distrust are few of the things Bassem Youseef and his show promote.

Bassem Youseef talks on his show like he hates current day Egypt, but remember there would be no chance for this once promising surgeon to be able to say what he has been saying now. The Mubarak folks would have sent him away in some dark corner. He seems to forget that, at least he is broadcasting from downtown Egypt with a lot of freedom--and a large bank account.

He disguises his jokes are creative thinking and pass them as noble ideas. It seems that he would ally himself with any force to embarrassed the president of Egypt. Like the day he appeared on CNN talking about a video of the president speaking about Israelis. It did get him on CNN, and he did put his president to shame, I hope it feels good knowing he is damaging the Egyptian brand on the world's stage with his lame attempts at being a serious journalist.

I have no love in my heart for Islamic parties, but I know this, if they won an election, I have to give them the benefit of the doubt. They need to be given a chance. Like Bassem Youseef, those people are educated and love Egypt. He is no better than them, and he certainly should not be putting words on their mouth. He needs to understand that he has now more responsibility, enough with getting the rest of the world to laugh at the Egyptians  Laughing with them is something that we all agree on.    

He is a gifted comedian, like the 90 million Egyptians who are well known for their humor and funny take on things. He just used more graphics and props, and I give him that he does know how to take advantage of his face expressions. I think he needs to take a serious look at his next step, does he want to tell jokes or does he want to be a political analyst? You really cannot do both! You can either take the president to take, or you can tell jokes about him.

Other issues with this comedian is his lax use of sexual terms and suggestive languages to force the laughs. Dirty jokes are known to be easy to come up with, but he should not be telling them during prime time when many families are watching with their little ones. He belongs to a group of exclusive elite media who fault the conservatives for existing. I see a difference between freedom of speech and incitement parties like the one on every night with Bassem Youssef. There's a lot to make fun of, complicating the already heated political scene in Egypt hardly helps.

Some independent observers and media personalities have taken issues with the show. So the media has never been kind to Islamists, and some of them Islamists are pretty dumb no question. But they are not all the same, and they are not all on the same level. I think his sketches and shows should come with a warning like Tobacco, and alcoholics drinks. My question to him, is it worth to make a million dollar if the price was sending your country in further chaos?

باسم يوسف الوسادة الرئاسية فى برنامج البرنامج.




    

Dancing With The Arab Stars Will Air Soon

Thanks to many Lebanese networks, and a lot of Saudi cash, Arab networks are just about out of Western TV shows to adapt. The latest show to be taken into the Arab world is "Dancing With The Stars" and they are hiring talents for the dancing portion of the show.

First pick is Lebanese dance lady and the one whose hips have never told a lie Myriam Faris. Now, Arabia knows this girl, lady, chick knows how to dance. This time she will not sing as she does her thing. The show will air this December and Myriam will be a judge on the show. MTV Lebanon will air the show.

Not sure what kind of Arab stars will be wiling to show off their moves with a partner. Dancing is kind of an overlooked skill in the Arab world. Will we have some TV personalities form outside Lebanon on the show? Maybe some politicans who like to dance for the media, can now dance for our entertainment.

Myriam fares rags nar - ميريام فارس رقص نار

The Fake Lady Meets The Scumbag Dude

His shoe has been called Almoolid, which is the Egyptian version of a country fair. They are often fun and help change any child's memory. He is Saad Al Soghayer and he happens to be Egypt's most dancing man and dirtiest too. He speaks from the gutter and pretends to be a real man where he is a dictator and everyone sucks up to him.

She is so plastic and has always been one dimension facade, self satisfied with a good voice and a shitty persona  She should have never acted in the first place. Dolly Chahine In my book she is that girl that had a really catchy song 7 years ago. She likes to take about her Brazilian Lebanese mix Now not sure what she offers.

Dolly appeared on Saad's show where he pledged to hit her if she did not listen to him and do what he asks her to do. He is wrong to say that and she is mistaken to give a low live a chance at being a TV host. This is a 2010 show that nobody has noticed until they got sued their year for copyright infrigment--there is a claim, that they show stole the idea from a poet Ahmed Abu El Footoh
دولى شاهين فى برنامج المولد 2011مع سعد الصغير

WATCH: Elissa's Most Recent Appearance And Performance

You may think the world of your songs, as an artists, but if the people do not think much of your song, it's not a hit. I have heard it many times, artists think some of their son gs are overlooked--they may be right. But if the song does not make it on its own, it's worth moving pass it.

The timing of the song may not be perfect, the music might be crowded, some disaster people are watching on the news, may bury your songs, but at the end of the day, if your fans do not ask for it, it does not matters. Luckily, Lebanese romance pop songstress Elissa did not have to deal with this problem. She may not had a New Year concert, but she was not to be missed on TV.

Eight out of ten of her songs make it and please folks out there. She might not be so great in live performances  she sounds convincing on CD. One thing, she does right is make the right call. She is a control freak when it comes to choosing her songs--I have heard stdio operators complain about how she is hard to please. I do not blame her, she knows her fans and knows her strength.

For example, take her most recent appearance on TV--she was the guest of honor at sawt-al-hayat, the popular reality show about singing and competition among up and coming Egyptian talents. She really looked good, she seems to have never looked better than she did that night, and people just adore her outfit.

اليسا - اسعد واحدة / صوت الحياة - الحلقة 13


Elissa - Interview أليسا صوت الحياة


Elissa's Word @ Sout Al Hayat Prog -- كلمة اليسا فى برنامج صوت الحياة

Arab Idol Season 2 Cairo Casting With Wama Ahmed Fahmy

Hundreds of folks turned out to the Arab Idol casting call in Cairo, only few of them will see the bosses. But to make sure the casting works out well, the organizers brought Ahmed Fahmy to take charge of the process. The singer actor Ahmed Fahmy will be filming the casting process, talking to the people with dreams who want to appear on the show.

Fahmy will also travel to Morocco to film. This is a chaotic scene with a lot of opinionated young people who want to get Fahmy's attention. I do not like how they treat the people on the set, this is not a perfect way to deal with young people who have nothing but dreams. And yes, these people can also be annoying.

الموسم التاني من عرب ايدول (BESHOOo


 احمد فهمى فى فندق شيراتون لتقديم اراب ايدول 2

Faux Pas When Lebanese Songstresses Fake It

The fuax pas is not limited to a certain person, it's an error or a blunder when someone tries to do something but fail. This is specially interesting to see Lebanese entertainers who are hungry for money and have little dignity try to pass themselves as something they are not.

I am not talking about plastic surgeries  looks, or dance acts. There are plenty of examples of that. But today, I have run into a clip of two youngish Lebanese females entertainers on a UAE TV, when the show host asked them to speak in the local dialect. Naturally  guys like to see women try to get out of their comfort zone.

I do not think Yara and Myraim are best of friends -note how Myriam tried to ignore Yara when she greeted the panel. They are both two pop stars who are in it for a quick paycheck. They were asked to show off their dialect, and it seemed forced. Both tried to outdo the other, giving that both of them have have released an album with that dialect, it's a shame they would do anything asked of them on such shows.

ميريام فارس و يارا يتحدثون بالهجة الامراتية

Mourad Bouriki Post The Voice Interview And Reception At Home

The Saudi news network caught up with Mourad Bouriki the Moroccan winner of the Voice, he chatted with them about his singing style, the show and how it feels. We learn that his mom prayed for him and asked him to win the title for Morocco--a country that does not tend to do well in such shows.

The young winner did not think he would win the title, he knew he had three strong rivals--two of them scared him. But it seems that his Andalusia style of singing and Arabic Tarab have rubbed people the right way, and they have voted for him. He can do high and low pitch songs and people appreciate that. He is one of those original flavored that connect listeners with the past. I think with the help of Red One, the world class music producer, Mourad can be a true star.

The Voice 2012 / لقاء مع مراد بوريقي بعد فوزه بلقب احلى صوت


مراكش تستقبل نجم The Voice بحرارة في ليلة باردة جداً

Picture: The Coolest TV Show Set You Will See

It took the city of Dubai to come up with a really cool TV set for a live show. Dubai's international TV has a show which films in front of a live aquarium. I do not think I ever saw such a thing before and I really love my TV. This has to be a good idea as if the show was not good on a given day, the fishes will makeup for that.

The image is taken for Lebanese singer Bassel Eid who was visiting Dubai for a concert. The interview was part of the show "In Beirut" hosted by Ghona Amyoni. The singer spoke about his latest singles and his activities. The singer spoke about his humor and odd filled music video--see below.

Bassel Eid - Abbouta / باسل عيد - عبوطة
  

See New Pictures For Nancy Ajram On Arab Idol 2

Nancy Ajram made her first appearance on Arab Idol's second season. I am calling it for Arab Idol 2 to be the highest rated show on TV. Now that they have the Arab world's biggest star and most likable personality, they have nothing to fear.

She appeared on the set and took some pictures with the show presenters and judges....Ragheb Alama looks happy but Ahlam does not seem to be thrilled to be on the same panel as Nancy Ajram--who shows a lot of love to her peers.

Not sure how much money Nancy Ajram charged to take part of this show, but I am sure it's a winning deal for both parties. This means more media coverage for an already popular program for the MBC network. MBC and its various channels are milking this all the way. They already have made a Facebook page for Nancy on their show.

Nancy Ajram - Arab Idol 2

Video: Fainting On Live TV تفقد الوعى فى برنامج صوت الحياة

The name of the show is "The Voice Of Live", where three judges evaluate the singing of a number of people who appear on their show. The show is exclusive for Egyptians , but perhaps the best publicity the show has ever had is the video below.

When a young contestant hoping form glory faints on live TV as she awaits the verdict. At least when this happened one judges (Hilmi Baker) had a soul and asked them to stop filming. This might have been a ply for rating, but we will tell if this was real or fake.

The name of the young woman who fainted due to stress is Hadeer Yousef. Hadeer was locked in a competition for a cover of Oum Kalthom song that she and her peer Nouhan Hassan have performed on the show. When Hader woke up form her comma, she was told that she is not going to be chosen and Nourhan was picked.

هدير يوسف تفقد الوعى فى برنامج صوت الحياة (رازان مغربى)

Celebrity Duets "ديو المشاهير" Books This Season's Celebrities

Celebrity Duets has shared the good news with its followers, they have secured more than a dozen of pop and Arab sinners who will appear and perform their famous songs with the show's participants  The show is set to debut Today November 3rd, 2012 on LBC1 and LBC Europe.

The show has also finalized the humanitarian projects they will help with this season. Assi Hallani and Carole Samahe are set to perform at the first episode. I like the doing well by doing good mantra the show has taken on--it's all for the rating.

I think the show needs to do something to improve their press presence, they do not got as much coverage as the other singing shows. They only time people read about the show is when that creepy old Saudi singer flirts with the Lebanese pop divas. I think more personal stories about the show participants might help.  

قولي احبك - كاظم الساهر - ديو المشاهير

The Voice Fires Another Yet Participant

The voice is a good singing competition with a lot of talent. I do think the have done very well a number of things. The one thing they lack in is the drama buildup. I am not feeling the conflict on the show, and the people they fail to show real emotions as they are instructed to leave the show or stay, maybe I am not connecting with them.

The judges on the voice had to fire someone and Kadem had to do it, Mr. Nice guy has to eliminate a singer from his team and he did not disappoint. He chose the Egyptian Wissam who sported the flag of Egypt as she was given the news. I am sure Wissam understands the reality of those shows, one day you are up and the otheer you are packing your bags.

 بكاء إيناس في The voice