Product Code Database
Diana Haddad (; born 1 October 1976) is a Lebanese actress, singer, and television personality who also holds Emirati people citizenship and is based in the United Arab Emirates. Haddad is one of the most popular Arabic pop musicians in the Arab World and has been so since the mid-1990s. Her debut album Saken (1996) was one of the best selling albums of 1996, being certified platinum by Haddad's label Stallions Records. The album also introduced Haddad and her Bedouin music style to the public.
Haddad's biggest breakthrough came in late 1997 when she released her third album Ammanih accompanied with a major hit single of the same title. During this time, Haddad formed a successful team with her Emirati ex-husband Suhail Al-Abdul who directed all of her music videos up until 2005 when she decided to work with new directors. Haddad also stepped out of her comfort zone when she started performing in dialects other than Lebanese and Bedouin in her fourth studio album Yammaya (1998) which included songs in Khaliji, Iraqi, and Egyptian dialects. Hadded's career saw ups and downs, but overall she was able to produce memorable hit singles. These include songs like "Saken" and "Ammanih" in the 1990s, "Mani Mani", "Mas & Louly", and "Ya Aibo" in the 2000s, "La Fiesta" and "Ela Hona" in the 2010s.
Her second album, Ahl Al Esheg produced the hit single "Ahl Al Esheg" in early 1997 and the moderate hit "Bizal Minak" in summer 1997. "Ahl Al Esheg" is considered one of Haddad's signature songs and is still performed in most of her concerts. "Bizal Minak", while not as successful as "Ahl Al Esheg", had a controversial music video which was shot in London. The song's Refrain can be translated to "I showed you the right way, but you're still walking in the wrong direction". Hence, the black and white music video, which was directed by Haddad's then-husband, shows padestrians in London walking backwards while Haddad is the only person walking in the correct direction. Haddad claimed that she memorized the lyrics of the song backwards in order to make the video works. The video also shows Prince Charles walking backwards in reference to his marriage problems. Ironically, Princess Diana died few months after the shooting of the video.
Haddad's first three records contained songs exclusively in Lebanese and Bedouin dialects, which defined her unique musical style during the early years. However, the release of Haddad's fourth studio album Yammaya in late 1998 saw a big change in Haddad's music. The album's lead single "Yammaya" incorporated ancient Egyptian beats, but still maintained a Bedouin dialect. Al-Abdul allotted a high budget for "Yammaya"'s music video which was shot in the Giza pyramid complex. Big part of the budget went to well-known Arab actors such as Muna Wassef and Sawsan Badr who appear in different roles in the video. The video takes place in ancient times Egypt where Haddad uses a witch (played by Wassef) to restore her throne from the current queen (played by Badr). The video also shows slaves moving to the music in a choreographied dance inspired by ancient Egypt. Both "Yammaya" and the second single from the album, "Emshi Wara Kidbohom", were able to become popular across the Arab world despite the poor promotion following the death of Haddad's mother at the time of album's release. "Emshi Wara Kidbohom" marks Haddad's first single ever in a dialect other than Lebanese or Bedouin. The song, performed in Egyptian dialect, ultimately became one of Haddad's most recognized hits in Egypt. Yammaya also included songs in Khaliji, Iraqi, and classical Arabic dialects.
In summer 1999, only a few months after the release of Yammya, Haddad released her fifth studio album Shater. The first single, "Shater", was one of the most popular singles in 1999 and was well received especially by toddlers for the use of the word "shater" meaning "clever", a word that is commonly associated with young children. The song was directed by Al-Abdul in Jebel Ali in Dubai. It featured peacocks, cocktails, and extras and dancers wearing colorful clothes in a sunny summer day. Due to lack of time, Haddad's plans to shoot the music video in a tropical island were canceled. Instead, a low budget music video was made for the song "Wainhom" back to back with "Shater". "Wainhom", while not Haddad's first song in a Khaliji dialect, is her first Khaliji music video. Haddad's first official Khaliji recording appears on her previous album Yammaya, a song called "Men Ghebt". "Wainhom", which was released a few months after the success of "Shater", is about the Kuwaiti prisoners of war who never came back from Iraq. Haddad dedicated the song to her childhood friends in Kuwait.
In summer 2000, the song "Mani Mani" was released as the lead single from Diana Haddad's sixth studio album Jarh Al Habib. Haddad returned to her home country of Lebanon for the music video of "Mani Mani" since the song combines Bedouin and Lebanese lyrics. The song contains unique arrangements and sound effects which contributed to its success. Jarh Al Habib saw a successful attempt to break into the Egyptian market again as it included four out of nine tracks in Egyptian dialect. One of these tracks is the title track "Jarh Al Habib" which is a duet with Egyptian Chaabi legend Mohammed Al Azabi. In early 2001, "Adlaa Alaik" was released as the second and final single from the album. The Khaliji song had limited success in Arab States of the Persian Gulf, although the music video featured a second appearance of Haddad's daughter Sophie, aged four years old at the time. Haddad's seventh studio album Akhbar Helwa followed in July 2001. "Elli Fe Bali" was the only music video to be released from the album. This is Haddad's first upbeat music video in Egyptian dialect, which helped it become more popular across the Arab world. The music video, which is set in 1972, draws heavy influences from the popular musical Grease (1978). Stallions Records, Haddad's label since her debut, was sold to Rotana Records in 2002, which impeded any further promotion of the album. However, several greatest hits albums were released by Stallions including a DVD release with most of Haddad's music videos in 2003. In addition to Stallions' sale, Haddad suffered a miscarriage and was sued by Lebanese rival Nawal Al Zoghbi, which also affected the promotion campaign of Akhbar Helwa in 2001.
Al Zoghbi sued Haddad due to her and her husband's accusations that Al Zoghbi pays more attention to her looks than her music and that she is just a "performer". Al Zoghbi took the couple to court in Lebanon on grounds of "emotional distress" she suffered as a result of Al-Abdul and Haddad's criticism. Al-Abdul also stated that Al Zoghbi's voice was "out of tune". However, in 2002 the court rejected Al Zoghbi's case and the ruling stated that "the statements made by Al-Abdul and Haddad are not classified as defamation of the claimant as it does not have any impact on her basic artistic position but is rather linked with her performance. The claim that the plaintiff is a singer or performer is a flexible classification that conforms to personal standards".
Haddad signed a contract with Egyptian label Alam El Phan in 2002 and released her first album with the company Law Yesaloni in June. Law Yesaloni marks Haddad's first full studio album in Khaliji dialects. The album incorporates styles from almost all the different Arab countries of the Persian Gulf. For example, the track "Kama Kom" is heavily influenced by Omani music, a style that is rarely found in mainstream Khaliji music. One music video was released from this album for the song "Law Yesaloni", which is a duet with Emirati newcomer Eida Al Menhali who went on to become one of the most popular Emirati Chaabi musicians.
In December 2004, Haddad and Al Zoghbi overcame their differences when Haddad took the initiative and made a personal phone call to Al Zoghbi after hearing that she was experiencing a downfall in her health. Haddad revealed that she felt it was her duty to call and wish Al Zoghbi a quick recovery. Al Zoghbi was grateful towards Haddad for putting all the disputes aside. The two artists appeared on the cover of Zahrat Al Khaleej magazine in an issue that featured a photoshoot of Haddad and Al Zoghbi together. They also began to form a mutual respect for one another.
On 24 June 2005, Haddad performed a new track from her upcoming studio album at the finale of the talent show Nojoom Al Khaleej which used to broadcast on Al-Abdul's channel Nojoom. The song, entitled "Hassafah", is a Khaliji track that later appeared on Haddad's tenth studio album Diana 2006. The album was released simultaneously with the lead single "Mas & Louly" in March 2006. For this record, Haddad had to break up with her former label Alam El Phan which kept on postponing the album release for months. A last-minute decision, the album was finally released under her husband's Al-Abdul records company. However, Al-Abdul was a newly established company at the time and only focused on the Persian Gulf area. Therefore, Haddad signed contracts with multiple labels to ensure distribution of the album across the Arab world. These include Melody Music in Egypt and EMI Music in other countries. "Mas & Louly" became an instant hit due to its simple lyrics which are performed in a dialect that can be understood by most people in the Arab world. It also featured Algerian raï musician Cheb Khaled which gave the song an World music feel. No more music videos were released from the album due to the 2006 Lebanon War until later in the year when the song "Zay El Sokar" premiered in late October coinciding with Eid al-Fitr. Before the war, a Khaliji non-album single entitled "Badr Al Bdour" was performed in Nojoom Al Khaleej second-season finale. When the war started in July, Haddad was in the Emirates with her family. However, she paid a tribute to Lebanon by shooting a music video for two of her old tracks "Ana Al Ensan" and "Maghdouche" which appear on Yammaya (1998) and Jarh Al Habib (2000), respectively, in the form of a medley. Haddad worked with the Egyptian director Yaser Sami for the first time on "Zay El Sokar" music video which helped make the Egyptian song popular in Egypt. The Egyptian ballad "Aadi" was shot with Lebanese director Leila Kanaan earlier in 2006 but was not released until early 2007.
After the divorce, Haddad decided to get busy in a mini summer tour in 2009, beginning with two concerts in France and Morocco. The concert in Morocco was a part of Al Mydiak Festival, which is held annually in honor of the King Crowning Day. Haddad set a record in the festival's history for attracting more than 150,000 people. After a concert in Algeria, Haddad ended the tour in Lebanon with two concerts. One of these concerts was Haddad's first show ever in her hometown of Maghdouche. Her concert attracted more than 6,000 people from all over Lebanon. Footage from the concert can be seen in the second music video from Men Diana Illa, "Ya Zalan". The video also shows footage of Haddad enjoying her life as a single woman in various locations such as the beach and the recording studio.[1]
In late 2013, Haddad signed a record deal with Arab world's largest music label Rotana Records. Her first album with the company was released in December 2014 under the title Ya Bashar. The album was preceded by the release of number of singles including "Albi Wafi" in 2012, "Naam Seedi", "El Kathab", "Thaleth Alaaiad" and the Moroccan hit "La Fiesta" in 2013, and "Hala We Ahleen" and "Habebi Masry" in 2014. All of these single were released as music videos and only "Hala We Ahleen" made it into Ya Bashar. Haddad supported the album with three more music videos for the songs "Haflet Hob", "Elard Ghanat (Megana)", and "Ya Bashar" throughout 2015. Haddad made her music production debut on the album on a track called "Farhet Qalbi", although she had an uncredited co-production on her 2012 single "Ya Baad Omri". In June 2015, Haddad was presented with an honorary award at the 2015 Murex D'Or in Lebanon for her contribution in music.
Haddad shot a song called "Ela Hona" back-to-back with "Nayma Bel Asal" in Tbilisi, Georgia with her director friend Nahla Al-Fahad. The video, which premiered on October 11, 2017, is Haddad's first Iraqi music video in four years since "El Kathab" in 2013. During 2018, the song gained popularity in a slow manner due to it being covered by underground Iraqi artists including the producer of the song Ali Saber. It became a sleeper hit gaining over 100 million hits on YouTube as of early 2020. Due to the unexpected popularity of the song, Haddad postponed any plans for albums or major singles. Haddad released the follow-up single, "Ahebak W Katha", in July 2019 with the same team that produced "Ela Hona". In early September 2019, Hadded followed "Ahebak W Katha" up with another single in Egyptian dialect entitled "Gamalo". This marks Haddad's first track in Egyptian since "Habebi Masry", Haddad's debut single with Rotana, in October 2014. On February 10, 2020, Hadded premiered the new music video of a track called "Ma Had Yehes Bi ElAasheq". The new track, performed in Bedouin Arabic dialect, is supposedly the lead single off Hadded's upcoming fourteenth studio album. Haddad, who has been speaking fondly of the song since 2018, claimed that the song "will recreate the glory of the single "Ahl Al Esheg" released in 1997".
In the 1990s, Haddad married Emirati businessman Suhail Al-Abdul. Together, they have two daughters: Sophie (born 19 July 1996) and Mira (born 26 November 2007). Haddad was Al-Abdul's second wife. The couple were divorced in August 2009. Haddad explained that she is on good terms with her ex-husband and they agreed to share custody of their children.
When Haddad was still a teenager when she married Al-Abdul, who was an older and richer music director and businessman from the UAE. She was criticized by the press who called her marriage a marriage of convenience. Haddad has always stated that her marriage was out of love and not for wealth. However, in 2012, three years after their divorce, she recognized that she was far too young to marry and despite being in love, she was not fully grown up. ترفيه، جدول البرامج، مشاهير،أفلام، مسلسلات، برامج تلفزيونية - MBC.net
In 1999, it was reported that Haddad had officially embraced Islam in honour of her deceased Muslim mother Mouna who died in 1998. She went on to do Umrah that same year in Mecca. It was also reported that her decision was met with strong opposition from her Maronite Christian father and some of her relatives. Eventually, her father respected her decision. She is the only one of her siblings who practices Islam.
Haddad rarely speaks openly about her religious beliefs stating that these matters "are personal and only between her and God." Prior to her official conversion, Haddad did thorough research into Islam. She once stated in an interview with Al-Jareema magazine that attending the lectures of Islamic scholars Sheikh Al-Shrawi and Tarek Swaed is also what motivated her to convert. Haddad describes herself as a "private, yet observant Muslim" who prays, reads the Qur'an and fasts during Ramadan. She denied rumours that she embraced Sufism or returned to Christianity after her divorce. Haddad's father died in late 2011, thirteen years after the death of his wife Mouna. The track "Rajaa Al Sheti" on the 2011 album Bent Osol was devoted to Haddad's parents.
Hadded has lived in Dubai since she married Al-Abdul, but she frequently visits her native Lebanon when possible as she owns real estate there. In one of her visits in late 2009, Haddad and her driver were attacked by armed militant bandits in Beirut who demanded everyone in the car to get out. Haddad's driver refused to obey the demands of the criminals and made a daring, yet life saving quick exit and escaped. The militants attempted to catch up with them but failed. Haddad called the incident traumatic and said she was not able to sleep for days afterwards. It is believed that their motives were to steal the car. In March 2010, Haddad admitted that she had not voted in the Lebanese general election of 2009 stating that she currently "lives in the United Arab Emirates" and that she hopes that "God protects every Lebanese official who puts Lebanon over his personal interests."
When it comes to body image issues, Haddad revealed that she was not against plastic surgery as long as it was not exaggerated and admitted to having a nose job. Haddad is noted to being quite in size and height.
In 2003, Haddad contributed to a campaign against drugs and smoking in the UAE by releasing a single called "Bi Edak El Qarar" (Arabic: the decision is in your hands). She was chosen to be part of the campaign by the organizers of the project due to her influence on young Emirati people. The video was directed by Suhail Al-Abdul.[5]
In 2007 she took part in a charity concert held by the American CHF firm in UAE along with Assi el Helani, Youri Mrakkadi, and Bassem Feghali. The money raised from the concert went to Lebanese children. A year later, she was honored by Al Rashid Care Center for her work with handicapped children.[6]
In 2008, Haddad was offered a part in the charity single "El Dameer Al Arabi" (Arabic: the Arab conscience) performed by a charity supergroup. The song is about the dire situation of the Middle East and Arab world including the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Iraq War. "El Dameer Al Arabi" is considered a sequel to "Al Helm Al Arabi" ("The Arab Dream"), a project performed by a different supergroup in 1997 that included Haddad. Many of the original participants agreed to take part again including Asala Nasri and Ahlam. Haddad declined the offer and explained the reason behind her decision in the TV show Tarattatta that "patriotic songs proved useless and vain in the Arab world." Mazika
| "Tayr Al Yammameh" | 1992 | Saken | Lebanese Arabic | |
| "Saken" | 1996 | Suhail Al-Abdul | Bedouin Arabic | |
| "Lagetek" | ||||
| "Al-Sahra" | Lebanese Arabic | |||
| "Anida" | Ahl Al Esheg | |||
| "Ahl Al Esheg" | 1997 | Suhail Al-Abdul | Bedouin Arabic | |
| "Bizaal Minak" | Lebanese Arabic | |||
| "Ammanih" | Ammanih | Bedouin Arabic | ||
| "Ya Benti" | 1998 | Lebanese Arabic | ||
| "Yammaia" | Yammaia | Sa'idi Arabic | ||
| "Emshi Wara Kidbohom" | Egyptian Arabic | |||
| "Awqed Al Shamaa" | 1999 | Classical Arabic | ||
| "Shater" | Shater | Bedouin Arabic | ||
| "Wainhom" | Khaleeji Arabic |
| "Al Fosol Al Arba'a" | 2000 | Shater | Suhail Al-Abdul | Khaleeji Arabic |
| "Mish B'edi" | Unknown | Lebanese Arabic | ||
| "Mani Mani" | Jarh Al Habib | Suhail Al-Abdul | Bedouin Arabic | |
| "Al Haq Yaktubo Min Dami" | Classical Arabic | |||
| "Mnawer Bladik" | 2001 | Khaleeji Arabic | ||
| "Adlaa Alaik" | Jarh Al Habib | |||
| "Elli Fe Bali" | Akhbar Helwa | Egyptian Arabic | ||
| "Law Yesaloni" | 2002 | Law Yesaloni | Khaleeji Arabic | |
| "Beedak El Qarar" | 2003 | Classical Arabic | ||
| "Waily" | 2004 | Awel Marrah | Bedouin Arabic | |
| "Saheby" | Khaleeji Arabic | |||
| "Awel Marrah" | Egyptian Arabic | |||
| "Law Ma Dakhalt Ebrasi" | 2005 | Sophie Boutros | Lebanese Arabic | |
| "Hassafah" | Diana 2006 | Saed Mousa | Khaleeji Arabic | |
| "Mas & Louly" | 2006 | Leila Kanaan | Bedouin Arabic | |
| "Badr Al Bdour" | Saed Mousa | Khaleeji Arabic | ||
| "Ana Al Ensan" | Yammaia | Nahla Al-Fahad | Classical Arabic | |
| "Maghdouche" | Jarh Al Habib | Lebanese Arabic | ||
| "Zay El Sokar" | Diana 2006 | Yaser Sami | Egyptian Arabic | |
| "Aadi" | 2007 | Leila Kanaan | ||
| "Ma Nysetak" | Saed Mousa | Khaleeji Arabic | ||
| "Azab El Hawa" | 2008 | Diana 2006 | Nahla Al-Fahad | Syrian Arabic |
| "Hobi Emirate" | Unknown | Khaleeji Arabic | ||
| "Sheft Itessalek" | Men Diana Illa | Nahla Al-Fahad | ||
| "Ya Aybo" | 2009 | Kello Jdid 2009 | Lebanese Arabic | |
| "Ya Zalan" | Men Diana Illa | Khaleeji Arabic |
| "Ya Hadieh Min Rabna" | 2010 | Mohammad Jum'ah | Egyptian Arabic | |
| "Majnona" | Walid Nassif | Khaleeji Arabic | ||
| "Gaalat Diana" | 2011 | Bent Osol | Fadi Haddad | |
| "Wadi Haki" | 2012 | Nahla Al-Fahad | ||
| "Albi Wafi" | Jad Shwery | Lebanese Arabic | ||
| "Naam Seedi" | 2013 | Yaqoob Yusuf Al-Mahanna | Khaleeji Arabic | |
| "El Kathab" | Adel Serhan | Iraqi Arabic | ||
| "Thaleth Alaaiad" | Fadi Haddad | Khaleeji Arabic | ||
| "La Fiesta" | 2014 | Clément Chabault | Moroccan Arabic | |
| "Hala We Ahleen" | Ya Bashar | Yasser Al-Yasseri | Khaleeji Arabic | |
| "Habebi Masry" | Majdi Kharof/Mohammed Abduljawad | Egyptian Arabic | ||
| "Haflet Hob" | 2015 | Ya Bashar | Fadi Haddad | Khaleeji Arabic |
| "Elard Ghanat (Megana)" | ||||
| "Ya Bashar" | Bedouin Arabic | |||
| "Romeo & Juliet" | 2016 | Alaa Al Ansari | ||
| "Tibassam" | Yasser Al-Yasseri | Khaleeji Arabic | ||
| "Nisfi Althani" | Anwar Al-Yasseri | |||
| "Taabr Qalbi" | 2017 | Lyric video | Lebanese Arabic | |
| "Nayma Bel Asal" | Nahla Al-Fahad | |||
| "Ela Hona" | Iraqi Arabic | |||
| "Ahebak W Katha" | 2019 | Lyric video | ||
| "Gamalo" | Egyptian Arabic |
| "Ma Had Yehes Bi Elaasheq" | 2020 | Shehab | Bedouin Arabic | |
| "Msh Rah Nkhtlif" | Nahla Al-Fahad | Lebanese Arabic | ||
| "Aasheg Dhamian" | 2021 | Khaleeji Arabic | ||
| "Sayed El Hamga" | 2022 |
| Arabic |
| Lebanese Arabic |
| Egyptian Arabic |
| Khaleeji Arabic English language introduction verses |
| Bedouin Arabic |
| Khaleeji Arabic |
| Khaleeji Arabic |
| Lebanese Arabic (Haddad) & Algerian Arabic (Cheb Khaled) |
| English Language (Wolf) and Lebanese Arabic (Haddad) |
|
|
