The appearance of female Arab singers partially nude on different Internet sites, Arabic music has come to be used as background music for numerous European satellite channels that specialize in pornography. It has been revealed that these channels mainly broadcast songs by Lebanese singer Haifa Wahbi, Nancy Ajram, Diana Haddad, Ragheb Alama, and many others, for the mere fact that they display women in very revealing cloths.
According to the London based Elaph, the songs are used to entice sexual desires of viewers. Owners of these channels realized that the video clips for songs by these singers serve the purpose they are looking for, which is fulfilling the sexual appetite of their audience. The new name that has been given to Arabic music videos that display women in very revealing outfits is “ Arabic Songs Viagra”. Some critics expressed that these songs can be used to increase sexual performance by some and should be watched and listened to in the bedroom.
This coming January 2004, the international television network CNN will broadcast a special program “Inside the Middle East”, which will feature exclusive interviews with different Jordanian tribes and a one on one interview Haifa. Different journalists have been assigned to hold the interviews with the aim of giving an inside look on the different aspects of cultures that exist in the Middle East.
Haifa has been chosen for the exclusive interview due to the wide range of popularity she has acquired in such a short time. The program’s scheduled date for airing is January 2, 2004 at 4pm GMT. Many believe that the main reason behind her rising popularity is her outer appearance and not the fact that she can sing.
Wahbi filed a lawsuit in front of the court of publications against the French magazine (Alo) magazine. Haifa had accused the magazine, represented by its editor-in-chief Marie Bakha’zi and the photographer Ghazi Gareeb, of vituperation and traducement (slander). The photographer had lately taken inappropriate photos of Haifa during one of her concerts held at (Casino) nightclub in Beirut, which Haifa described their publication as very harmful to her reputation.
Haifa demanded she gets emotional compensation for what had happened to her after the publication of these photos and the entire lawsuit cost. The court has postponed the hearing till the 26th of march 2004 after asking Haifa’s lawyer to offer the court all the details of the incident and the publication that contained Haifa’s photos. Also the magazine’s lawyer had asked the court to postpone the hearing until they have enough time to go over the matter.
Haifa announced that her new album that will be released in February 2004 and will include compositions by prominent Lebanese composer Elias Rahbani. Haifa revealed that she has completed the selections of the songs to be included in the album and is scheduled to begin recording them in the very near future.
Haifa will be holding two concerts in Beirut on New Year’s eve; the first one will be at Biel with Lebanese singers Rageb Alamah and Nancy Ajram, and the second will be held at Casino Lebanon accompanied by a western band. Wahbi noted that she has won the Golden Lion Award from the Egyptian magazine "Huriyati" for the best Female Arab performing singer for the year 2003. Haifa express that it was an honor for her to receive the award from the magazine marking the first time she is presented with an award in Egypt since she began her career as a singer. -Albawaba.com
