An inside look into Haifa Wahbi’s life on CNN

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 with Lebanese singer Haifa Wahbi. 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. 

According to the London based daily, Al Sharq Al Awsat, 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.  

Wahbi has traveled to Tunisia where she is scheduled to hold a live performance alongside Lebanese singers Milhim Barakat and Elaine Khalaf, an event which will be sponsored by LG Company. Haifa revealed that after she completes her entertainment obligations in Tunisia, she will head off to Italy, where she will go on a shopping spree to choose a collection of cloths to wear in her upcoming music video.  

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.  

Haifa added that she is grateful to all Egyptians for making her path a successful one and for showing their appreciation towards her music and performance. After giving a word of thanks to the organizers of the event, Haifa stood on stage and performed a number of her popular songs that witnessed success in Egypt and the Arab world. -Albawaba.com