Nawal Al Zoghbi: “My private life is off limits!”

It is hard to judge a show from the first episode and usually it takes at least five episodes to see what road it is heading on. In the first episode of the new entertainment show ‘Al Araab’ that is aired on MBC every Friday, both Egyptian singer Angham and Syrian singer Asala were a perfect combination.

Both singers had similar life experiences; they were both discovered by their musician fathers. Also both singers had bad marriages that led to divorce and both of their kids go to the same school. Angham seemed very calm unlike Asala, who was very stiff in her talking about herself and in her singing. She was talking to Nishan, who is the show’s host, and cutting off Angham without being asked then she would apologize for her interruption. 

 According to the London daily Elaph, the second episode seemed different and mysterious to why both Kuwaiti singer Nabil Shoaib and Lebanese singer Nawal Al Zoghbi were both invited on the same show. There were no similarities between the two singers and the conversation among the three went in all directions. There was no clear picture of the two guest’s personalities. The episode did not bring any new information about either singer. It is unclear why the host focuses on his guest’s age and how much money they have in their banks.

 Unlike Asala and Angham, Nabil and Nawal were getting along better on stage while singing. Nawal says that when two singers are invited to the same show there has to be some kind of rhyme between the two in order for the two to come out successful.

 Some technical problems were continuously being faced throughout the episode, where Nawal’s microphone was not working right. The sounds were not clear to the audience either. Journalists had to leave the studio and sit in the reception room in order to follow the show. Even though Nawal was very upset and mad, Nishan was able to change her mood. After the break Nawal returned with her cheerful self again. There was a great sense of humor going on during the show.

 The show has a glass room where the guests enter to listen to a question and they have the freedom to either answer it or not. In the first episode Angham chose to answer where on the other hand Asala chose not to answer.

On the second episode Nawal answered most ob the questions raised with a question at the same time. The question was about if Nawal and her husband are divorced or not. Nawal chose not to answer and said that her private life is a red line and no one can cross it. She left the options opened to the audience, because she did not deny or confirm the rumors.

 Al Araab seems to be a good show so far and there is a lot of effort put in to make it a successful one, yet it seems that it is in darkness at the time being. A clearer image of the show is needed to determine whether it will resume, because it is still a mystery why Nishan combines these singers together.