Last year was a golden year for the Lebanese singer Paskal Mashaalani during which she won the Golden and Platinum CD Prizes from Malaysia when her album Noor al Shams (Sun Light) ranked number 1 in sales in Malaysia and neighboring countries. With this winning she marks the first Arab singer who gets honor from Malaysia.
“After the release of my album Noor al Shams (Sun Light) and its ranking number 1 as the first Arab album in Malaysia, the American Warner Company extended an invitation for me. This has come after the agreement between Warner and Music Master Company, which I deal with to provide the Arab music, access into the markets of the Far East. After my album was released in the Malaysian markets it ranked number 1 in sales. My songs were appealing to the Malaysians the fact that qualified me for the prize,” Mashaalani told the daily al Hayat.
After 10 years of artistic work, Mashaalani still remember her first prize which “I won from the Tunisian TV, and one and a half years later I participated in Cartage Festival. In 2000, I won an appreciation prize from the Australian Fim Award Company in addition to UNICEF Prize at Oman’s Festival.”
In addition to singing in different Arabic dialects, Mashaalani turned to sing in foreign languages, the Italian language in particular. She said, “In the song al Hobb Baliyyah I collaborated with al Khaledi composer who is originally from Morocco and living in Paris. I experienced performing Rap songs which were new to me, and sang part of Kulloh Mink in Italian along with Ehsan al Munther as the cadence necessitated that.”
About her cinema debut, Mashaalani said, “I liked to participate in the film Mamnoua’ al Entithar (Waiting is Forbidden) because it tackles a national issue through the story of a girl who died as a martyr in Kana massacre. Even I fail in acting I shall win by taking this move in performing a patriotic role I am fully convinced with. Acting is an important move for me if I show my skill in it.” -- Albawaba.com
