Haifa Wehbe

Haifa Wehbe (Arabic: هيفاء وهبي‎ Hayfāʼ Wahbī) is a Lebanese singer and actress. She has released seven studio albums, and made her acting debut in the 2008 Pepsi-produced film Sea of Stars. In 2006, Wehbe was on People Magazine's 50 most beautiful people list.[1]

Haifa Wehbe
Wehbe in 2016
Born
Mahrouna, Tyre District, South Governorate, Lebanon
Nationality
Occupation
  • Singer
  • actress
  • model
Years active2002–present
Home townBeirut, Lebanon
Spouse(s)
  • Nasr Fayyad (div.)
  • Ahmed Abou Hashima
    (m. 2009; div. 2012)
Children1
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Labels
Websitehaifawehbe.com

Life and career

Early life

Wehbe won the title of Miss South Lebanon at the age of sixteen,[2][3] and was a runner-up at the Miss Lebanon competition,[4] which was revoked after it was discovered that she was ineligible because she had been married and had a child.[5]

Career

2004–2007: Baddi Aech and television career

Wehbe released her second studio album Baddi Aech (Arabic: بدي عيش, English: "I Want to Live") in early 2005, following the success of lead single "Ya Hayat Albi." Released after the assassination of Lebanese politician Rafik Hariri, the title single of the album is about "freedom, considered to be among the most basic of human rights".[6] Follow-up single "Aana Haifa" (Arabic: أنا هيفاء, English: "I Am Haifa") became her biggest hit to date. In Summer 2005, she participated as a guest in Al Wadi, a local version of The Farm.[7]

In 2006, she released "Bus al-Wawa" (Arabic: بوس الواوا, English: "Kiss the Booboo"), the song was later used in a Pepsi advertisement. It was also voted Song of the Year in 2006 by Radio Scope and Sawt Al Musika.[8]

2008–2009: Film career beginnings and Habibi Aana

Wehbe starred in the Pepsi-produced film Sea of Stars released in early 2008, along with Carole Samaha, Ahmad el Sherif, Wael Kfoury, Brigitte Yaghi, and Ruwaida al-Mahrouqi.[9]

On July 4, 2008, Wehbe released her third studio album Habibi Aana (Arabic: حبيبي أنا, English: "My Love") which contains 15 songs including the lead single "Moush Adra Estana".

2010–2012: Babe Haifa, and Malikat Jamal Al Kawn

Wehbe released a children's album titled Babe Haifa in March 2010 under Rotana Records.[10]

In April 2010, Wehbe was featured on French DJ David Vendetta's album Vendetta on the song "Yama Layali".[11]

In September 2011 Al Bawaba reported that Wehbe was threatening to leave her label Rotana "for neglecting her and not paying any attention to her work".[12]

"Malikat Jamal Al Kawn" (MJK; English: "Miss Universe") was released on May 8, 2012 under Rotana Records.

2013–present: Your Face Sounds Familiar, Breathing You In, and Mariam

During summer 2013, Webhe released her new song "Ghala Ghala".

In 2014, she signed with Tarik Freitekh's label and Wehbe shot her new song "Farhana" on June 21, 2014 in “Your Face Sounds Familiar” 2014 (Arabic translation: شكلك مش غريب).

In August 2014, she announced that she would be releasing a new song titled "Breathing You In" along with a video clip featuring Casper Smart.[13]

In 2018, she starred in an Egyptian drama Lanaat Karma.[14]

In September 2018, Haifa released her seventh studio album, Hawwa.[15] The album features 15 songs, and debuted at No. 1 on iTunes charts. The album was produced independently by Wehbe herself, without a record label.[16] In 2020, she accused her ex-business manager, Mohamed al-Waziry, of stealing $4m from her bank account, including also her fees from producers and party organizers.[17]

Personal life

In the 1990s, Wehbe married her cousin Nasr Fayyad when she was 18 and traveled with him to Nigeria where he worked.[18] During her pregnancy, she returned to Lebanon and separated from Fayyad, with whom she had one daughter, Zeinab.[19]

On June 25, 2007, Wehbe survived an accident while filming a music video for the song "Hasa Ma Bena" in Lebanon. In the video, a single engine airplane was to chase Wehbe as she drove a car. However, the airplane inadvertently hit the car, taking off the front windshield of the convertible she was driving.[20] Despite the severity of the accident, Wehbe suffered only minor cuts and bruises.

Wehbe married Egyptian businessman Ahmed Abou Hashima on April 24, 2009 in Beirut.[10] Among the guests at the wedding party were singer Anastacia, Carmen Electra,[21][22] Sean Combs, Googoosh, Nawal Al Zoghbi, Najwa Karam, Ragheb Alama, and Sherine.[10]

It was announced that Wehbe and Ahmed Abou Hashima had split in November 2012.[23] Haifa Wehbe is a Shiite Muslim.[24]

Criticism and controversy

Allegations of racism

In 2009, the lyrics "Where is my teddy bear and the Nubian monkey?" in Wehbe's song "Baba Fein" (from her unreleased 2010 kids' album) seemed to refer to Nubians as "monkeys".[25][26] Nubians in Egypt accused the artist of racism and singing a song that fueled racism and discrimination against them.[27]

Algeria

Another incident occurred after the 2009 Egypt–Algeria World Cup dispute, adding to the diplomatic tension between the two countries. Wehbe went on to make statements that she would not be performing in Algeria anytime soon, because Algerians "...wouldn't understand her music". Algeria's cultural minister responded by stating that Wehbe would be banned from performing in Algeria for insulting Algeria and the Algerian people regardless of whether she apologizes.[28]

Birthdate claims

Wehbe claimed once that she was born in 1976, a date repeated by numerous sources.[29][30][31] At one point, she mentioned that she is three years younger than her ex-husband Ahmed Abou Hashima, who was born in 1975.[32] Her half-sister Rola Yamout posted a leaked document indicating that she was born in 1972.[33]

Political views

During the 2006 Israel–Lebanon War, she left her home, in Verdun, Beirut and moved to Egypt for the duration of the conflict.[6] In a concert in the Lebanese town of Jounieh, Wehbe congratulated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah for his stand against Israel during the war.[34]

Wehbe also refused to perform at any concert during the 34 days of the war, including fundraisers, saying that there were more ways than one to show support for Lebanon.[34]

Image

Wehbe was ranked 8th in the 2006 Edition of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women by the website AskMen.com.[35]

Some in the more conservative Arab countries deem her revealing outfits as scandalous. One Bahraini member of parliament called her a sexual singer who spoke with her body, not her voice. Wehbe said she was aware of the efforts to ban her from performing at the concert but had chosen to ignore their attempts to silence her.

In April 2008, the Islamist-dominated parliament of Bahrain passed a motion urging the government to ban Haifa Wehbe's show in the country.[4] As a result of the motion, Wehbe performed in Bahrain with more modest dress, wearing a long green gown with a low V-neckline during the performance.[4]

Discography

Studio albums

Singles
  • "El Layli"
  • "El Tabeea"
  • "Wahashne"
  • "Bint Al Waddi"
  • "Ana Andi Baghbaghan"
  • "Sanarra"
  • "Sway"
  • "Ana Adrra Aich"
  • "Eda Eda"
  • "Mama"
  • "Enta Tanni"
  • "80 Million Ahsass "
  • "Salama"
  • "Beirut"
  • "Yama Layali" (Remix Version)
  • "Yama Layali"
  • "Ya Magnon"
  • "Samanne" (Singles Version)
  • "Farhana" (Your Face Sounds Familiar 2014)
  • "MJK" (Remix only)
  • "Inbisset" (Remix only)
  • "Touta"
  • "Shaghla Kol Ennas"
  • "Tamalli Nag7a"

Filmography

Films
  • Sea of Stars (2008)
  • Dokkan Shehata (2011)
  • Halawet Rouh (2014)
  • Khair And Baraka (2017)

TV Series
  • Kalam Ala Warak (2014)
  • Mawlid wa Sahibuh Ghayb (2015)
  • Maryam (2015)
  • Al Herbaya (2017)[36]
  • Lanaat Karma (2018)

References
  1. Haifa Wehbe. lebanonatlas.com
  2. "هيفاء وهبي تثير زوبعة في الخليج". BBC News. May 1, 2008.
  3. "Lebanese Pop Star Haifa Wehbe Sides With Hezbollah". Nysun.com. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  4. Harrison, Frances (30 April 2008). "Lebanese singer causes Gulf storm". BBC.
  5. "bio". Archived from the original on March 22, 2009.
  6. Braude, Joseph. Radar.com. Rock the Casbah
  7. "LBC تطلق برنامج (الوادي) من تلفزيون الواقع بمشاركة 14 نجماً عربياً". alriyadh.com (in Arabic). July 15, 2005.
  8. "www.haifawehbe.com". Haifa Wehbe. Archived from the original on April 2, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  9. "Tune into talent". Khaleej Times. December 29, 2005. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  10. تسرق الأضواء من هيفاء.. وتجدد لروتانا MBC
  11. "Vendetta album". Fr.7digital. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  12. "Haifa Wahbi threatens to leave 'Rotana'". Al Bawaba. September 25, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  13. "Haifa Wehbé dévoile le clip d'une nouvelle chanson avec Casper Smart". BelleBeirut. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  14. "Karma's Spell? The Never Ending Problems of Haifa Wehbe's New Series". Al Bawaba. February 27, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  15. . albawaba.com
  16. . lebanon24.com
  17. "Haifa Wehbe denies marriage to former business manager accused of stealing $4 mn". Egypt Independent. May 26, 2020.
  18. "خبرني: هيفا تتحدث عن ابنتها زينب". khaberni.com
  19. "صورة زينب فياض ابنة هيفاء وهبي برفقة ابنتيها تثير الجدل: هل تم طلاقها؟". layalina.com (in Arabic). December 31, 2019.
  20. Haifa Wehbe in Serious Car Accident. MSN
  21. Arab pop star Haifa Wehbe gets married Archived October 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. AFP via kcrg.com (April 24, 2009)
  22. "كيف كان حفل زفاف هيفاء وهبي وابو هشيمة؟ إليكم التفاصيل". yemen-press.com (in Arabic). April 29, 2009.
  23. "Haifa Wehbe separates from her husband". BelleBeirut.com. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  24. The Women of Hezbollah
  25. Shenker, Jack (November 17, 2009). "Nubian fury at 'monkey' lyric of Arab pop star Haifa Wehbe". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  26. "Singer Haifa Wehbe offends with 'Nubian monkeys' lyric". The Daily Telegraph. London. November 18, 2009.
  27. Shenker, Jack (November 21, 2009). "Lebanese diva's lyrics hit sour note". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  28. لخضر بن تركي للشروق :مهرجانات الجزائر مستمرة بدونكم.. وهيفاء وهبي لن ترى الجزائر حتى إن تابت. echoroukonline.com (December 17, 2009)
  29. "هيفاء وهبي تكشف عمرها الحقيقي لأول مرة". YouTube (in Arabic). Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  30. "Watch Haifa Wehbe celebrate her 40th birthday in larger-than-life style!". Albawaba. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  31. "Haifa Wehbe Interview from 1992 Resurfaces (Video)". Sada El-Balad English. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  32. "هيفاء وهبى: أنا أصغر من أبو هشيمة بـ3 سنوات". youm7.com (in Arabic). May 5, 2009.
  33. "EXCLUSIVE: Rola Yamout reveals "Grandma" Haifa Wehbe's REAL age!". Al Bawaba.
  34. "Hezbollah chief wins unlikely fan in pop diva". Archived from the original on March 2, 2008.
  35. Haifa Wehbe. Askmen.com.
  36. "Lebanese star Haifa Wehbe promotes Ramadan TV show with seductive photo". Al Arabiya. May 8, 2017.

Further reading
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