Bashar al-Shatti ( ar, بشار الشطي; born 22 September 1982) is a Kuwaiti singer, songwriter and actor, and plays piano and guitar. He began his career as an orchestra chorale member. He served as a judge in the singing competition ''

Arab Idol ''Arab Idol'' is an Arabic television show, based on the popular British show ''Pop Idol'' created by Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment and developed by Fremantle Media and recorded in Beirut, Lebanon. The first season premiered on 9 December 201 ...

''.

''Star Academy''

Bashar's fame started along with the reality television show called ''

Star Academy ''Star Academy'', called ''Operación Triunfo'' ("Operation Triumph") in Spanish-speaking countries, is a highly successful television pop music talent contest with viewer voting and reality show elements. Format There are many versions of t ...

'' on

LBC LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadcast ...

. There were rumors of a love affair between him and Moroccan contestant Sophia Marikh. ''

Gulf News ''Gulf News'' is a daily English language newspaper published from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was first launched in 1978, and is currently distributed throughout the UAE and also in other Persian Gulf Countries. Its online edition was launch ...

'' reported that teenagers welcomed him as a superstar. Bashar was the runner-up, but lost to Mohammed Attiyeh of Egypt. The following October, according to an ''

Al Bawaba ''Al Bawaba'' (البوابة, Arabic for "the portal" or "the gate") is a news, blogging and media website headquartered in Amman, Jordan with an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Since 2001 it publishes the Mena Report, which covers the ...

'' report, police investigated al-Shatti following a scuffle in Marina Mall in Kuwait. The report stated that fans gathered for pictures and autographs at a coffee shop where he and his brother were sitting, and that al-Shatti got into a physical altercation with some young hecklers, who later called the police.

Later career

After ''Star Academy'', he signed a multi-record deal with

Rotana Records Rotana Music Group ( ar, تسجيلات روتانا, Tasjīlāt Rūtānā) is the Arab world's largest record label. It is owned by the Rotana Group, established by the Nagro Brothers, Mohammed, Khalid, Waleed, Ahmed and Nezar Nagro later sold t ...

. Al-Shatti recorded two records with Rotana. In 2008, he terminated his contract with Rotana to cooperate with

Arab Radio and Television Network Arab Radio and Television Network (acronym: ART) is an Arabic-language television network characterized by its multitude of channels. It is based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. History and profile ART was founded in October 15, 1993 by Saleh Abdullah ...

(ART) and release a third album. Al-Shatti has collaborated with Kuwaiti artist Nabil Shoail. Al-Shatti composes for television serials and cartoons, and has written religious music. He participated in the composition of the Alwatan TV inauguration operetta. Al-Shatti recently branched out into an acting career, taking a role on an MBC television series. Additionally, he was the artist panellist on Qualitynet's home video contest, "Fakkar Ana Khouf?" which was decided on 15 December 2012.

Impact

In ''Arab Television Today'', British media author

Naomi Sakr Naomi Sakr is a British professor, author and public speaker. Her background is as a journalist, editor and country analyst with ''The Economist''. After earning a PhD from the University of Westminster in 1999, she became a Senior Lecturer th ...

described Al Shatti as "charismatic". Marwan M. Kraidy has called him "a pan-Arab heartthrob".

Personal life

Bashar has three brothers and one sister. He married in early 2011. He has a son, Abdul Rahman. He has also spoken his views on the Syrian revolution, saying, "Aside from being an artist, I am first a human. It isn't human to accept murder, massacres and crimes against children."

Discography

*''Bashar Al-Shatti'' (Rotana, 2005) *''Thany Marra'' (Rotana, 2006) *''Akwa Men El Awal'' (ART, 2009)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shatty, Bashar Kuwaiti male singers Kuwaiti people of Iranian descent Living people 1982 births Rotana Records artists Contestants from Arabic singing competitions