Shatha Amjad Al-Hassoun ( ar, شذى أمجد الحسون; born 3 March 1981 in

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

), better known as Shatha Hassoun ( ar, شذى حسون), is a Moroccan-Iraqi singer who rose to fame as the winner of the 4th season of the pan-Arab television talent show ''

Star Academy Arab World ''Star Academy Arab World'' or ''Star Academy Arabia'', is a pan-Arab televised talent show, which has aired since 2003. The show features a group of young male and female candidates who are selected from a pan-Arab pool of more than three-thousan ...

''. She was the first Arab woman to win the competition. She is currently one of the most popular singers in both the Middle East and

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

region, and is referred to as the "daughter of

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

".http://6doi.net/videos/shada-hassoun-an-inspiration-for-iraq.html Shada Hassoun: An Inspiration For Iraq

Early life

Hassoun was born to an Iraqi father who is a well-known reporter from

Hillah Hillah ( ar, ٱلْحِلَّة ''al-Ḥillah''), also spelled Hilla, is a city in central Iraq on the Hilla branch of the Euphrates River, south of Baghdad. The population is estimated at 364,700 in 1998. It is the capital of Babylon Province a ...

, and a Moroccan mother who is a history teacher from Safi. Growing up, Hassoun divided her time between Morocco and France.http://www.al-shorfa.com/cocoon/meii/xhtml/en_GB/features/meii/features/2009/08/14/feature-02 Shatha Hassoun performs in Baghdad She studied

English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

and continued her university studies in

Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the cap ...

where she joined the program of Hotel and Tourism Management. Then she continued her studies in France where she gained her master's degree. Hassoun has sung in many languages including

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

. Her family, which includes her parents and her only brother, reside in Morocco while she currently lives in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

Career

Aftermath of Star Academy

In 2007 Hassoun won ''Star Academy 4'', making her the first female winner. Her performance of Lebanese singer

Fairouz Nouhad Wadie' Haddad ( ar, نهاد وديع حداد, ; born November 21, 1934), known as Fairuz ( ar, فيروز, ; also spelled Fairouz, Feyrouz or Fayrouz), is a Lebanese singer. She is considered by many as one of the leading vocalists a ...

's song "Baghdad" earned her 54.8% of the vote which enabled her to reach the finals. Along with the four finalists, Hassoun won the competition by receiving 40 percent of the votes.Singer transcends sectarian tensions in her father’s native country
/ref> Soon after winning the competition, Hassoun released her first single entitled "Rooh", which was written and composed by Lebanese songwriter Nikola Saada Nikhla. It was the first song to ever debut at number one on Rotana's PEPSI Top 20 charts, as it stayed at number for two weeks then peaking again at number one. The second song, "''Asmallah Asmallah''" or "''Ebin Bladi''", was written and composed by the Iraqi poet,

Karim Al Iraqi Karim Al Iraqi ( ar, كريم العراقي; 18 February 1955 – 1 September 2023) was an Iraqi poet. He published a wide variety of work including plays, essays, operettas, folk poetry, and songwriting. Al Iraqi was born on 18 February 1955, ...

as a gift to the Iraqi people and The Iraqi national football team which won the

Asian Cup 2007 The 2007 AFC Asian Cup was the 14th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held from 7 to 29 July 2007. For the first time in its ...

. "''Oushaq''" was written and composed by the Lebanese singer

Marwan Khoury Marwan Khoury ( ar, مروان خوري; born February 3, 1968) is a Lebanese singer, writer, composer and music arranger. He has composed hits for artists such as Majida El Roumi, Saber Rebaï, Nawal Al Zoghbi, Assala Nasri, Najwa Karam, Fadl ...

. Hassoun also revived several traditional Iraqi songs; "''Allela 7elowa''" and "''Aleik As'al''" as a duo with

Ilham al-Madfai Ilham al-Madfai ( ar, إلهام المدفعي) (born 1942) is an Iraqi guitarist, singer and composer. al-Madfai's synthesis of Western guitar stylings with traditional Iraqi music has made him a popular performer in his native country and th ...

. She also released an Iraqi song, "''Mza'elni''", that was written by Amar Almarhon and composed by

Mohand Mehsen Mohannad ( ar, مهند) is a masculine Arabic name meaning “sword made in India”. It is derived from the word for India (''Al Hind'' الهند) and can mean both "India-ified" or "Indian". The iron used for it came from India. Given name ;M ...

, and "''Lo alf mara''" which was the first song composed by

Melhem Barakat Melhem Barakat ( ar, ملحم بركات‎; 15 August 1945 – 28 October 2016), also known as Melhim Barakat, or Abou Majd was a Lebanese singer, songwriter, and melodist. Barakat was a well-renowned singer in Lebanon and the wider Arab wor ...

for a non-Lebanese artist. Hassoun is also working with the Iraqi poet Karim Al Iraqi to produce new Iraqi songs,who has worked with the likes of Kazem al Saher. Hassoun has worked with Salah Al-Sharnoby,

Ramy Ayach Ramy Abu Ayach ( ar, رامي ابوعياش, born August 18, 1980) is a Lebanese singer, composer, and actor. Commonly referred to as the "Pop Star" in the Arab world for his impact and contribution to the contemporary Arab music scene and Pop ...

Assi El Helani Mohammed Muzen El Hallani ( ar, محمد مزين الحلاني), widely known as Assi El Hallani; born November 28, 1970), is a Lebanese singer and actor. El Helani's musical career started after winning Studio Al Fan, a TV program for young a ...

, Abadi Aljawher and

George Wassouf George Wassouf ( ar, جورج وسوف; 23 December 1961) is a Syrian singer. In a career spanning more than four decades, he has released more than 30 albums, with a significantly large audience of fans throughout the Arab world. Dubbed Sulta ...

for a common art work .

Acting

Away from the singing, Hassoun has participated in an Iraqi-Syrian-Egyptian television series called ''Rasael Men Ragol Mayet'' (letters from a dead man), alongside Syrian actor Ghassan Masoud and many Iraqi actors. The series talks about the problems of Iraqi society between 1979 and 2005. Directed by Hassan Hosny, the series was filmed in Syria and aired exclusive on

Al-Baghdadia TV Al-Baghdadia TV is an independent Iraqi-owned Arabic-language satellite channel based in Cairo, Egypt. It is considered a Nationalistic channel of funding directly and only from the CEO.Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

and sang there in two big charity concerts for the children of Iraq, the first one in Al-elowea club and second one in

Hunting Club Hunt Club, hunt club, or hunting club may refer to: * Hunt Club, area of Ottawa, Canada ** Hunt Club Road * Hunt Club Park, a different neighbourhood in Ottawa * '' The Hunt Club'', 2010 album by Sector Seven * hunting club, either: ** Club (weapo ...

, then she hold a press conference in

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

where she talked about her joyful to be a first Iraqi and

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

singer who visited Baghdad after war 2003 despite the unstable security in

and Predict murder in 2009 from one of

Astrologer Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...

. Hassoun is working on her album that is going to include songs in the Iraqi, Lebanese,

Gulf A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...

, Moroccan, and

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

dialects. Her main goal is—as she said in an interview—to represent her beloved country Iraq in the best way. Hassoun filmed her music video for the song "''O'd 3rgoub''" with the late Lebanese director Yehia Saade in Beirut and has toured across

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

, Sweden and

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

. In 2010 she held a concert in

alongside

Fares Karam Fares Karam ( ar, فارس كرم; born 21 January 1973) is a Lebanese singer who specializes in the Dabke style and Lebanese music in general. He is known for the songs "Retani" (I wish), "El-Tannoura" (The Skirt), "Shefta" (I Saw Her) and ...

Commercials

Shatha Hassoun has also appeared in two television advertisements for the Iraqi mobile company, Zain. 1-During StarAc Arab 4,Shatha had won "the top 1 of the week" as the best student in week 13 in all respects (Evaluation,Study-Hard,Involve in classes,Deal with students ...etc.),So the academic administration surprise her with a unique gift which was filming a TV advertisement for new SMS service in Zain(MTC Atheer-Previously) and as a national support by sing a traditional Iraqi song in modern style alongside the famous Iraqi singer

who love shatha's voice 2-After Shatha Hassoun winning in

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 ...

and when the

Iraqi national football team The Iraq national football team ( ar, منتخب العراق لكرة القدم) represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association (IFA), the governing body for football in Iraq. Iraq's usual home v ...

won the

, Zain deal with Shatha and 3 players from the team in a second Mobile advertisement,The work talk about optimism for New Iraq after its wars and tragedies in the past through several shots of

Reconstruction of Iraq Investment in post-2003 Iraq refers to international efforts to rebuild the infrastructure of Iraq since the Iraq War in 2003. Along with the economic reform of Iraq, international projects have been implemented to repair and upgrade Iraqi water ...

and they performed the

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

Awards

*2007 Murex D'or Award – Best Uprising Artist (held in

Casino du Liban Casino du Liban is a casino located in Maameltein, in Lebanon and is 22 km north of Beirut. With an area of about 35,000 square meters, the casino has around 400 slot machines and 60 gaming tables. It has a showroom, night club, theater, ba ...

) *2008 DG Festival Award – Best Rising Female Singer *2008 Art Festival Award- Best Rising Female Singer *2009 Murex D'or Award

Discography

Singles

First Album ( Wajh Thani )

Filmography

Television

* ''Rasael Men Ragol Mayet'' (Letters from a dead man) – 2008 *so you think you can dance

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hassoun, Shatha 1981 births Living people People from Casablanca 21st-century Moroccan women singers Moroccan actresses 21st-century Iraqi women singers Iraqi film actresses Iraqi television actresses Star Academy winners Contestants from Arabic singing competitions Iraqi people of Moroccan descent