Samira Said is a Moroccan pop singer, who also holds Egyptian citizenship. She started singing at the age of 9. She was discovered in a Moroccantalent show known “mawaheb مواهب "Talents” under the prominent Moroccan composer Abd Ennabi Aljirari.عبد النبي الجيراري. Samira started singing to legendary Oum Kalthoum Before starting to have her own Moroccan songs. She met famous Singer Abdelhalim Hafed in Morocco when he was coming to celebrate national ceremonies at the king Hassan second palace. Abdelahalim encouraged Samira to come to Egypt to get more experience and success. She went initially to the emirates Arabe in late 70s then Cairo where she become resident since 1979. Her early Moroccan known songs are 1- Wa3di وعدي : my destiny 2- kifash Talakina كيفاش تلاقينا : How did we meet. She has multiple albums and songs since 1978. But her biggest hits are: 1- قال جاني بعد يومين AL GANI BA3D Youmin He told me in few days 2- mosh hatnazel A3nak Abdan مش متنازل عنك ابدا I will never give you up 3- يوم ورا يوم Youm Wara Youm Day after day with Cheb Mami Latest song released in December 2019 called hulillah هوليلة
Career
Samira Said was born in 1958 in Rabat, Morocco. She sang her first original song "i love noodles" at the age of nine, and was discovered on the music program, Mawaheb, broadcast on Moroccan TV, she then moved to Egypt where her fame around the Arab world began. She has dual nationality of Morocco and Egypt; her resident home as she moved to Cairo in 1977. She has all her albums in the Egyptian dialect of Arabic but she also recorded some songs in the Moroccan dialect of Arabic, such as: "Kifash Tlakina", "Fayetli sheftek shi marra", "Sarkouh", and "Al Behhara". Her singles included "Maghlouba" and "Wa'ady". In 1980 she represented her native Morocco in the Eurovision Song Contest singing a hit song within Egypt at that time called Bitaqat Hub, placing 18th out of the 19 contestants. Said has recorded many Arabic hits that were ranked highly in Egypt such as: "Ben Lef", "Sayidati Sadati", "Malich 3inwan" and "Akher Hawa". She worked with the Egyptian composer Mohamed El Mougi, sang and acted in the film Saaktob Ismak Ala Arrimal, which included her singing "Yadamiiti Haddi". Other recordings include "Lilet El Ouns", "Ech Gab Li Gab", "Amrak Aagib", and "Menghir Sabab". In 2000, she also released the Egyptian hit song "Lilah Habeebee",, the album title track, which went on to win for best video in the Arab world in 2001 at the Cairo Arabic Music Festival. At the 15th annual World Music Awards in 2003, Said won a World Music Award based on worldwide sales figures for that year. Said won the BBC award for world music for the best artist in the Middle East with her album Youm Wara Youm. Said has won more than 40 awards. "Mazal" was released in October 2013.
Reception
Halina Hopkis called Said "an emblem of trans-nationality in her moves between Morocco and Egypt as well the different awards and shows she has received and participated in as a representative of the Arabic music community". In 2003, Said was chosen as the best singer in the Middle East by BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music. Said won the Rabab D'or prize at the Tétouan's Voix des Femmes Festival in 2008. She was the winner of the Murex d'Or Award in 2009. At the 2009 Timitar Festival in Agadir, Said performed for a crowd of 100,000 In 2011, the Beirut International Award Festival honored a number of Arab and international singers including Said. She has been both credited and criticized for bringing Arab music into the pop-driven, commercially fueled 21st century. According to Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram, Said's albums have sold over 60 million copies. Aweeny Beek album is the top selling Arabic album in the Middle East and worldwide to date with over 10 million copies released in 2004."
Musical style
Samira mainly sings in Egyptian Arabic, cooperating with many Cairo musicians and composers. Hopkins said that "One of the main reasons Said’s music is so popular in Egypt and the Middle East is because of the tonal beauty of her voice against the background instrumentation. The centrality of her voice represents her personal influence in her work.
Philanthropy and humanitarian work
Said spearheaded concerts to draw people together after the 2006 riots in immigrant suburbs across France, and to bring about solidarity between all religions.
