Carole Samaha
Carole Samaha is a Lebanese singer, actress, and performer. She has released six studio albums. Samaha has a Master's degree in acting and directing, which she earned in 1999 from the Saint Joseph University of Beirut.
In 2004, she won the Arab Music Award for best female newcomer. She has also won multiple Murex d'Or awards and was nominated for best Arabia New Act in the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008.
Before starting her pop music career, Carole Samaha was a classical actress and worked extensively with Mansour Rahbani and Marwan Rahbani. Her first music single was Bi Sabah el Alf el Talet in 2000.
In 2007, Carole Samaha returned to the theater to play Zenobia in the Rahbani musical with the same name. She established her own production company, Lacarma, in 2009. In 2011, Carole Samaha starred in the TV series Al Shahroura, broadcast during Ramadan, as the singer and actress Sabah. In 2013, she was a judge on The X Factor (Arabic TV series) and she was the mentor for Young Pharoz, Maraya and Les Bledards Ninja. Later that year, she created the musical show "The Lady", produced by Rotana, which premiered on August 10, 2013.
Early life
Samaha was born on July 25, 1972, in Beirut to Antoine Samaha from Khenchara, Metn, a direct relative of Lebanese politician Shafik Mebarak Samaha and Nouhad Hawi from Dhour El Choueir, Metn. Through the former, she is also related to Shafik Mebarak, nephew of Shakira. She has two brothers. Her parents supported different political factions, and according to Samaha that fact made her become "more open" to the different views of people, learning a great deal from that experience.Personal life
On November 1, 2013, Samaha married Walid Mustafa, an Egyptian businessman, in a civil ceremony in Limassol, Cyprus, following an 18-month courtship and short engagement. On August 31, 2015, Carole Samaha gave birth to a baby girl, Tala. She is a Maronite Christian. She holds both Lebanese and Egyptian citizenships, and since 2014 has been residing in Egypt with her husband.Awards
- "Revelation Of The Year" Murex d'Or in 2000.
- "Best Female Newcomer" at the Arab Music Awards – This was the first year in which the Arab Music Awards were awarded and the ceremony was held in Dubai in May 2004.
- "Best Polyvalent Talent" Murex d'Or in 2003.
- "Best Female Romantic Song" for Murex d'Or in 2003.
- "Best Lebanese Female Singer" Murex d'Or in 2007.
- "Best Lebanese Song" Murex d'Or in 2007.
- "Album Of The Year" Murex d'Or in June 2010.
- "Best Music Video" – "Khalik Behalak" – at the 2011 Murex d'Or ceremony.
- World Music Award for "Best Stage Performer in the Middle East" in Monaco 2014.