Rouwaida Attieh

Syrian vocalist Rouwaida Attieh (Arabic: رويدا عطية) was the first runner-up on the first season of Superstar, the pan-Arab import of Pop Idol. Along with Lebanese contestant Melhem Zein, she was a favorite to win the contest, which was won by Jordanian contestant Diana Karazon. Rouwaida has quickly risen to fame thanks to the sheer power of her voice, and her skill in using it. Her deep and expressive voice helps her excel in the classical Arabic tarab style and the Levantine dabke style. She has worked with countless Arab musical giants, such as Lebanese composer Imad Shamseddine (credited with most of Najwa Karam's success), Lebanese legend Wadih El Safi, and Egyptian composer Salah El Sharnoubi (credited with much of Warda's later hits). Rouwaida's debut album, released in 2004, was made up of eight tracks composed by Imad Shamseddine, and had lyrics in the Egyptian, Lebanese, and Khaliji (Arabian Gulf) dialects. Though not as successful as Diana Karazon and Melhem Zein's debut albums, Rouwaida did not falter and returned in 2006 with an all-new album, "Khissamak Mur". Her new album was a marked difference for her, and it started with the fact that Imad Shamseddine only composed two of the songs, "Ma Hellak" and "Oloub Melyaneh". Rouwaida worked a much wider range of composers; from Lebanon she worked with George Marderosian and Wissam El Amir, from the Gulf Nizar Abdallah, and from Egypt Salah El Sharnoubi, Walid Saad, and the late Riyad El Hamshari. Rouwaida's sophomore album met with much more success, with hits such as "Ala El Mani" and "Jerouhi". Rouwaida's promising professional life has been hindered by her personal life. Rouwaida's divorce from her husband/manager, reminiscent of Asalah's divorce, was long and kept her from the music scene. Also, malicious rumors spread about a jealous Najwa Karam hindering her due to the way Imad Shamseddine and other Lebanese musicians flocked around the "new, younger talent". Rouwaida appeared on Dubai TV's "Ta Ra Ta Ta" in early 2008 also and explained that she finally had a new management and was working on her music again. Rouwaida released a Lebanese single titled "Ma Tmallekni El Denyeh" in the spring of 2008. She followed it up with two more singles, "Hayati Melki" in the summer and most recently "Ana Andi Lezeh" in autumn. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.