Dounia Batma () (born 1 April 1991) is a Moroccan singer and actress who rose to popularity around the world as the runner-up of the first season of ''

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 ...

'' (the Arabic version of

Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and pa ...

) on MBC. She lost the title against Egyptian contestant

Carmen Suleiman Carmen Essam Soliman (; born on 7 October 1994), better known by her stage name Carmen Suleiman (), is an Egyptian singer. Life and career Soliman won the first season of Arab Idol song contest in 2012 broadcast live on MBC 1, winning a recor ...

. She married Mohamed Al Turk, the father of Bahraini singer

Hala Al Turk Hala Al Turk (; born May 15, 2002) is a Bahraini actress and singer. She became known for being a contestant on ''Arabs Got Talent'' in 2011. Al Turk then released many singles, including "Bnayty El Habooba (2011)" featuring singer Mashael, for ...

. Batma was born and raised in

Hay Mohammadi Hay Mohammadi or Hay Mohammedi () is a neighbourhood in eastern Casablanca, in the Aïn Sebaâ - Hay Mohammadi district of the Casablanca-Settat region of Morocco. As of 2004 it had 156,501 inhabitants. The district was once home to North Africa ...

, in the

Ain Sebaa-Hay Mohammedi Ain (, ; ) is a French department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where it nei ...

district of

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

, Morocco. Her father, Hamid Batma, played for different bands including Mesnawa and Nass El Ghiwane, and her uncle,

Laarbi Batma Laarbi Batma (or Laarbi Batma) (; born in Chaouia; 1948 - 7 February 1997) was a Moroccan musician, poet, singer, writer, actor, and the front man of the group Nass El Ghiwane. Early life Batma grew up in the Hay Mohammadi neighborhood in C ...

, is the leader of Moroccan fusion group

Nass El Ghiwane Nass El Ghiwane () are a musical group established in 1970 in Casablanca, Morocco. The group, which originated in avant-garde political theater, has played an influential role in Moroccan chaabi (or ''shaabi''). Nass El Ghiwane were the first ...

, considered by

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

as "Africa's Rolling Stones". She studied tourism after high-school, without stopping to dream about a musical career. In 2010, at the age of 18, inspired by her already-famous older cousin Khansa Batma (Mohamed Batma's daughter), she took part in a Moroccan musical competition, called

Studio 2M ''Studio 2M'' (in Arabic 2M استوديو) is a Moroccan song competition on 2M TV television station for 10 consecutive years. It is equivalent to the French Star Academy ''Star Academy'' is a Dutch-developed reality television talent sh ...

, broadcast on

2M TV 2M is a Moroccan free-to-air television network. It was established by the royal-owned conglomerate, ONA, before being sold to, in part, the Moroccan government. Of 2M, 45.3% is owned by Bank of Africa, while approximately 32.5% by the Moro ...

, in the Oriental category. She sang various songs of both Moroccan and

Middle-Eastern The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

repertoires, and reached the semi-finals. She did not reach the final, but managed to release a single "Aalash Tgheeb" (Why are you hiding?) in

Moroccan Arabic Moroccan Arabic ( ), also known as Darija ( or ), is the dialectal, vernacular form or forms of Arabic spoken in Morocco. It is part of the Maghrebi Arabic dialect continuum and as such is mutually intelligible to some extent with Algerian ...

which didn't become very successful. But she realized that she would need to go further to get the career she was expecting and Arab Idol was a great venue to reach the Arab World's heart.

Breakthrough

On 8 September 2011, Batma auditioned for the Arabic music competition

. The show is the

pan-Arab Pan-Arabism () is a pan-nationalist ideology that espouses the unification of all Arab people in a single nation-state, consisting of all Arab countries of West Asia and North Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Sea, which is ref ...

version of ''

'' and a rebirth of

Future TV Future Television (, ''Televizyon al-Mustaqbal'') was a Lebanese free-to-air television station founded in 1993 by the Future Movement leader Rafic Hariri, a former Prime Minister of Lebanon. Future TV was also available via satellite in the Ar ...

's show ''

SuperStar A superstar is someone who has great popular appeal and is widely known, prominent, or successful in their field. Celebrities referred to as "superstars" may include individuals who work as actors, musicians, athletes, and other media-based profe ...

''. The winner of the competition wins a contract with recording label Platinum Records and

Chevrolet Corvette (C6) The Chevrolet Corvette (C6) is the sixth generation of the Corvette sports car that was produced by Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 2005 to 2013 model years. It is the first Corvette with exposed headlamps (as opposed to hidden head ...

as well as an important advertisement campaign with Pepsi. She auditioned in

, and performed ''La Tfaker'' (by late Tunisian singer

Thekra Thekra bint Mohammed Al Dali (; September 16, 1966 ...

) in front of the jury composed by Lebanese pop singer

Ragheb Alama Ragheb Alama ( born 7 June 1962) is a Lebanon, Lebanese music artist and television personality. Alama began his career in the 1980s when he appeared as a contestant on the talent show broadcast Studio El Fan, on which he received the Platinum Aw ...

, Emirati diva Ahlam 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 year ...

music producer and musician Hassan Shaf'ei. They invited her to join in, which introduce her to the Arab audience. She was selected in the top 10 against contestants from

Tunisia Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

and

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. Batma's vocal abilities amazed the members of the jury and made her among the favorites since the very first prime, where she performed

Talal Maddah Talal Maddah (5 August 1940 – 11 August 2000; ) was a Saudis, Saudi Arabian musician and composer . He was named Maddah after his mother's family and was commonly nicknamed as "The Earth's Voice" (). He had a substantial influence over 20th ...

's "Magadir". Her performance was so strong and so intense that it made Ahlam cry out of emotion. She then excelled in various dialects and various styles from classic Egyptian songs (

Umm Kulthum Umm Kulthum (; 31 December 1898 – 3 February 1975) was an Egyptians, Egyptian singer and film actress active from the 1920s to the 1970s. She was given the honorific title (). Immensely popular throughout the Middle East and beyond, Umm Kul ...

Mohammed Abdel Wahab Mohamed Abdel Wahab (), also transliterated ''Mehammad Abdelwehab'', (March 13, 1902 – May 4, 1991), was a prominent 20th-century Egyptian singer, actor, and composer. He is best known for his Romantic and Egyptian patriotic songs. He ...

, Warda, Faiza Ahmed), to Arabic pop music (

Samira Said Samira Abdelrazak Bensaïd (; born 10 January 1958), professionally known as Samira Said (), is a Moroccan-Egyptian singer who has lived in Egypt for more than 40 years and is known for her Egyptian Arabic genre. She represented Morocco in the E ...

Fulla Fulla (Old Norse: , possibly 'bountiful') or Volla (Old High German, 'plenitude') is a Ásynjur, goddess in Germanic paganism, Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, Fulla is described as wearing a golden band and as tending to the Fraxinus exce ...

Najwa Karam Najwa Karam (; ; born 26 February 1966) is a Lebanon, Lebanese singer, songwriter, producer, fashion icon, and television personality. She has sold over 60 million records worldwide and was recognized as the highest-selling Lebanese people, Leba ...

, Asala Nasri) and Gulf music ( Ahlam,

Mohammed Abdu Mohammed Abdu (; born June 12, 1949) is a Saudi singer. He has been described as the "Artist of the Arabs". Early years Mohammed Abdu was born on June 12, 1949 in Al Shuqaiq, Jazan. His father, Abdu Othman Al-A'asiri, was a poor fisherman ...

). Among her most notable performances were her rendition of

's ''Darrat El Ayam'', for which she received unanimous praises from the jury and her singing of Ahlam's ''Akhtar Men Awal Ahebak'' (in

Gulf Arabic Gulf Arabic or Khaleeji ( ' local pronunciation: or ', local pronunciation: ) is a variety of the Arabic language spoken in Eastern Arabia around the coasts of the Persian Gulf in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, southern Iraq, ...

), for which Ahlam (the singer of this song and member of the jury) said : "It is an honor that you sung this for me". On 24 March, she lost the title against the

contestant

. During a press conference, Batma seized the chance to clarify that her try in the Middle East is due to the opportunities that can be offered there, and added that "the launch of my artistic career from the East won't affect my contribution to the promotion of Moroccan art, and won't also affect my pride of my mother tongue". Many viewers noticed that Batma didn't use her

whenever she was speaking in front of the audiences and switched to another Arabic dialect (mostly the ''Khaliji'' dialect) as most Moroccan artists usually do when they travel to the Middle East. She considers

Asma Lamnawar Asma Lamnawar (; born 25 July 1978) is a Moroccan singer and actress. She made her singing debut in 1995 with "Angham", a festival produced by Moroccan Radio and TV, where she won the prize for best interpretation, though she delayed beginning h ...

and Hoda Saad as role models. After the show, the CEO of

Saudi Saudi or Saudi Arabian may refer to: * Saudi Arabia * Saudis, people from Saudi Arabia * Saudi culture, the culture of Saudi Arabia * House of Saud, the ruling family of Saudi Arabia See also *Saud (disambiguation) The House of Saud The H ...

Platinum Records,

Rashed Al-Majed Rashed Al-Majed (; born 27 July 1969) is a Saudi singer, actor, musician, and record producer. He has been active since 1984. Rashed Al-Majed is one of the most famous singers in the Middle East and has released almost 40 records. His songs oft ...

, signed her to the label, saying that her voice was "rare".

Performances in ''Arab Idol''

* First casting (

) : "La Tfaker" by

Thekra Thekra bint Mohammed Al Dali (; September 16, 1966 ...

* Second casting (

Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...

) : "Hob Eih" by

* Top 10 Girls : "Magadir" by

* 1st Prime : "Youm Leek" by

Thekra Thekra bint Mohammed Al Dali (; September 16, 1966 ...

* 2nd Prime : "Darrat El Ayam" by

* 3rd Prime : "Lashhad Hobbak" by

* 4th Prime : "Habina Wa Thabina" by Mayada El Henawi * 5th Prime : "Akhtar Min Awal Ahebak" by Ahlam * 5th Prime : "Khayna" by

and

* 6th Prime : "Olli A'amalak Eh Albi" by

* 6th Prime : "Aal Bal" by

* 7th Prime : "Ma Aad Badri" by

* 7th Prime : "Akthar" by Asala Nasri * 8th Prime : "Tab Wa Ana Mali" by

Warda Al-Jazairia Warda Al-Jazairia (; born Warda Mohammed Ftouki (); 22 July 1939 – 17 May 2012) was an Algerian singer. She was well known for her Egyptian Arabic songs and music. Her name was sometimes shortened to just Warda ( meaning "rose") or as "The Alg ...

* 8th Prime : "Wagif Aala Babikom" by

Naima Samih Naima Samih (; 1953 – 8 March 2025) was a Moroccan singer. She is considered one of the most important voices in Moroccan music in the second half of the twentieth century. Her singing career began in the 1970s, and her songs gained wide popu ...

* 8th Prime : "Tashakurat" by

* Final : "Allah Ya Moulana" by

* Final : "Ebta'ad Aani" by

* Final : "Marsoul El Hob" by Abdelwahab Doukkali * Final : "Hob Eih" by

;Medleys in Saturday's results show * 1st Prime's Results : "Yalli Bjamalek" by

Saber Rebaï Saber Rebai (, ''Saber al Ruba'i''; born 13 March 1967) is a Tunisian singer, actor, and composer. He is known for his song " Sidi Mansour". Some albums carry the variant transliteration Saber el Rebaii. He is one of the most well-known artists ...

* 2nd Prime's Results : "Bataminak" by

Sherine Sherine Sayed Mohamed Abdel Wahab (; born 8 October 1980), known professionally as simply Sherine, is an Egyptians, Egyptian Singing, singer, Actor, actress and music judge who is dubbed ''"The Voice of Egypt"''. Sherine was formerly a judge on ...

* 3rd Prime's Results : "Bab Am Yabki" by

Assi El Helani Mohammed Muzen El Hallani (), widely known as Assi El Hallani; born 28 November 1970), is a Lebanese singer and actor. El Helani's musical career started after winning Studio Al Fan, a TV program for young artists, at the age of 17. Biography ...

* 4th Prime's Results : "Bin Edeya" by Majid El Muhandes * 5th Prime's Results : "Bilba'lak" by Nawal El-Zoughby * 6th Prime's Results : "Law Taarafo" by Elissa * 7th Prime's Results : "Zidini Ashqan" by

Kadhem Al Saher Kadim Jabbar Al Samarai (; born 12 September 1957), better known by his stage name Kadim Al Sahir (), is an Iraqi singer and composer. Dubbed The Caesar, he has earned numerous local, regional, and international awards. One of the most famous sin ...

* 8th Prime Results : "Akhasmak Ah" and "El Donia Helwa" by

Nancy Ajram Nancy Nabil Ajram (, ; born May 16, 1983) is a Lebanese singer, television personality, and businesswoman, dubbed by Spotify as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Arab Pop". With the support of her father, she began performing ...

* 8th Prime Results : "Sit El Habayeb" by

Fayza Ahmed Fayza Ahmed (; December 5, 1934 – September 24, 1983) was a Syrian-Egyptian singer and actress. During her career, she appeared in six films. Early life Fayza Ahmed was born in 1934 in Sidon, Lebanon to a Syrian father and a Lebanese mot ...

Discography

References

External links

Youtube Channel for Dounia Batma's performances in Arab Idol

Présentation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Batma, Dounia 1991 births Living people Moroccan Muslims Musicians from Casablanca Actresses from Casablanca 21st-century Moroccan women singers Moroccan film actresses Moroccan television actresses Contestants from Arabic singing competitions Arabic-language singers of Morocco