Hiba Michel Tawaji (; born 10 December 1987) is a Lebanese singer, actress, and director. Since 2008, she has established herself in the Lebanese and Arab music scene with her 4-octave

vocal range Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of stud ...

. She started her career playing the main female role in Rahbani musicals. She also participated in the fourth season of France's version of '' The Voice'', in which she was coached by

Mika Mika is a given name, a nickname, and a surname. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People known just as Mika * Mika (singer) (born 1983), Lebanese-born British singer-songwriter Michael Penniman, Jr. * Mika (footba ...

and reached the semi-finals. After ''The Voice'', she signed with

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...

in 2015. On 30 May 2016, it was announced Tawaji would join the cast of ''

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...

'' as Esmeralda in the revival of the musical. She has since toured with the cast and performed internationally. Tawaji has also pursued her Arabic career with four studio albums produced by Oussama Rahbani and numerous projects on the Lebanese and Arab levels, including in

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 ...

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 ...

, and

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 ...

, where she was the first woman to sing on stage following an easing of restrictions on women's rights. Tawaji is now signed to Universal Music Arabia, in partnership with

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

and

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

Early life and education

Born in

Achrafieh Achrafieh () is an upper-class area in eastern Beirut, Lebanon. In strictly administrative terms, the name refers to a sector (''secteur'') centred on Sassine Square, the highest point in the city, as well as a broader quarter (''quartier''). In p ...

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 ...

to Lebanese Orthodox parents Michel and Adele, she grew up in Elissar, a neighborhood of Mazraat Yachouh in the

Matn District Matn (, '), sometimes spelled Metn (or preceded by the article El, as in El Matn), is a district (''qadaa'') in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut. The district capital is Jdeideh (followed to Jdeideh, ...

. She trained at an early age in opera and classical singing, then in modern style. From 1990 until 2005, Tawaji studied at the Athenee de Beyrouth School and received a literary baccalaureate. From 2002 until 2007, she took singing lessons and solfeggio at Ecole des Arts Ghassan Yammine. She then went to

Saint Joseph University Saint Joseph University of Beirut (; French: ''Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth'', commonly known as USJ) is a private Catholic research university in Beirut, Lebanon, founded in 1875 by French Jesuit missionaries and subsidized by the Go ...

of Beirut, IESAV, and majored in audio-visual and cinematographic studies, earning her B.A. in 2010. Tawaji also trained in directing and acting. She obtained her bachelor's degree in 2012 with a short movie written and directed by her, titled ''The Rope''. It won many prizes in film festivals across the Arab World (ZUMEFF, NDU Film Festival, Outbox Film Festival, etc.).

Career

2008–2014: Early career and musical debut

Singing in

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

, and

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

, Tawaji was noticed by producers and composers in the Middle East. Fascinated by the genius of the Rahbani family, she sought to contact Oussama Rahbani who was impressed by her audition and immediately became her producer. Tawaji has insisted on different occasions that her collaboration with Rahbani is lifelong and that no contract exists to govern their projects together. In 2008, Tawaji released her first single, "Metl El Rih" (Like the Wind), which received extensive airtime on TV channels across Lebanon. She cemented her position as a promising newcomer on the musical scene with her acclaimed second single, "Helm" (Dream), to which she directed the music video herself. Both songs were a product of her collaboration with the Rahbani family. In the meantime, Tawaji launched her stage career by debuting in 2008 as the protagonist in the musical ''The Return of the Phoenix'' by Mansour and Oussama Rahbani, played in

Byblos Byblos ( ; ), also known as Jebeil, Jbeil or Jubayl (, Lebanese Arabic, locally ), is an ancient city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. The area is believed to have been first settled between 8800 and 7000BC and continuously inhabited ...

and

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

, alongside Ghassan Saliba, Antoine Kerbage, and Takla Chamoun. The following year, she also reprised the main role in the musical ''Sayf 840'' alongside Saliba. Between May and July 2010, she took vocal lessons with

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

winner Gwen Conley in New York. In that same period, she followed a three-month intensive acting workshop at the

Stella Adler Studio of Acting The Stella Adler Studio of Acting (formerly Stella Adler Conservatory) is a prestigious acting school that was founded by actress and teacher Stella Adler.

in New York. She returned to Lebanon and appeared in other musicals by the Rahbanis, ''Don Quixote'' and ''Moulouk Al Tawaef''. In 2012, Tawaji released her first album ''La Bidayi Wala Nihayi'', in collaboration with Oussama Rahbani. The eponymous single is an Arabic version of "

The Windmills of Your Mind "The Windmills of Your Mind" is a song with music by French composer Michel Legrand and English lyrics written by American lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman. French lyrics, under the title "", were written by Eddy Marnay. It was originally reco ...

" (Les Moulins de mon Coeur) written by Michel Legrand and received considerable airplay in Lebanon and the Arab world, propelling Tawaji to recognition from the public. The record also contained the songs "Zat Ellafti", with pop influences, and "La Tkelli Ennak Meshtakli" which is reminiscent of Fairuz's music in her later jazzy era with her son

Ziad Ziyad (; ) is an Arabic given name and surname. Given name Actors * Zeyad Errafae'ie, Syrian television actor and voice actor Athletes * Zeyad Abdulrazak, Kuwaiti hurdler * Zeyad Mater, Yemeni judoka * Zyad Chaabo, Syrian footballer * Ziad ...

. Hiba Tawaji's second album, ''Ya Habibi'', was released in 2014 and was also positively received as it was carried by the singles "Khalas" and "Awwal Ma Cheftou". The record also comprises Tawaji's version of the song "

Helwa ya baladi "" (, ; "Oh Sweet, My Homeland") is an Egyptian Arabic song by Dalida from 1979, enjoying great popularity in the Middle East and the Arab diaspora. The song is an homage to Egypt, Dalida's birthplace, and is considered representative of the nat ...

", first performed by

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida (, ; ), was an Italian naturalized French singer and actress. Leading an international career, Dalida has sold over 140 million records worldwide. Some ...

. Tawaji has also performed in 2013 and 2014 with the National Symphonic Orchestra of Ukraine, headlining shows in Lebanon,

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

and the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

. She also released in 2014 the official tribute song to the

Lebanese Army The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF; ), also known as the Lebanese Army (), is the national military of the Republic of Lebanon. It consists of three branches, the ground forces, the air force, and the navy. The motto of the Lebanese Armed Forces is ...

on its 69th anniversary, ''Metl El Chajar Mazrouiin''.

2015–2017: Appearance on ''The Voice'' and career in France

In January 2015, Tawaji took part in the fourth season of '' The Voice: la plus belle voix'', France's version of '' The Voice''. In the blind auditions, she auditioned with a bilingual version of "La Bidayi Wala Nihayi", leading all four judges to turn their chairs. Tawaji opted to be in Team Mika. The blind audition was broadcast on day 3 of the auditions on 24 January 2015. In the Battles Round, Tawaji faced Nög, another contestant in Mika's team, singing " Mon amie la rose" by

Françoise Hardy Françoise Madeleine Hardy (; 17 January 1944 – 11 June 2024) was a French singer-songwriter, actress, and author. She was known for singing melancholic, sentimental ballads. Hardy rose to prominence in the early 1960s as a leading figure in F ...

. Mika elected to proceed to the next round with Tawaji, while Nög was stolen by fellow coach Zazie. During the "L'Épreuve ultime" round, she performed " Fighter" by

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...

, ending up in the Top 4 of Team Mika. In the live rounds, she sang "

Everytime "Everytime" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fourth studio album, ''In the Zone'' (2003). It was released as the third single from ''In the Zone'' on May 10, 2004, by Jive Records. After her relationship with Justin Timber ...

" by

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

and was saved by public vote as a top pick from Team Mika. In the second live round, she sang "

Amoureuse "Amoureuse" is a French language composition by Véronique Sanson introduced on her 1972 album of the same name. Rendered in English the song became a hit single for Kiki Dee and – as "Emotion" – for Helen Reddy. Background and first re ...

" from

Véronique Sanson Véronique Marie Line Sanson (; born 24 April 1949) is a three-time Victoires de la Musique award-winning French singer-songwriter and record producer with an avid following in her native country. Ten years after Barbara, Véronique Sanson be ...

again ending as public favourite from Team Mika with the biggest number of votes. Mika also opted to keep David Thibault as Top 2 in his team. In the semi-finals held on April 18, she confronted David Thibault in a bid to represent Team Mika in the final. She sang "Pas là" from Vianney, but lost to Thibault in the public vote, with the latter qualifying to the final. Tawaji ended up finishing joint 5th to 8th place for the season. Following her appearance on the show, Tawaji was signed to

in 2015 and released her first single in French, "Comme un symbole", which she performed on ''The Voice'' as a musical guest on the eleventh episode of the fifth season. Her versatile vocal abilities and experience on stage attracted the attention of the producers of

Riccardo Cocciante Riccardo Cocciante (; born 20 February 1946), also known in French-speaking countries and the United States as Richard Cocciante (), is an Italian and French singer and songwriter. Early and personal life Cocciante was born on 20 February 19 ...

, and

Luc Plamondon Luc Plamondon (born March 2, 1942) is a French Canadians, French-Canadian lyricist and music executive. His work includes the musicals Starmania (musical), ''Starmania'' and Notre-Dame de Paris (musical), ''Notre-Dame de Paris''. He is the brot ...

, who offered her to reprise

Hélène Ségara Hélène Ségara (, born ''Hélène Aurore Alice Rizzo''; 26 February 1971), is a French singer of Armenian and Italian descent, who came to prominence playing the role of Esmeralda in the French musical ''Notre Dame de Paris''. She has sold o ...

's legendary role of Esmeralda in the musical for its first official revival, which opened at the Palais des Congrès in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in November 2016. She then proceeded on tour with the cast, performing sold-out shows in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, the UK, the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, in addition to a tour of France and her home country of

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, where the musical headlined the Jounieh International Festival. As of 2022, Tawaji has still been performing with the cast of the musical, most recently in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. In 2015, Tawaji collaborated with

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

and sang "Nuits d'Arabie" from

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...

on the French album ''We Love Disney compilation best of''.

2017–2022: ''Hiba Tawaji 30'' and global activities

In 2017, Tawaji announced the release of her new project with Oussama Rahbani, titled ''Hiba Tawaji 30'', honoring her 30th birthday. The album's release was preceded by Tawaji's release of the patriotic song "Bghannilak Ya Watani", whose music video, directed by Tawaji, showcases a better vision of Lebanon in the future. ''Hiba Tawaji 30'' consists of 30 songs on two CDs. The first CD contains 15 original songs, most of them written by Ghadi Rahbani with five songs written by Oussama Rahbani. The second disc is a compilation of Tawaji's best previous works as well as covers of

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 ...

and

Sayed Darwish Sayed Darwish (, ; 17 March 1892 – 14 September 1923) was an Egyptian singer and composer who was considered the father of Egyptian popular music and one of Egypt's greatest musicians and seen by some as its single greatest composer. Ear ...

. The last song of Tawaji's new album, additionally, was produced by

for the animated series ''

Elena of Avalor ''Elena of Avalor'' is an American animated television series created by Craig Gerber. It premiered on Disney Channel on July 22, 2016, before it was moved to Disney Junior on July 14, 2018. The series features Aimee Carrero as the voice of El ...

'', for which she dubbed the singing role of main character Princess Elena in Arabic. The album was released on 30 March 2017. In April 2017, Tawaji was featured on the track "Solidarité" (Solidarity) by French-Lebanese artist

Matthieu Chedid Matthieu Chedid (born 21 December 1971) is a French multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. Chedid began his career as a session musician playing both acoustic and electric guitar. In the late 1990s, he rose to fame as a singer-songwriter ...

, which appears on his album ''Lamomali''. The ten years of collaboration between Hiba Tawaji and Oussama Rahbani were celebrated by the two artists during a live show called ''TEN'', which was exclusively performed on stage as the closing act of the Cedars International Festival in

Bsharri Bsharri ( ''Bšarrī''; also romanized ''Becharre'', ''Bcharre'', ''Bsharre'', ''Bcharre Al Arz'') is a Lebanese town located in the district of the same name, North Governorate, situated at altitudes between and . Bsharri is the location o ...

, Lebanon, on 5 August 2017. The production featured more than 120 dancers choreographed by Pascale Sayegh Zgheib and was performed with the Lebanese Orchestra conducted by Oussama Rahbani. Hiba Tawaji's renowned and respected status was solidified as she was selected, in December 2017, to be the first female artist ever to take the stage in

, following women's rights reforms in Saudi Arabia undertaken by Crown Prince

Mohammed bin Salman Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (; born 31 August 1985), also known as MBS or MbS, is the ''de facto'' ruler of the Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, formally serving as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Sa ...

. Her historic performance was broadcast and reported by international media all around the world for breaking taboos and was highlighted as an achievement in the battle of women in the Arab world towards freedom and equality in society. On that occasion, she re-released a special version of her song "Min Elli Byekhtar" (Who Chooses), accompanied by a music video celebrating the lifting of the driving ban on women in Saudi Arabia. Following this event, Tawaji performed a special

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...

concert—which she has since made a yearly tradition—and released a Christmas-special album titled ''Hallelujah'', produced by Oussama Rahbani. The next year, she was the singer of the official soundtrack for the series ''Tarik'', which premiered during

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

in 2018. The Ramadan season represents the peak of TV audiences yearly. The song, also called "Tarik", was listened to by broad audiences in the Arabic-speaking world and became Tawaji's most popular song. "Tarik" boosted Tawaji's career as it showcased her versatility and ability to also tap into mainstream genres far from her jazzy, orchestral, and lyrical influences. That year, she also performed a sold-out concert at the Dubai Opera as part of a Rahbani night and released a remake of the song "Lil Sabiyi Al Malaki", the official song of the

Miss Lebanon Miss Lebanon () is the national beauty pageant of Lebanon. The winner is a representative of the Ministry of Tourism (Lebanon), Ministry of Tourism and is sent to represent Lebanon at Miss Universe and Miss World. History Since 1995, the pagea ...

pageant, whose rights were transferred to

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

under

Rima Fakih Rima Fakih Slaiby (; born September 22, 1985) is an American former professional wrestler and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2010. Having previously been crowned Miss Michigan USA 2010, Fakih was the first Arab American wo ...

's direction. Collaborating with Disney for the third time, Hiba Tawaji was selected to dub

Naomi Scott Naomi Scott (born 6 May 1993) is an English actress and singer. Her accolades include an Astra Film Award and a Teen Choice Award, in addition to nominations for two Saturn Awards. After featuring on the Disney Channel series '' Life Bites' ...

's voice as Jasmine in the French version of the 2019 Aladdin live-action remake, providing both speaking and singing vocals. She featured on the official soundtrack of the movie, notably with the songs " Ce rêve bleu" (A Whole New World) and "

Parler Parler (pronounced "parlor") is an American alt-tech social networking service associated with conservatives. Launched in August 2018, Parler marketed itself as a free speech-focused and unbiased alternative to mainstream social networks s ...

" (Speec''hless)''. In 2019 also, Tawaji was invited by international tenor

Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor. He rose to fame in 1994 after winning the newcomers' section of the 44th Sanremo Music Festival performing " Il mare calmo della sera". Since 1994, Bocelli has recorded 15 solo st ...

to perform together at a concert as part of the Cedars International Festival in Lebanon. The concert was broadcast live on Lebanese television. 2020 marked Hiba Tawaji's debut on TV screens as an actress, as the lead role in Arab series ''Hawas (Obsession)'' alongside Syrian star Abed Fahed. She also performed the official soundtrack of the series ''Lahza Ya Rayt (If only one moment)''. In 2021, she released the song ''Aylan'' in memory of the three-year old clandestine migration victim Aylan Kurdi.

2022–present: Signing at Universal, international recognition and ''Baad Sneen''

In 2022, Tawaji signed a record deal with Universal Music Arabia, a division of

and

. She is managed by Lebanese-Canadian executive Wassim "SAL" Slaiby, the CEO of the label, which he launched to promote Arabic music on a global scale. On 7 October 2022, Tawaji released her first single under UMA called "Que Será Será" (Law Nebka Sawa) featuring Puerto Rican star

Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs, most notably 2017's "Despacito". Fonsi received his first Latin ...

. The music video accompanying the song reached 3 million views on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

within three days of its release. She also conducted a one-time concert open to public for free, called ''Night of Hope'', in the first large musical event after the

2020 Beirut explosion On 4 August 2020, a major explosion occurred in Beirut, Lebanon, triggered by the ignition of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate. The chemical, confiscated in 2014 from the cargo ship and stored at the Port of Beirut without adequate safety me ...

. As part of the cultural revival efforts amidst the political and economic crisis Lebanon is facing, the Rahbani-produced performance took place at the Forum de Beyrouth and was broadcast live on

MTV Lebanon Murr Television, marketed and known as MTV Lebanon, is a Lebanese television station based in Naccache, Metn District. It was founded in 1991 by businessman Gabriel Murr Gabriel Murr (; born 26 February 1939) is a Lebanese politician and ...

. The singer performed a duet with Elissa, one of the country's most well-known artists. She also headlined a concert in

as a part of the festivities for the luxury brand

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...

's 200th anniversary. In February 2023, Tawaji released ''Habibi Khalas'', second single from her upcoming album. The track is penned by long-time collaborator Oussama Rahbani and

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis (; ) was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone. He was considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity. The myth goes that Adonis was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip ...

frontman Anthony Khoury and is accompanied by a music video shot in

. Tawaji released her studio album ''Baad Sneen'' in May 2023, her first one under her Universal deal. The record was published with the music video of the eponymous third single, in which Tawaji performs in the Egyptian dialect.

Personal life

On 19 September 2020, she married the French-Lebanese musician

Ibrahim Maalouf Maalouf (, ; born 5 November 1980) is a French-Lebanese trumpeter, producer, arranger, and composer. In 2022, he became the first Lebanese instrumentalist nominated at the Grammy Awards for his album ''Queen of Sheba'' in collaboration with Ang� ...

. In 2021, she gave birth to their son, Nael. In 2023, she announced on Instagram that Maalouf and herself have welcomed their second child, a daughter named Rita Aya.

Influences and artistic legacy

Tawaji has received much praise for her versatile vocal abilities, as she has performed in numerous genres such as opera, Arabic pop, Western pop, jazz, blues,

Tarab Tarab () is a classical Arabic music genre rooted in folk and traditional styles, popular throughout the Arab world. In its classical form, it is primarily vocal, with several genres such as adwar, qasida, mawawil, qudud, and muwashahat. Umm ...

, Latin genres, and French ''variété'', as well as religious hymns. She cites

Lara Fabian Lara Sophie Katy Crokaert (; born 9 January 1970), known professionally as Lara Fabian (, , ), is a Belgian, Italian and Canadian singer and songwriter. She claims to have sold over 20 million records worldwide and to be one of the List of best ...

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

Léo Ferré Léo Ferré (; 24 August 1916 – 14 July 1993) was a Monégasque poet and composer, and a dynamic and controversial live performer. He released some forty albums over this period, composing the music and the majority of the lyrics. He released ...

Daniel Lévi Daniel Lévi (26 August 1961 – 6 August 2022) was a French singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist. Biography He spent his childhood in Lyon, where he was preparing for his job as a musician studying piano for a decade at the conservatory ...

, and

Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( ; ; ; born Shahnur Vaghinak Aznavourian; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a Armenians in France, French singer and songwriter of Armenian descent. Aznavour was known for his distinctive vibrato tenor voice: clear and ringi ...

as her influences since childhood, alongside her personal favorite

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey ( ; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Songbird Supreme" by ''Guinness World Records'', Carey is known for her five-octave voc ...

, but stated she has never limited her music preferences to one genre. In her concerts, she has also tapped into the jazz genre, performing "I Can Explain" by

Rachelle Ferrell Rachelle Ferrell (born May 21, 1961) is an American vocalist and musician. Although she has had some success in the mainstream R&B, pop, gospel and classical music scenes, she is noted for her talents as a contemporary jazz singer. In contem ...

, using the

whistle register The whistle register (also called the flute register or flageolet register) is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register. This register has a specific physiological production that is differe ...

. Tawaji is also known to shoot spontaneous behind-the-scenes documentaries of her projects and concerts, directed by Nader Mousally and released on

Discography

Albums

* 2009: ''Sayf 840'' ''()'', produced by Oussama Rahbani * 2012: ''La Bidayi Wala Nihayi'' ''()'', produced by Oussama Rahbani * 2011: ''Don Quixote'', produced by Oussama Rahbani * 2014: ''Ya Habibi'' ''()'', produced by Oussama Rahbani * 2016: ''Notre Dame de Paris'' (official soundtrack album) * 2017: ''Hiba Tawaji 30'', double album, produced by Oussama Rahbani * 2017: ''Hallelujah'', Christmas album produced by Oussama Rahbani * 2019: ''

'' (official soundtrack album) * 2023: ''Baad Sneen''

Filmography

As a director

* 2013: ''Al Habla (The Rope)'', starring Nazih Youssef (short movie)

As an actress

* 2020: ''Hawas (Obsession)'', starring Hiba Tawaji and Abed Fahed, directed by Mohamad Lotfy (TV series)

As a voice actress

* 2017: ''

'', the Arabic version of the Disney animated series, singing * 2019: ''

'', the French version of the Disney live-action movie, speaking and singing * 2021: ''Les mystères de la chorale'', French TV movie produced by

France 3 France 3 () is a French free-to-air Public broadcasting, public television network. The second flagship network of France Télévisions, it broadcasts a wide range of general and specialized programming. France 3 is structured as a Region ...

, singing

Musical theater

* 2008–2000: ''The Return of the Phoenix'' ''()'' by Oussama Rahbani, performed as part of the

Byblos International Festival The Byblos International Festival is a Lebanese festival held in Byblos, believed to be the first Phoenician city, founded around 5000 BC. The festival is the biggest in Lebanon, and attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. History ...

and in

, then in residency at the

Casino du Liban Casino du Liban (; ) is a casino located in Jounieh, Lebanon, 22 km north of Beirut. The casino is managed by London Clubs International, a subsidiary of Caesars Entertainment. With an area of about 35,000 square meters, the casino has ar ...

* 2009–2010: ''Sayf 840'' ''()'' by

Mansour Rahbani Mansour Rahbani (; 17 March 1925 – 13 January 2009) was a Lebanese people, Lebanese composer, musician, poet, philosopher, Intellectual, thinker and Record producer, producer, known as one of the Rahbani brothers, and the brother-in-law o ...

and Oussama Rahbani, performed as part of the Byblos International Festival, then in residency at the Casino du Liban * 2010–2019: ''Moulouk Al Tawaef'' ''()'' by Oussama Rahbani, occasionally performed as part of multiple festivals in the Arab world (Qatar, Tunisia, Lebanon) * 2011: ''Don Quixote'' by Marwan Rahbani, Ghadi Rahbani and Oussama Rahbani, performed as part of the Byblos International Festival * 2016–2022: ''

'' by

and

, worldwide tour

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tawaji, Hiba 1987 births 21st-century Lebanese women singers Living people Saint Joseph University alumni Musicians from Beirut Greek Orthodox Christians from Lebanon English-language singers from Lebanon The Voice (franchise) contestants Performers of Christian music in Arabic Arabic-language singers of Lebanon French-language singers of Lebanon