Nassif Zeytoun (; born 25 September 1988) is a

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 ...

n singer and the 2010 winner of the Arabic reality television show ''

Star Academy ''Star Academy'' is a Dutch-developed reality television talent show format that first aired in the Netherlands as '':nl:Starmaker (televisieprogramma), Star Maker''. Format There are many versions of the show, each country having its own sl ...

''. He is best known for his song "Mesh Aam Tezbat Maae", released in 2014. His music videos 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 ...

have millions of views. His album ''Toul Al Yom'' was released in July 2016 and instantly reached the top of charts in the

Arab world The Arab world ( '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, comprises a large group of countries, mainly located in West Asia and North Africa. While the majority of people in ...

. One of the tracks from the album, "Bi Rabbek", had been No. 1 on the music app

Anghami Anghami ( , "melodic"/"my melodies") is the first legal music streaming platform and digital distribution company in the Arab world. It launched in November 2012 in Lebanon, providing unlimited Arabic and international music to stream and downlo ...

. In 2016, Zeytoun took part in ''Stars On Board'', a televised cruise with celebrity guests from many parts of the Arab world, and has held several concerts in Syria and

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 ...

. Zeytoun's love for his country inspired the song "Haweety", in which the singer pays tribute to his country.

Early life

Zeytoun was born and raised in Jdeidat Artouz, Rif Dimashq, to a Rum Orthodox Christian family originally from

Khabab Khabab () is a town located in southwest Syria in the Hauran plain, part of the Daraa Governorate, 57 km (~36 miles) south of Damascus and about the same distance from the city of Daraa. The old name of the town is ''Abiba'', which in Arama ...

, Daraa Governorate. He studied interpretation before enrolling at the

Higher Institute of Music in Damascus The Higher Institute of Music in Damascus (HIM) () is the national music academy in Syria. History The HIM was founded in 1962 by music educator and conductor Solhi al-Wadi as the Arab Institute of Music and was established in its current form as ...

, where he graduated from the oriental singing department. Following his graduation, he worked at the

Damascus Opera House The Damascus Opera House (formerly Dar al-Assad for Culture and Arts) () is the national opera house of Syria. Inaugurated on 7 May 2004, it is located in central Damascus, on the Umayyad Square. History Damascus already had an opera house in ...

and performed as a

chorister A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

with

Marcel Khalife Marcel Khalife (; born 10 June 1950 in Amchit) is a Lebanese musical composer, singer, and oud player. Khalife is considered a folk hero in the Arab world, and he has been described as the "Bob Dylan of the Middle East." Biography In 1983 ...

Career

In 2010, Zeytoun was the first Syrian to ever enter the final and win ''

Star Academy Arab World ''Star Academy Arab World'' or ''Star Academy Arabia'', is an Arab world televised talent show, which aired from 19 December 2003, to 29 January 2016. The show features a group of young male and female candidates who are selected from a pan-Arab ...

''; he received 65.21% of the final votes cast by viewers. Zeytoun has also participated in

Tomorrow/Bokra "Tomorrow (A Better You, a Better Me)" is a song originally recorded by the Brothers Johnson as an instrumental in 1976 on the album '' Look Out for #1''. Quincy Jones/Tevin Campbell version In 1989, Siedah Garrett wrote lyrics to the song, and ...

, a

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

event produced by

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

and advertised by

Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...

along with 23 other major

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

artists.

Personal life

Zeytoun married Lebanese actress

Daniella Rahme Daniella Yousef Rahme (; 13 October 1990) is a Lebanese Australian actress, dancer, tv host and beauty pageant titleholder. She was winner of ''Dancing with the Stars: Raqs el Noujoum'' season 2. Early life Daniella Rahme was born in Sydney to ...

on 1 July 2024.

Discography

Albums

''Ya Samt'' (2013)

''Toul Al Yom'' (2016)

''Enti W Ana'' (2021)

Singles

Charted songs

Remixes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeytoun, Nassif 1988 births Living people 21st-century Syrian male singers Musicians from Damascus Syrian Christians People from Rif Dimashq Governorate Arabic-language singers of Syria