Wael Kfoury - Get Close to Meوائل كفوري - قرب ليا

Updated media and translation

Sounds like a love song, but in the video its all about him and his kid.

Wael Kfoury - Get Close to Me Darling get close to me So my arms can hold you You know how much I love you And how precious you are to me

Darling may you be by my side
I want nothing but your eyes
I'm afraid of being my myself
If you're away from me for a little

How I love you when you speak
While you draw a smile on your lips
How I love you when you cry and complain
When I'm holding you with me
Darling you are the most wonderful person
My life is more wonderful with you
Your aroma your charm
Your voice your image
Have become part of me, inside me

Oh sweetheart reassure me that you won't leave me
You are my love and the trembling of my heart
And you are the light of my eyes
Oh darling you are precious
You are the moon of the nights
Stay beside me and put my mind at ease
And hold me tenderly

وائل كفوري - قرب ليا

يا حبيبي قرب ليّ
تضمك بايدي
انت بتعرف انا شو بحبك
وقديش غالي عليّ

حبيبي خليك حدي
غير عيونك ما بدي
بخاف الوحدة ابقى لوحدي
لو بتغيب شويه

شو بحبك لما بتحكي
ترسم ع شفافك ضحكة
شو بحبك لما بتبكي بتشكي
وعم بتغلغل فييّ
حبيبي انتا الاحلى
عمري بقربك عم يحلى
عطرك سحرك
صوتك رسمك
صاروا مني وفييّ

يا حبيب قلبي طمني
انك ما بتبعد عني
انت حبي ورعشة قلبي
وانت نور عينيّ
يا حبيبي انتا الغالي
انت قمر الليالي
ظل قبالي وريح بالي
وغمرني بحنية

Wael Kfoury - What's Making You Cryوائل كفوري - شو مبكيكيShou Mbekiki

I'm pretty certain that this video is clips from a bollywood movie and not the actual music video for the song based on the 10 seconds I saw.



المتصفح الذي لديك لايدعم مشغل الأغاني. دبر حالك و روح نزل البرنامج أو .<A HREF="http://www.6rob.com/songer/x/Leb/kfoori/mn-6rb151-shwmbkyky-wa2el-kfwry.rm">اضغط هنا</A> لسماع الأغنية.

Wael Kfoury - What's Making You Cry I wanna know what's making you cry If you're upset with me I'll make you feel better Let the whole world get upset, as long as you don't get upset my life Every time a tear drops from your cheek, I don't recover (or I'm not myself) for a week Lost unable to find myself And I'm just not me

Unless I see you smile, I cannot rest
Let your eyes speak of passion
Until you are at ease and forget what has happened
I'll keep speaking beautiful words to you

وائل كفوري - شو مبكيكي

بدي اعرف شو مبكيكي
مني زعلاني براضيكي
تزعل هالدني
وماتزعل حياتي انا
كل ماتنزل منك دمعه
ببقى مش على بعضي جمعه
ضايع مابلاقي حالي
وانا مش انا

الا ماشوف الضحكه مش ممكن ارتاح
خلي عينيكي تحكي غرام
حتى تكوني مرتاحه وتنسي يلي راح
ببقى احكي لك احلى كلام

Lyrics transcription from here

Wael Kfoury - How Can I Forgive Her?وائل كفوري - كيف بدي سامحهKeef Biddi Samho

Updated media and translation

Wael Kfoury - How Can I Forgive Her? How can I forgive her? How can I make good with her? She left my heart like a bird with broken wings How can I love her again when my heart is broken? How can I be with her after what I've suffered?

I'm sleepless at night waiting by myself
She left my heart like a bird with broken wings

After what she has done to me who can I blame?
She's going to say that I'm wrong and she's the victim
She's so selfish that she dissolved my affection for her
She left my heart like a bird with broken wings

وائل كفوري - كيف بدي سامحه

كيف بدي سامحه
كيف بدي صالحه
ترك قلبي مثل الطير
الي مكسوره جوانحه

كيف بدي ارجع حبه
و أنا قلبي داب
كيف بدي اعيش بقربه
بعد العذاب

سهران الليالي
عم بنطر لحالي
ترك قلبي مثل الطير
الي مكسوره جوانحه

بعد الي عمله فيا
من بدي لوم
رايح عم يحكي عليا
انه مظلوم

قدما أنو أناني
دوبلي حناني
ترك قلبي مثل الطير
الي مكسوره جوانحه

Wael Kfoury - It Longsوائل كفوري - بيحنBehin

المتصفح الذي لديك لايدعم مشغل الأغاني. دبر حالك و روح نزل البرنامج أو .<A HREF="http://egyptian.salmiya.net/songs/ehab/rm/ehaab50.rm">اضغط هنا</A> لسماع الأغنية.

Wael Kfoury - It Longs The string longs for a note The moon longs for the sun Staying up late longs for the night And I am unable to long for you My heart is broken There is a wound and it's leaving a mark Go, I've left you to the fates I can't tell you anything more than that

What good is it for your eyes to tear up and you tell me you regret it
Don't call me, I won't answer
You made me forget my address
Forget me, if I wanted to come back
I would have come back to you a long time ago

How am I supposed to dream of your eyes when you stole my dreams
Let me regret the past, and my years and my days
Forget me, if I wanted to come back
I would have come back to you a long time ago

The rain longs for the earth
The glance longs for an eye
Boredom longs for fun
And I am unable to long for you
I got so tired while my heart was waiting for some news to arrive from you
And today I threw out the pictures
Don't blame me if I told you

وائل كفوري - بيحن

بيحن للنغمة الوتر
بيحن للشمس القمر
بيحن للليل السهر
وانا مش قادر حن إلك
في حبه بقلبي انكسر
في جرح وتارك أثر
روحي تركتك للقدر
مش قادر أكتر قلك

شو بينفع لي عيونك تدمع وتقولي ندمانة
لا تناديني مش رح اسمع نسيتيلي عنواني
وانسيني لو بدي ارجع من زمان رجعت إلك

كيف بدك بعيونك أحلم وسرقتي أحلامي
خليني ع الماضي اندم وسنيني وايامي
وانسيني لو بدي أرجع من زمان رجعت إلك

بيحن للأرض المطر
بيحن للعين النظر
بيحن للسلو الضجر
وانا مش قادر حن لك
شو تعبت وقلبي نطر
تيوصل منك خبر
واليوم رميت الصور
لا تلوميني إن قلت لك

Wael Kfoury - Loving You is Tortureوائل كفوري - حبك عذابHobak AzabT'aimer est la torture

Wael Kfoury - Loving You is Torture My heart doesn't want its life or its lifetime without you (meaning his heart doesn't want to live) My nights are long-houred (meaning they are long) when you deprive me of your love

Loving you is torture
I've endured so much
I've endured the absence of your heart and its glance
What made you cruel?
You don't ask about me
I mean you don't even respond to me
And you're not thinking of me and don't care about me
My darling say something
I beg you reassure me

وائل كفوري - حبك عذاب

ألبي ما بدو حياتو و لا بدو عمرو بلاك
ليلي طويلة سعاتو و انت حرمني هوك

حبك عزاب ياما تحملتو تحملت غياب ألبك و نطرتو
شوو اللي أساك ما بتسأل عني يعني معؤول ما ترد عليي
و عني مشغول ما تفكر فيي حبيبي ؤول دخلك طمني

Lyrics transcription from La7oon.com

Wael Kfoury - I Miss You So Muchوائل كفوري - مشتاق كتيرMeshta Kiteer

Wael Kfoury - I Miss You So Much I miss you so much Come back and so I can see you, my life This life is short A word from you is enough for me My eyes were sleepless when there was a piece of news and a lit candle I love you and I fly My eyes melted in your eyes And my heart is becoming crazy for you And my eyelids don't sleep

I've missed you oh my passion
You made my days sweet when I was seeing you everyday
My heart asks me about you
I beg you reassure me of where you are oh dream
And tonight I am in the most precious dream of my life
My days and memories in your absence I taste torment
I long so much to tell you about what is in my heart
It took me on a journey by myself
And I felt estranged

وائل كفوري - مشتاق كتير

مشتاق كتير ارجع شوفك يا عمري هالعمر صغير بتكفيني منك كلمة سهرت عينيي وبقيت خبرية وشمعة مضوية بحبك وبطير عيوني دابت بعيونك وقلبي صاير مجنونك وجفوني نسايني النوم اشتقتلك يا غرامي كنت محلي ايامي وعم شوفك كل يوم بيوم قلبي بيسألني عنك دخلك طمني وينك يا حلم وساكن هالليل اغلي حلم بحياتي ايامي وذكرياتي وبغيابك عم دوق الويل مشتاق كتير احكيلك عللي بقلبي خدني مشاوير وحدي حسيت بغربة مشتاق كتير احكيلك عللي بقلبي خدني مشاوير وحدي حسيت بغربة سهرت عينيي وبقيت خبرية وشمعة مضوية بحبك وبطير عيوني دابت بعيونك وقلبي صاير مجنونك وجفوني نسايني النوم اشتقتلك يا غرامي كنت محلي ايامي وعم شوفك كل يوم بيوم قلبي بيسألني عنك دخلك طمني وينك يا حلم وساكن هالليل اغلي حلم بحياتي ايامي وذكرياتي وبغيابك عم دوق الويل

Lyrics transcription from La7oon.com

Wael Kfoury - My Heart is Yearningوائل كفوري - انا قلبي مشتاق

Wael Kfoury is a Lebanese popstar. He is one of the first Arabic language artists I heard when I began studying Arabic and his songs are among the simplest in terms of comprehension. This one is no exception. As always translation improvement suggestions are desired.

Wael Kfoury - My Heart is Yearning My heart is yearning And your distance is embers and fire And the love and the longing Are not forgotten with the day

Chorus

You are my love which is calling me
You are my eyes put me to sleep
How I want you to close my eyes while you still love me
And when I hear your voice is calm your whispering voice makes me conscious
You are the one whose absence has become a shock to my heart like the darkness
And a sea of secrets

I beg you oh night, melting, infatuated
The night moon took her and it left me sleepless
And tomorrow when she returns after the deprivation
Those black eyes will wipe up the sadness

Chorus

وائل كفوري - انا قلبي مشتاق

انا قلبي مشتاق وبعدك جمر ونار
والحب والاشواق ما بينتسو بالهنار

اللازمة

انت حبي اللي بيناديني
انت عيني اللي بيتغفيني
انا كيف بدي غفي عيونيوانت بعدك بتحبيني
ولما بسمع صوتك هاديبحة صوتك بتوعيني
يلي غيابك صار بقلبي صدمة مثل العتمة
وبحر من الاسرار

دخيلك يا ليل دايب ولهان
اخدها قمر اليل وتركني سهران
وبكره لما تعود من بعد الحرمان
العيون السود بيمسحوا الاحزان

اللازمة

Wael Kfoury - He Longsوائل كفوري - بيحنBihinn

Wael Kfoury - He Longs The melody longs for the string (of the lute) The sun longs for the moon The night longs for staying up late But I am unable to long for you.

There’s love in my heart that broke in pain
And left a scar
My soul, I left you for fate
I cannot tell you more.

What will I benefit from your eyes tearing up and saying you’re regretful?
Don’t call me, I won’t listen; and forget my address
And forget me- If I wanted to return to you, I would have returned a long time ago.

How do you want me to dream with your eyes when you have stolen my dreams?
Let me regret the past, and my years and my days.
And forget me- If I wanted to return to you, I would have returned a long time ago.

The earth longs for rain
The eye longs for sight
The bored one longs for fun
And I am unable to long for you.

Oh how I tired and my heart waited to hear news from you
And today I threw away the pictures
Don’t blame me for telling you

The melody longs for the string (of the lute)
The sun longs for the moon
The night longs for staying up late
But I am unable to long for you.

There’s love in my heart that broke in pain
And left a scar
My soul, I left you for fate
I cannot tell you more.

وائل كفوري - بيحن

بحن للنغمة الوتر بحن للشمس القمر بحن لليل السهر وانا مش قادر حنلك
في حب بقلبي انكسر في جرح وتارك أثر روحي تركتك للقدر مش قادر اكتر قلك
شو بينفعني عيونك تدمع وتقولي ندماني
لا تناديني مش رح اسمع ونسيلي عنواني
وانسيني لو بدي ارجع....من زمان ارجعتلك

كيف بدك بعيونك احلم وسرقتي احلامي
خليني عالماضي اندم وسنيني وايامي
وانسيني لو بدي ارجع....من زمان ارجعتلك

بحن للارض المطر بحن للعين النظر بحن يتسلى الضجر وانا مش قادر حنلك
شو تعبت وقلبي نطر تيوصل منك خبر واليوم رميت الصور لا تلوميني ان قلتلك
بحن للنغمة الوتر بحن للشمس القمر بحن لليل السهر وانا مش قادر حنلك
في حب بقلبي انكسر في جرح وتارك أثر روحي تركتك للقدر مش قادر اكتر قلك

Lyrics transcription from La7oon.com

Wael Kfoury - I Didn't Believe My Eyesوائل كفوري - ما صدقت عيونيMa Saddaqt Oyouni

Wael Kfoury - I Didn't Believe My Eyes I didn't believe my eyes It's you, no it can't be you I thought they were betraying me But you appeared

This hair that I loved
I chose the color and purified it
This is your hair that I loved
I chose the color and picked it
And this dark blue blouse
And the watch that I gave you
How can you gain my eyes
When I am sleepless for no one but you

And I know the beauty marks on your cheeks
I fall in love with them when I see them
And I know the beauty marks on your cheeks
I fall in love with them when I see them
And the dress of this beautiful body
It's love is madness ah its shores

For your sake I wasted my time
For your sake I tortured my life
For your sake I wasted my time
For your sake I tortured my life
I was thinking you were her
The girl to whom I ransomed my eyes
I won't forget what happened to me
And you won't forget who you are

Something must have changed with the world
And the companionship of the past
At once the love for you was lost

I burned the letters and tore up the pictures
And the wound did not heal when the heart is betrayed
The sun went out and the moon came up
And the carrier came bringing destiny
Oh destiny
I didn't think we would get back together and reunite
I see with my eyes
Destiny does not lie
So I didn't believe my eyes

وائل كفوري - ما صدقت عيوني

ما صدقت عيونى
هيى انتى لا مش انتى
فكرتن خانونى
بس طلعتى انتى

ما صدقت عيونى
هيى انتى لا مش انتى
فكرتن خانونى
بس طلعتى انتى

هيدا شعرك اللى حبيته
اخترته اللون ونقيته
هيدا شعرك اللى حبيته
اخترته اللون ونقيته
وهيدى الفلوس اللى الكحليه
والساعه اللى جبتلك هيه
وكيف بدك كسب عينيه
وسهران وما غيرك انتى

وشامات ع خدودك بعريفا
مغرم فيها وشايف
وشامات ع خدودك بعريفا
مغرم فيها وشايف
ونفناف هالجسم الحلو
حبه جنون اه ضفاف

وشامات ع خدودك بغريفا
مغرم فيها وشايف
ونفناف هالجسم الحلو
حبه جنون اه ضفاف

كرمالك وقتى ضيعته
كرمالك عمرى لوعته
كرمالك وقتى ضيعته
كرمالك عمرى لوعته
كنت مفكر انتى هيه
البنت اللى بفديها بعينيه
ما راح انسى شو صار فيه
وما راح تنسى مينك انتى

هوه لو شو اتغير بالدنيا
وعشرة الماضي سوا
والشيطانى والولدانى ع غفلى ضاع الهوى
ليك ولو ولو شو اتغير بالدنيا وعشرة الماضي سوا
والشيطانى والولدانى ع غفلى ضاع الهوى

حرقت المكاتيب وخسأت الصور
والجرح ما بيطيب والقلب انغدر
شمس بعد بنشيب ويوقع قمر
والحمال ودى يشيلو القدر
يا يا قادر
اهون ما نرجع نتلاقى
وشوف بعيونى
وما كذب قدر
وما صدقت عيونى

Lyrics transcription from La7oon.com

Wael Kfoury - Make Me Laugh, Make Me Cryوائل كفوري - ضحكني بكينيDahekni Bekini

This is a pretty good song to learn if you wanna learn about contrasting words/opposites in Arabic.

Wael Kfoury - Make Me Laugh, Make Me Cry Make me laugh make me cry Keep me up late around you Make me mad Make me satisfied And flood me with your eyes

Lose me and find me
And make me wait for you
Call me and beckon me
I won't ask to where

Put me to sleep and wake me up
So I can see both worlds
Scared me and protect me
I will tell you oh my eye

Your glance is waving to me
I want to be with your eye
Your heartbeat sings for me
I want to be your heartbeat
I want to be with your heart
I want to be with your lifetime

وائل كفوري - ضحكني بكيني

ضحكني بكيني سهرني حواليك
زعلني راضيني وغمرني بعينيك

ضيعني ولاقيني ونطرني ما عليك
ناديني هنيني ما بسال لوين

عفيني ووعيني بشوف الدنيي تنين
خوفني وحميني رح قلك يا عين

نظرة عينك عم توميلي ببو عينك بدي كون
دقة قلبك بتغنيلي دقة قلبك بدي كون
بقلبك بدي كون بعمرك بدي كون

Wael Kfoury - Love Lettersوائل كفوري - رسايل حبResayel Hob

Wael Kfoury - Love Letters Lot of love letters Still under my bed With small roses inside them The sleeplessness wilts them

Oh how we played
Oh how we loved
On the edges of the gardens
We'd draw colored hearts on our hands
And spend the night together
The air spinning us round and round on ropes of jasmine

The moon remained watching us
Until night became day
And the love that floods us was not satisfied with what happened
We'd warm our hands until our eyes close
And nothing was asked of us but another day

وائل كفوري - رسايل حب

رسايل حب كتيري بعدا تحت سريري
فيها ورود صغيري مدبلها السهر

شو لعبنا وشو حبينا عحفاف البساتين
نرسم على ايدينا قلوب ملونين
وليلي سوا نقضيها سوا
يمرجحنا الهوى عحبال الياسمين

يبقى القمر ناطرنا تالليل يصير نهار
والحب الي غامرنا مش راضي عاللي صار
واندفي ايدينا تيغفوا عنينا
وما يسالوا علينا الا لتاني نهار

Wael Kfoury - I Confess to Youوايل كفوري - بعترفلكBaateriflik

This is an early Wael song stylistically interesting because it is similar in style to the songs of Abdel Halim Hafez and Om Kalthoum. To see a transformation in Arabic pop music one could compare this song to more contemporary Wael Kfoury song.

Wael Kfoury - I Confess to You I confess to you that I love you And this is the first time I've loved And I was thinking my heart loved a thousand times And I discovered my whole life was a lie And I discovered my whole life was a lie I confess to you I confess to you my soul This is the first time I've loved

Without you being by my side
I walk and get lost on my path

And I call to you come on, come on

I find you in my heart oh my heart
You tell me "Like you it's the first time I've loved"
The first time I've loved

وايل كفوري - بعترفلك

بعترفلك اني بحبك ودي اول مرة بحب
وانا كنت فاكر قلبي الف مرة حب
اتاري يا حياتي كان كلو كلو كذب
اتاري يا حياتي كان كلو كلو كذب
بعترفلك بعترفلك بعترفلك يا روحي
اول مرة بحب اول مرة بحب

من غير ما تكوني جنبي
امشي و تايه في دربي

و انده عليكي تعالي تعالي

الاقيكي بقلبي ياقلبي

تقوليلي انا زيك اول مرة بحب
اول مرة بحب

Wael Kfoury - I Love You So Muchوائل كفوري - بحبك أنا كتيرBahebbik Ana Kiteer

Wael Kfoury - I Love You So Much I love you so much My darling, stay with your shadow upon me When my eyes are early Put me to sleep and caress my hands Make me forget in your hands I long for you so much My darling, let my heart carry us And we'll fly away

Where are you my darling I longed for you so
Return so I can see you my darling
I didn't expect this to happen
I thought you would make me forget
And I don't want you to tell me
Oh thief of my yearning


Your love still remains and I can't forget it
And cant separate while I am the one who loves you
Come back to me and stay by my side
I don't want anyone but you
No no one but you ahhhhh

وائل كفوري - بحبك أنا كتير

بحبّك انا كتير يا حبيبي ضلك طل علي
وعّيني بكير، أغمرني ولمسلي إيديّ
نسيني بين إيديك انا شو مشتاق عليك
يا حبيبي خلّي قلبي خلّي يحملنا ونطير

وينك يا حبيبي إشتقتلك كتير
إرجع تشوفك حبيبي ما توقعت يصير
تفكرتك نسيني وما بدك تحكيني
يا سارق حنيني

حبّك بعدو باقي ومش ممكن إنساك
وما بيقدر ع فراقي وانا إلي بهواك
إرجعلي وضلّك حدي انا غيرك ما بدّي,
لا غيرك ما بدييي أه

Wael Kfoury - Joining the Armyوائل كفوري - رايح على الجيشRayeh Aal Jaysh

Wael Kfoury - Joining the Army My turn has come And I must go My heart is called the banner is calling I am taking with me half of my soul

I will carry you love, my life, with me
And leave my country, no, I must go
Make your eyes and my country proud

No no no no no no no no

I'm going to join the army tomorrow
And be enlisted among my comrades
And I know, my darling, how much
My departure pains you

But I'm going to enlist no matter how far it takes me from your path
But I'm going to enlist no matter how far it takes me from your path

I tell your heart assuring that I will remain in love with you
I'm going, I'm going, I'm going tomorrow to join the army

No no no no no no no no

I might shave my head tomorrow like a soldier
While you plant the suns of my country on my tan wrists

Tomorrow you are going to see me colored with the glory of my brow
And the first moment that you're reunited with me I'll tell you of my desires

Tomorrow they give me a rifle
And my eyes will stay up at night amongst the gunpowder
And the eye with the beat of my heart pains me

Give me a picture of you so that it can amuse me
I'll talk to it and it will imitate me and it will sleep among my papers

وائل كفوري - رايح على الجيش

دوري اجى
وصار لازم أروح
ألبي نداء راية عم تنادي
أخد معي من الروح نص الروح

وحبك ياعمري حمل زولي
أترك بلادي لا لازم أروح
تكرم عيونك وتكرم بلادي

لالالالا لالالالالا لالالالالا

أنا رايح بكرة على الجيش
أتجند بين رفاقي
وبعرف ياروحي قديش
مافيك تطيئي فراقي

لكن أنا رايح أتجند مهما دربك عني يبعد
لكن أنا رايح أتجند مهما دربك عني يبعد

قولي لقلبك يتأكد أني على حبك باقي
أنا رايح أنا رايح أنا رايح بكرة على الجيش

لالالالا لالالالالا لالالالالا

يمكن بكرة راح أتغير قصة شعري متل العسكر
وبتزرع شمسات بلادي فوق زنودي اللون الأسمر

بكرة راح بتشوفيني ايـــــــه ملون بالمجد جبيني
وأول ما بتلاقيني بحكيلك عن أشواقي

بكرة البارود بيعطوني
وبتسهر بالليل عيوني بين البارود
والعين مع دقة قلبي بنكوني

منك شيء صورة أعطيني أيــــه حتى ضلي تسليني
أحكيها وتحاكيني وغفيها بين أوراقي

Wael Kfoury - For Your Eye's Sakeوائل كفوري - كرمال عيونكKermal Oyoonak

Wael Kfoury - For Your Eye's Sake I've never cried in my life oh time the injury of love made me cry You forgot your darling that loved you every second You went and did not ask anyone and did not live an echo Who began in us and what changed oh my life

What were you saying I love you my concern
And for your eyes sake I give you my eye
You eyes took me so much
To my eyes there is nobody but me and you in this world
Who began in us and what changed oh my life

وائل كفوري - كرمال عيونك

ما بعمري بكيت يا زمان جرح الهوى اللي بكاني
نسيتي حبيبك يللي كان يحبك على عدد الثواني
رحتي وما سالتي حدا وما تركتي بعدك صدى
مين اللي فينا ابتدى وشو تغير يا حياتي

شو كنتي تقولي بحبك مشغولي
وكرمال عيونك بعطيك عيوني
عيونك اخدوني وياما وعدوني
على دنيي ما فيها حدا غير انت وانا
وشو تغير يا حياتي انا

Lebanese Music

Lebanon may be considered the center of pop music for the Arab world. While the population is only 4 million, scores of Lebanese pop artists are popular throughout the Arabic speaking world and beyond.

The most notable Lebanese artists is of course Fairuz, who became popular during the 1960s and continues to perform to this day. The Rahbani brothers typically produced music for their sister Fairuz, in a classical Arabic style and sometimes in what might be considered a more Westernized style. Fairuz starred in many musicals about Lebanon and Palestine that dealt with the hardship of these peoples during the 1960s and 1970s. Nostalgia for a homeland is certainly a theme that arises in much of her music. Today, Fairuz is not just one of the most famous Arab singers ever, but also a cultural icon that is tied to a modern Arab and Lebanese national identity.

Other classic Lebanese artists include Sabah, Warda and Farid al-Atrache.

A number of women have attained superstardom in the more recent Lebanese pop music movement. Elissa is multimillion-dollar earning singer who has been recording for over 10 years. Nawal al-Zoghbi is another artist who has been singing for about the same amount of time. These artists were at the forefront of the Westernization of Lebanese pop musical styles, and comparing an early Nawal al-Zoghbi CD to a more recent one will illustrate this change. One artist, Najwa Karam, has been particularly stubborn about making her music and pronunciation "less Lebanese" to conform to expectations of the modern global audience.

Ragheb Alama is among the most famous male acts. He was very popular in the early 1990s and is notable for having made a huge comeback in the year 2000 with his album 'Tab Leh?.'

Modern Lebanese pop has flooded the Arabic music market with artists. The most famous currently is Nancy Ajram, who has become a prominent and controversial figure in the world of Arab pop because of her tendency to push the boundaries of sexuality. Haifa Wehbe, a former model, is another rising star in Lebanese pop and has successfully starred in some films such as "Wawa." Modern female Lebanese stars, especially those like Haifa Wehbe and Dana, are pushing the boundaries of the risque in the Arabic pop music scene and Lebanon. Many of these artists have been banned from performing in more socially conservative Arab states including Egypt because of what has been considered an overly sexual image. Although their lyrics and wardrobes may seem mild compared with the blunt sexuality of modern Western pop music, one must bear in mind that the transformation has been much more rapid and less inline with mainstream values in the Arab world.

Yuri Murqadi is another popular musician who often sings in Standard Arabic, similar to Kazem el-Saher. Here is a list of some of the most prominent Lebanese pop artists:

Nancy Ajram
Haifa Wehbe
Nawal al-Zoghbi
Elissa
Ragheb Alama
Wael Kfoury
Dana
Yuri Murqadi
Joanna Malah
Carol Samaha
Najwa Karam