Amr Diab was born in Port Said, Egypt into an artistic family. His father, Abdul Basset Diab, worked for the Suez Canal Corporation where he was working as a well-known porter in the marina and part time sheep herder. He possessed a fine singing voice and encouraged the young Diab to sing and dance at the mawaled (street festivals) in this early age.
When Diab was just six years old, his father took him to the July 23 Festival at Port Said where they visited the local broadcasting station and Amr made his first singing appearance on Egyptian Radio performing the National Anthem Bilady, Bilady, Bilady. He was praised by the Governor of Port Said who awarded him with a guitar as a prize.
Career overview
In due course, Diab began his musical studies at the music department of the Cairo Academy of Art and from which he graduated in 1986. His first album Ya Tareeq followed shortly and was an instant success. There have been, since then, 16 top selling albums in a prolific recording career which has established him as the super-star of Egypt and the Arab world.
Diab has toured widely throughout his career organizing galas and performing concerts in Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States.
In 1990, Diab was chosen to represent Egypt at the 5th Tournament of African Sports where he sang in English and French as well as Egyptian Arabic. This concert was televised by satellite throughout the Arab world and highlighted on CNN. He became the first Egyptian artist to make a video clip and in a parallel career, has acted in several films including Deahk We La'ab (Laughter & Fun), a film which opened the Egyptian Film Festival in 1993. In this film, directed by Tarek Al Telmasani, Diab played opposite the world famous Egyptian actor Omar Sharif. In the film Ice Cream fi Gleem directed by Khairi Bishara, Diab played the role of the main hero. The singer has already been the subject of three biographies – Amr Diab, the owner of my heart, The Rebellious and Amr Diab, Star of the 20th century. He is nicknamed the Rebellious due to comparisons made with his contemporaries, in his clothes, hairstyling, the performance and execution of his music, the melodies he composes and his many appearances at parties.
Diab became known for the new 'style' of his music which people throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean world came to call "Mediterranean Music" referring to its blend of Western and Middle Eastern/Egyptian rhythms. He was named, by most satellite and TV stations, as the Best Singer in the Arab World throughout the nineties and continually sets new sales records with successive album releases.
When Diab was just six years old, his father took him to the July 23 Festival at Port Said where they visited the local broadcasting station and Amr made his first singing appearance on Egyptian Radio performing the National Anthem Bilady, Bilady, Bilady. He was praised by the Governor of Port Said who awarded him with a guitar as a prize.
Career overview
In due course, Diab began his musical studies at the music department of the Cairo Academy of Art and from which he graduated in 1986. His first album Ya Tareeq followed shortly and was an instant success. There have been, since then, 16 top selling albums in a prolific recording career which has established him as the super-star of Egypt and the Arab world.
Diab has toured widely throughout his career organizing galas and performing concerts in Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States.
In 1990, Diab was chosen to represent Egypt at the 5th Tournament of African Sports where he sang in English and French as well as Egyptian Arabic. This concert was televised by satellite throughout the Arab world and highlighted on CNN. He became the first Egyptian artist to make a video clip and in a parallel career, has acted in several films including Deahk We La'ab (Laughter & Fun), a film which opened the Egyptian Film Festival in 1993. In this film, directed by Tarek Al Telmasani, Diab played opposite the world famous Egyptian actor Omar Sharif. In the film Ice Cream fi Gleem directed by Khairi Bishara, Diab played the role of the main hero. The singer has already been the subject of three biographies – Amr Diab, the owner of my heart, The Rebellious and Amr Diab, Star of the 20th century. He is nicknamed the Rebellious due to comparisons made with his contemporaries, in his clothes, hairstyling, the performance and execution of his music, the melodies he composes and his many appearances at parties.
Diab became known for the new 'style' of his music which people throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean world came to call "Mediterranean Music" referring to its blend of Western and Middle Eastern/Egyptian rhythms. He was named, by most satellite and TV stations, as the Best Singer in the Arab World throughout the nineties and continually sets new sales records with successive album releases.
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