Biography
Najwa Karam (Arabic: نجوى كرم, born February 26, 1966) is a Lebanese singer and songwriter who has created her own style by combining traditional and modern Arabic music, helping to popularize the Lebanese dialect in Arabic musicBorn in Zahlé, Lebanon to a Lebanese Melkite Christian family, he attended high school at Jesus the Angel College and then earned a degree in philosophy. She worked as a teacher at Eastern College in Zahlé, Lebanon for two years but always had a passion for music.
In 1985, she participated in a televised singing competition entitled "Layali Lubnan" (Lebanese Nights) and won first place by performing traditional Lebanese Mawwal, which showcased her vocal skills. After her success, Karam studied at the Lebanese Music Institute for four years. In 1987, she participated in another television competition called Laylat Haz, where she gained more publicity, preparing for her first attempt to break into the Arab music industry in 1989. Karam rose to stardom throughout the 1990s, earning the moniker Shams el-Ghinnieh ("The Sun of Song"), from her self-titled album. Other hit albums of the 90s include Naghmet Hob, Ma Bassmahlak, Maghroumeh and Rouh Rouhi. By the time her album Saharni was released in 2003, she had established herself as one of the most prominent Lebanese singers and a Middle Eastern pop icon
Having sold more than 60 million records worldwide, known as the "Sun of Lebanese and Arabic Music", Karam was the highest selling artist in the Middle East in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2011 and in 2017. It has gained an international audience due to its unique combination of traditional Lebanese music with more modern sounds.
In 2011, Karam debuted as a judge on the TV reality competition series Arabs Got Talent and has since appeared on all six seasons. In 2017, Forbes Middle East ranked Karam 5th in their list of "The Top 100 Arab Celebrities" with over 26.58 million social media followers. He continues with undiminished energy and success to sing throughout the Arab world and internationally,