Najwa Karam says love is at the heart of her career

The Lebanese singer and Arab Got Talent judge who recently performed at a concert as part of Dubai Shopping Festival, talks about her forthcoming album and her stint on the popular reality show.

 Najwa Karram in concert. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National
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The Lebanese diva Najwa Karam demonstrated why she once again is one of the leaders of the Arab music world with a fun and engaging set in the Dubai Media City Amphitheater last Friday.

Despite being a regular drawcard in the region with multiple shows in the UAE every year, Karam says the gigs are continually packed because the crowd can feel she is enjoying herself on stage.

“When you are doing it this long, it just becomes about the love for it,” she explains. “If it wasn’t for that, it would be very hard to maintain a long career and deliver performances that people are happy with. You need to love what you do first before anyone else does.”

Her performance at the Dubai Shopping Festival last week capped off a mini-residency in the emirate, which also saw her playing a New Year’s Eve gig at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Dubai World Trade Centre, with ­Majed Al Mohandes.

“I have finished my year and started the new year in the UAE,” says Karam on the phone from Dubai airport, on her way back to Beirut. “I always love performing here. The people are wonderful and genuine and it is such a peaceful place.”

Arabs’ Got Talent

The 48-year-old acknowledges the real work is about to begin.

The fourth season of Arabs' Got Talent is now on air, and Karam is part of the TV show's judging panel, which includes Saudi comic Nasser Al Qasabi, Egyptian actor Ahmed Helmi and MBC Group TV director Ali Jaber.

Karam, who has already travelled around the region with the show for the auditions, says the standard has definitely ­improved.

“It’s good to see the development in skill levels and also the variety that’s on offer,” she says. “When it comes to the live shows, it will be different, of course. Myself and the fellow judging panel will be honest because we are aware of our responsibility of finding the best talent for the television audience.”

A new album in 2015

This year will also see Karam returning with a new album – her 20th – after a three-year gap.

Her new single Al Sakhra was released last month on YouTube and has already garnered half a million views. Her yet-to-be titled album is set to be one of the most anticipated regional releases of 2015.

But Karam is tight-lipped about the project and the release date.

“I am working very hard on it and the recording is nearly done,” she says. “I just want to be the best that I can as I want the fans to enjoy all aspects of it, really. I am looking forward to it coming out soon.”

While Al Sakhra is not a radical departure from the sturdy Dabka style Karam is renowned for, there is a lot about it to enjoy.

Following the Lebanese folk tradition, the track takes new musical turns with each verse as it picks up speed with added instrumentation and percussion. The chorus is classic Karam, with her passionate husky vocals riding over a sea of handclaps and yearning melodies.

“That song is definitely my style and I think that as a first single it worked because it is about reminding the people about what you do best,” she says.

“When it comes to the album, I would say there are songs that have different shades to what I do. There is some variation but it comes from the same style I am known for.”

sasaeed@thenational.ae