A staple on the Middle Eastern scene since the mid-’80s, Nawal has a true gift for heart-rending melody. Built upon the compositions of the established Rashid Al Khadr and the poetic strength of lyricist Abdullatif Al-Banay in the beginnings of her career, her well-crafted repertoire attracts a fan base far beyond her native Kuwait. By gathering a list of top collaborators in the ’90s and ’00s, she was able to widen the reach of her rhythmic hits like “El Shoung Jabek”. An old-school romantic venturing into more polished Khaleeji territory, Nawal was, and remains, the queen of tarab.