Elissa

Lebanese singer Elissa is one of the biggest Arabic pop stars of the new millennium. In addition to her music, she is known for her flashy promotional videos, television commercial sponsorships, and luxury-brand clothing. Born Elissar Zakaria Khoury on October 27, 1971, in Deir el Ahmar, Lebanon, she made her album debut in 1999 with Baddy Doub. The single "Baddy Doub" became her first hit. Her second album, W'akherta Ma'ak (2000), spawned a major hit with the single "Bitghib Betrouh," a duet with fellow Lebanese star Ragheb Alameh. Third album A'ayshalak (2002) continued her hit streak. The title track was her next major hit single, and it was accompanied with a flashy video filmed in Paris. Fourth album Ahla Dounya (2004) was her first of several on the Rotana label, and by this point Elissa's popularity had grown to such heights that she was featured in a series of Pepsi commercials featuring different songs from the album. In 2005 she won her first World Music Award for Best-Selling Middle Eastern Artist. She won the award again in 2006, the year she released her fifth album, Bastanak. Successive albums include Ayami Beek (2007). ~ Jason Birchmeier