Elissa

Elissa was born on October 27, 1972, in Deir el Ahmar, in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. She earned a degree in Political Science from the Lebanese University before launching her musical career by winning a silver medal on the televised talent contest 'Studio El Fan' in 1992. Her debut studio album 'Baddi Doub' (1998) was an instant commercial sensation, followed by her smash international duet with Spanish singer Ragheb Alama in 'Betgheeb Betrouh' (2000).

Over the past two decades, Elissa became the defining female vocal star of Arab pop, releasing multi-platinum albums with Rotana including 'Ahla Dounya' (2004), 'Bastanak' (2006), 'Tesada\'a Bemeen' (2009), 'As\'ad Wahda' (2012), and 'Saharna Ya Leil' (2016). She made history by winning the World Music Award for Best-Selling Middle Eastern Artist three times (2005, 2006, 2010). In 2018, her music video 'Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni' revealed her private battle with and triumph over breast cancer, sparking a nationwide health screening movement across the Middle East. With over 50 million social media followers, Elissa is a fearless cultural and political voice in modern Lebanon.