Courtesy of RELM, Nakheel

Whilst the legendary Nancy Ajram and Haifa Wehbe will never seize to leave our Arabic playlists, perhaps it’s time to get acquainted with some new, refreshing and undeniably talented Arab artists that have the potential to become the next big Arabic singing icon of their generation. Finding success in the music industry is no easy task, made all the more difficult when you’re also in the Middle East. Thanks to RELM, a regional platform that is dedicated to nurturing and helping emerging talents, we were introduced to five incredibly talented singers that we’d now like to introduce to you. Below, get to know Abri, Sandra Sahi, Lea Makhoul, Nagham Debal and Noel Kharman. We guarantee you’ll be playing their music on repeat.

Abri

Courtesy of RELM, Nakheel

When did you first discover your talent in singing and how did you decide to pursue it into a career?

I was around 16 years old when I discovered that I could sing. I would sing all the time in high school, during classes, during lunch break. I joined the music club and that’s when my music journey started. Initially I wanted to be a visual artist, specifically a painter, so I went to college to pursue that in Miami. During my free time there I joined a few bands and started to open my musical horizon by listening to other artists from various genres. I started performing on stage and at first, I was really nervous performing in front of people to the point where I would try to sing but no sound would come out. But I kept at it and I began to love it and that’s when I decided that music is the craft I wanted to pursue.

Do you think the music industry in the Middle East is more difficult to find success and stardom in than the Western music industry?

I think breaking into the music industry in general is a difficult task, anywhere in the world. Its takes a lot of hard work, determination and a stroke of luck to get noticed and taste a bit of success. There are specific challenges here in the Middle East of course, specifically for Arab artists who do western music and who sing or rap in English. But I see it changing for the better. I see the whole music industry in the Middle East growing and we are already seeing success stories happening.

What has been your largest hurdle in your career to date?

My largest hurdle was definitely in the beginning of my career when I was out there performing my original songs. Some people who got out to watch live performances prefer hearing songs that they already know. So, it took a little while to get people to warm up to my original compositions. But once they started to get into my music it was off and running.

Any sneak peaks or spoilers of what we can look forward to?

My new single Higher (Breathe Easy) is coming out soon, and its release is in conjunction with an amazing project that I am a part of called RELM (Recognizing Emerging Local Musicians). Created by Nakheel, it’s a platform that is supporting and empowering local and regional artists to take their career to the next level. From October 21 to 23, there will be a grand 3-day festival, featuring live performances from me and the other 4 artists as well as the launch of 5 new fountain shows for each of the artists’ new hits, including my song “Higher” and non-stop music throughout the night.

SANDRA SAHI

Courtesy of RELM, Nakheel

When did you first discover your talent in singing and how did you decide to pursue it into a career?

I come from a very musical oriented family. When I was 6 or 7 that’s when I started wanting to become a singer. I used to watch a lot of Disney musicals and then go up to my room, stand on my bed and pretend that was my stage. When I moved to Dubai later on and turned 17 that’s when I actually started to write songs and release my first track “Coconut,” I knew ever since that’s what I wanted to do.

Do you think the music industry in the Middle East is more difficult to find success and stardom in than the Western music industry?

I personally feel that it is or used to be looked upon less, you have to be unique and different however with the generations of TikTok and Instagram, so many talents from the region are being discovered and recognised which I love a lot. I hope that this keeps on going and that we manage to make our ways to the very top charts along with Western artists because if they can do it, we can too.

What has been your largest hurdle in your career to date?

I have had a very conflictive period not long ago where I was artistically confused as to which direction and language, I should sing in. Thankfully, I realised sooner or later that I should be able to make music I am comfortable with and resonates with me combining all the languages and cultures I have seen or lived. That’s when I wrote the track for this project with RELM a while after, which I can’t wait for people to hear.

Any sneak peaks or spoilers of what we can look forward to?

Definitely! The project RELM (Recognizing Emerging Local Musicians) is what’s cooking for me and will definitely take a lot of people by surprise. I have never seen such a vast project come to life aiming to support regional talents. It is definitely a mind-blowing initiative that everyone should be watching out for. It is going to be HUGE. I am especially excited to be performing alongside 4 extremely talented artists and to have my own choregraphed fountain show to my new song “Bye Bye Bye”.

LEA MAKHOUL

Courtesy of RELM, Nakheel

When did you first discover your talent in singing and how did you decide to pursue it into a career?

I was always a fan of music. However, my older brother was the one who was truly obsessed with it. He played a major role in my music career as he’s the one who noticed I can sing and kept pushing me to pursue it further. I started at 10 years old and until today he’s still as supportive.

Do you think the music industry in the Middle East is more difficult to find success and stardom in than the Western music industry?

I don’t believe so. You can live in the Middle East and still have the biggest hit in the world. It’s not really about where you are. It’s all about the song. And that’s why I always tell people I don’t want to switch into Arabic just because I live in an Arabic country. I want to stick to who I am, regardless where I live.

What has been your largest hurdle in your career to date?

To block the noise around me & keep believing in myself and in my abilities. We come across so many people with different opinions and we can never make everyone happy. Judgement will always be there. It’s all about how you perceive yourself and to keep going- no matter what.

Any sneak peaks or spoilers of what we can look forward to?

You can look forward to the very first season of RELM featuring myself and four talented artists from the region. Each artist will get a choreographed fountain show to their new song on the world’s largest fountain, The Palm Fountain (my song will be C’est La Vie). There will also be a 3-day music festival at The Pointe from October 21 to 23 which will include live performances with synchronized fountain shows and we will perform a mashup of all our original songs together.

NAGHAM DEBAL 

Courtesy of RELM, Nakheel

When did you first discover your talent in singing and how did you decide to pursue it into a career?

I started to sing, compose, and play the Qanun when I was 4 years old, when my father and I used to sing together while he plays the oud. At the age of 8, I started to play the keyboard, violin, flute, accordion, xylophone and much more. I kept experimenting with new instruments until I fell in love with the Qanun.

When I graduated as an architectural engineer, I was still working as an architect while also pursuing a career in music, so it became hard to focus on both, so I decided to solely focus on music. Being the first woman to play the Qanun in the UAE, inspired me to spread my music and youthful energy with the world.

Do you think the music industry in the Middle East is more difficult to find success and stardom in than the Western music industry?

I believe that the Middle East has become home to a lot of musical talent, however, there is a gap with supporting rising musicians in the region. This is why a platform like RELM is extremely important, as it provides these emerging artists with a larger platform to get the visibility they’re looking for to thrive, grow and succeed.

What has been your largest hurdle in your career to date?

Every day comes with its challenges, but every challenge comes with a lesson and an opportunity to grow. Being a musician comes with its own set of challenges, sometimes you get a creative block, but when passion is there, you can really get through anything.

Any sneak peaks or spoilers of what we can look forward to? 

RELM is in the works for me right now and it’s a massive project that I am extremely excited to be apart of. Nakheel have choreographed a fountain show for my new song, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.

NOEL KHARMAN

Courtesy of RELM, Nakheel

When did you first discover your talent in singing and how did you decide to pursue into a career?

My journey with music began when I was young, I received music very smoothly and quickly, because music was always around in my home, given that my father played oud and my mother sang. My journey with music started at home, and my passion for it grew so much with time and it ultimately became a source of comfort and happiness for me.

Do you think the music industry in the Middle East is more difficult to find success and stardom in than the Western music industry?

Yes, it is difficult because music in the Arab world is somewhat limited, and this is because most people want to hear certain types of music, which makes it difficult for musicians to find the success they’re looking for, especially if they want to be authentic.

What has been your largest hurdle in your career to date?

I think that the biggest obstacle for me when I was living in Palestine, and the field of music in Palestine is limited, and I felt that I could not continue in this field. So, two years of my life passed and I was away from everything related to music, so I decided to reside in Jordan, and my career kicked-off then and there.

Any sneak peaks or spoilers of what we can look forward to? 

There will be a new original track and some exciting music videos that are in the works with RELM, which will help me kick-off the release of my new song. This project has been purely dedicated to support emerging musicians, and help provide them with the platform to grow.