Celeste Headlee / Special to The Detroit News
Courtesy of Magida El Roumi
Magida El Roumi got her big break on a TV show in Lebanon that's similar to "American Idol." See full image
Magida El Roumi
Imagine "American Idol" -- Lebanese style. That's the gist of "Studio el Fan," the amateur competition TV program popular in Lebanon where Middle Eastern, superstar Magida El Roumi got her big break. Tonight, the singer brings her rich, nuanced sound to Detroit's Fox Theatre. The notoriously press-shy performer didn't make an exception for us, but with a little help from her publicists, we were able to glean a few basics to catch the attention of fans and would-be fans.
Born to sing
Warren David is a local expert in Arabic music. He says El Roumi is "one of the finest singers in the Middle East with a true talent as a singer and a real voice." According to her publicity bio, El Roumi lived in Kfarshima, a small town east of Beirut that's a cultural center in the country, and she was surrounded by musicians, poets and writers. She began singing at an early age, but her father knew how hard a musician's life could be and discouraged her from pursuing music as a career path. But El Roumi was not to be deterred. She appeared on "Studio el Fan," took the top prize, and a star was born.
Beautiful voice
El Roumi, 50, generally brings a 19-piece orchestra on tour, with strings and a large percussion section. Her music straddles the line between Middle Eastern and Eastern European pop, with soulful vocals that twist, turn and then rise above the strings with clarity and real beauty.
David says the flexibility of El Roumi's voice is astounding.
"The melismas she can produce are extraordinary," he says. (Melismas are parts of music where the voice moves freely over many notes, all on the same syllable.) "Her vocal range is incredible, and her stage presence is classy."
David says the word for her music in Arabic is "tarab," which can only be described as ecstasy.
"The singer and the listener are at level where they're communicating on a deep level," he says, "When you listen to Magida El Roumi, you feel like you're driving a new Cadillac."
Artist as activist
El Roumi's first single was a tribute to her civil war-torn homeland, called "I Dream of You, O Lebanon." She has never steered away from using her music to comment on political topics. A local paper's review of her 2005 performance in Beirut reports that she told her audience that what was happening in Palestine was "a crime against humanity, and I am here to say a final 'No!' to the Israeli occupation." In interviews, El Roumi has said she released the song "Qana" as a protest against what she called the massacre committed by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
Private life, public performer
In the Middle East, El Roumi is a diva. But she's guarded her private life closely during her three decades as a pop star. David says she shies away from media exposure. Still, live video performances show she's anything but coy when she's on stage, and her concerts are usually packed with screaming fans.
"She's like Frank Sinatra," David says, "People still love her even as she ages because of the quality of the music, and the timeless quality of her voice."
Celeste Headlee is a Metro Detroit freelance write
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