Sherine Abdel Wahhab: a fighter

Sherine Abdel Wahhab is an Egyptian singer and actress. The Arab world came to know her through her song, Ah Ya Leil, in 2002.

Sherine isn’t exactly poor. But she isn’t exactly rich either. She pursued singing at the Egyptian Music Institute, but dropped out to start her musical career.

It was then that she signed with the Free Music Productions and released a debut album with Tamer Hosny. It included Ah Ya Leil, a song founded from traditional Egyptian tarab voice techniques and Egyptian music instruments of the Shaabi genre.

She released another album—this time as a solo artist—entitled Garh Tany. It was accepted by the Egyptian and wider Middle Eastern music market.

But she developed a fallout with Nasr Mahrous, owner and manager of Free Music Productions. Her professional relationship with him did not falter though. Mahrous still produced and directed another single for her, the Lazim Aïsh. It was accompanied with a music video, centering on Sherine’s feet. The album became best selling.

In 2006, Sherine was chosen to perform Keteer Ben’sha, the theme song for the movie An el-Ish’ wel-Hawa. She also dedicated Lebnan Fel Alb to victims of the Israeli-Lebanese conflict.

A year after, she was commissioned to sing the theme song for Kashkool Likol Muatin, a TV series. Then she collaborated with Hany Shaker to record Qalbi Leek.

She sang Bahibik Ya Omi for Arab mothers in Mother’s Day 2009. She has turned a Rotana talent then.

She has solidified her growing influence on Arab music in July 2009 when she posed as the Greek goddess of wisdom for her album Habeat.

Sherine is an actress too. She took part in Medo Mashakel, where critics and Sherine herself did not approve of her acting skills. She admires Warda, Samira Saeed, Shadia, Fayza Ahmad, Najat Al-Sagheera, Om Kolthoum, Thekra and Asalah. She got married before she became popular in the music scene to Medhat Khamis, a music arranger. She remarried though in 2007 to Mohammad Mustafa, also a music arranger.