Elissa

Elissar Zakaria Khoury, born on October 27, 1971, in Deir Al-Ahmar, Lebanon, began her musical journey at an early age. She performed in theatrical comedy plays from the age of 16 under her birth name, Elissar Khoury. Her formal musical career commenced in 1992 when she participated in the Lebanese talent show Studio El Fan, where she earned the silver medal. Despite an initial setback from the show’s producer, she pursued a career in music after graduating from Lebanese University with a degree in political science.

Elissa released her debut studio album, “Baddy Doub,” in 1998, followed by “W’akherta Maak” in 2000, which featured a commercially successful duet with Ragheb Alama, “Betghib Betrouh.” Her breakthrough came in 2002 with her third studio album, “Ayshalak,” which achieved significant commercial success, selling 2.9 million copies and topping Arab music charts for several weeks. This album led to her first Murex d’Or award for Best Lebanese Female Artist in 2002. In 2003, Elissa signed with Rotana, a major Saudi Arabian entertainment group, and released “Ahla Dounya” in 2004, selling 3.4 million copies. She became the first Lebanese artist to win a World Music Award for “Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist” in 2005, a feat she repeated in 2006 for “Bastanak” and in 2010 for “Tesada’a Bemeen.” Her albums frequently charted on Billboard World Albums, with “Halet Hob” reaching number 3 in 2014.

Throughout her career, Elissa has released numerous successful albums, including “Ayami Bik” (2007), “Tesada’a Bemeen” (2009), “Asaad Wahda” (2012), “Halet Hob” (2014), “Saharna Ya Leil” (2016), and “Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni” (2018). The music video for “Ila Kol Elli Bihebbouni” garnered significant attention as Elissa publicly disclosed her breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent recovery, advocating for early detection. She served as a judge on “The X Factor Arabia” in 2013 and 2015, and on “The Voice: Ahla Sawt” in 2017. In 2022, she established her own record label, E-Records, and released the hit duet “Min Awel Dekika” with Saad Lamjarred, which has accumulated over 500 million views on YouTube. Elissa is recognized for her romantic musical style, emotive vocal performances, and active participation in social causes.