Najwa Karam (; ; born 26 February 1966) is a Lebanese singer, songwriter, and producer. She has sold an estimated 60 million records and is one of the highest-selling recording artists in the Middle East.
Karam incorporates Mawwal and traditional Lebanese elements into her musical work. She appeared on Forbes's 2023 "50 Over 50: Europe, Middle East, and Africa" list, which features "influential individuals over the age of 50 in those regions".
During the 1990s, Karam was often referred to as Shams el-Ghinnieh () in reference to her album of the same name.
Other albums she released in the 1990s include Naghmet Hob (“Melody of Love”), Ma Bassmahlak (“I Won't Let You"), Maghroumeh (“In Love”), and Rouh Rouhi (“Soul of My Soul”). In 2000, Karam's tenth album, Oyoun Qalbi (“Eyes of My Heart”) became her highest-selling album.
In 2001, her album Nedmaneh (“I Regret”) earned her a Murex d'Or award for Best Arabic Artist and Rotana Records awards, including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Highest-Selling Album of the Year.
Throughout the late 2000s, Karam's albums Hayda Haki (“This Is A Talk”), Am Bemzah Ma'ak (“Just Kidding With You”) and Khallini Shoufak (“Let Me See You”) also achieved commercial success. Karam frequently worked with musician and composer Melhem Barakat and collaborated with singer Wadih el Safi on their 2004 debut, "W Kberna" ("We Grow Old Together").
Early life Early years Najwa Karam was born on February 26, 1966 in Zahlé, Lebanon, to a Lebanese Melkite Christian family.
Karam learned to sing at a young age. She attended an Evangelical secondary school and later earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Karam taught geography and Arabic at Eastern College in Zahlé, Lebanon for two years.
Career
Layali Lubnan: 1985–1988 In 1985, she participated in the television singing competition Layali Lubnan ("Lebanese Nights") against her father's wishes. Karam performed a traditional Lebanese Mawwal song and won first place. She then went on to study at the Lebanese Institute of Music for four years. During this period she was mentored by Lebanese composers Zaki Nasif and Fouad Awad. In 1987, she participated in another television contest called Laylat Haz ("A Night of Shaking").
First Studio Albums: 1989–1993
Shams el-Ghinnieh ("The Sun of Song") & Ana Ma’akom ("I Am With You") The record label Relax-in International released Karam's first album, Ya Habayeb ("Loved Ones"), in 1989. The album contained seven tracks in traditional Lebanese/folklore style. Due to her previous exposure to the Lebanese public, the album was well-received in Lebanon but did not receive much attention from the rest of the Arab world.
After a three-year hiatus, Karam returned to the scene with her follow-up album, Shams el-Ghinnieh. The album title was inspired by her nickname, "Shams el-Ghinnieh" ("Sun of the Song"). The album was recorded by another small record company, CM.
In 1993, Karam signed with a small Saudi Arabian record label for her new album. The new album was called Ana Ma'akon ("I Am With You").
Rotana: 1994–1999
Karam joined the Middle East's largest recording label, Rotana, owned by Saudi Arabian Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal.
Work on a new album began immediately. By mid-1994, an eight-track album, Naghmet Hob ("The Rhythm of Love"), had been completed and was prepared for release in the Middle East. It fused Lebanese tradition with Arab pop. The success of Naghmet Hob led to a concert tour and many awards, including a prize from the Lebanese Broadcasting Association in 1994 for Best Artist.
In 1995, Karam began work on her fifth release, which was also her second album under Rotana. It was titled Ma Bassmahlak and closely followed the traditional style of Naghmet Hob, though this new album was deeper in the lyrical content of the tracks.
Hazi Helo ("I'm Lucky") On June 16 1996, she released her album, Hazi Helo ("I'm Lucky"). The title track, "Hazi Helo", and three other songs, "Khayarouni" ("Made Me Choose"), "Ala Mahlak" ("Take it Easy"), and "El-Ghorbil", were the most popular in the album. Following the release of "Hazi Helo", Karam embarked on a world tour that included many Arab states, parts of Europe, and the United States.
Ma Hada La Hada ("Nobody is for Anybody") and Maghroumeh ("In Love") Karam's next album was "Ma Hada La Hada". The tracks on the album differed from those of Karam's previous albums, with a more contemporary sound influenced by foreign beats and synthesized melodies. The Arabic radio stations received the song "El Tahady" three months before the album's official release. By the time of the album's release, the song's popularity had dwindled and the relatively low sales of "Ma Hada La Hada" were attributed to this factor. However, the title track did become quite popular. It had harmonious musical arrangements that used a traditional Lebanese instrument, the Qanoun, along with other traditional instruments such as the violin and the accordion.
The 1998 release, "Maghroumeh", marked Karam's transition from a purely traditional Lebanese artist to the blend of traditional and contemporary Arabic that she is known for today. It features poetic Arabic lyrics sung with Karam's power and extensive use of contemporary and Arabic instruments, such as the tarabuka, mijwiz, mizmar, and tabal. The title track, "Maghroumeh" ("I Am in Love"), was shot as a video clip and was the most popular song from the album. Other notable songs include "Ghamza" ("The Wink") and the love song "Noqta al-Satr" ("Full Stop").
Rouh Rouhi ("The soul of my soul") Karam's next album, "Rouh Rouhi", was released in 1999. The tracks "Ariftu Albi La Meen" ("Do you know who my heart belongs to?"), "Atchana" ("Thirsty"), and the title track, "Rouh Rouhi" ("Soul of my Soul"), were the major hits off the album, the latter two being shot as music videos. Many other songs succeeded, including "Kif Bdawik" ("How Do I Treat You?)", and "Ma Borda Ghayrak" ("I Don't Want Anyone But You").
2000–2004 In 2000, Karam released Oyoun Qalbi. This was a more romantic, reflective body of work compared to Karam's previous albums. Its songs include "Majboura" ("I Have to"), which has a modern jazz influence, and the power ballads "Oyoun Qalbi" ("Sweetheart") and "Khaleek al Ard" ("Stay down to Earth"). A music video was made for the Najwa 2000 megamix, which contained samples from each song on the Oyoun Qalbi album. The album sold over 5 million copies.
In 2001, Karam released Nedmaneh. It sold over 4 million copies worldwide and is one of Karam's most acclaimed albums. This album followed the style of music first presented by Karam in Oyoun Qalbi, and further experimented with new styles and sounds. The success of Nedmaneh brought many awards, including a Murex d'Or for "Best Arabic Artist" award, and three awards from Karam's production company, Rotana: "Artist of the Year", "Album of the Year", and "Highest Selling Album".
An honouring assembly was held on 23 June 2001, where Karam was awarded for her achievements throughout her singing career and for the commercial success of Nedmaneh. The ceremony was held at the Venezia Hotel, Beirut, Lebanon. In attendance were the Lebanese Minister of Information, Ghazi Aridi, who was representing the President of the Lebanese Republic, Émile Lahoud, prominent singer Wadih el Safi, acclaimed composer Elias Rahbani, along with many journalists and reporters. During the night, Karam sang some of her most popular songs and was presented with numerous medals and trophies. The recording was released on a special edition CD (Live in Concert), along with a compilation CD of Najwa's hits from 1989 to 2000 titled The Very Best Of Najwa Karam.
Karam's 2002 album, Tahamouni, was far removed from the "easy-going" contemporary feel of Oyoun Qalbi and Nedmaneh. The album was intended to get back in touch with a more youthful audience from other Arab nations, who had taken less interest in Karam's music from the late 90s. This was shown through songs like "Tahamouni" ("They Accused Me") which included attempts at rapping, and "Ew'a Tekoun Ze'alt" ("I Hope You're Not Mad at Me)", which seemed to have a Western influence.
Saharni, (He Charmed Me)
In late 2002, Karam collaborated with Wadih el Safi on the duet “W Kberna” (“We Grow Old Together”), a song depicting a father–daughter relationship.
After “W Kberna,” Karam released her next album, Saharni (Charmed). The album utilized traditional Lebanese musical elements, including trumbakke and wind instruments. Saharni reached the top of the charts and produced several singles; even though there was a lack of video clips for the songs, the album came through on top of the charts and produced several major hits, including "Edhak Lil Dounya" ("Smile to the World") and the title track "Saharni" ("He Charmed Me").
Karam made a world tour to complement Saharnis success, taking in the Middle East and destinations such as France, the US, and Australia with Wadih el Safi. Her concert in Australia holds the record for the largest-ever recorded concert attendance of an Arabic artist as of May 2026. Karam was presented with many awards and achievements in 2003. These include "Highest Selling Album" from Rotana, an award for the "Best Singer of Traditional Lebanese Song" from the Lions Club, and "Song of the Year": Edhak Lil Donya from Sawt El Ghad, Australia. Around this time, the Australian government had noted Karam's positive impact on Australian and Lebanese relations. Australia has a large Lebanese diaspora and has noted its cultural impact and large following by the Lebanese Australian diaspora and the wider community. Due to this, Karam was given an honorary award from the Australian Government.
In 2003, Karam began work on a new single to be included in her upcoming album, titled Leish Mgharrab? (Why are you living abroad?). The song was about the hardships people face when leaving their home country for a better life. A music video (directed by Sa'aed el-Marouk) was also created, which would transform modern-day Beirut into a bleak and harsh wasteland in 2020. The original video—which also contained scenes of citizens protesting against the Lebanese government—was banned from being aired by the Lebanese Parliament. When the clip was edited, the music video was allowed to go on air.
After a few months, Karam had completed the rest of her new album, Shu Mghaira..!. Like Saharni, it was distinctly Lebanese, but modernized, with a reflective overtone. Najwa continued her many live appearances to promote the album, including a concert in Carthage, Tunisia, where she performed for thousands of fans. The tracks "Bi Hawak" ("In Your Love") and "Shu Mghaira" ("How You've Changed") were shot as an expensive dual video clip featuring special effects. It remained at the number 1 position for 6 weeks on the Rotana Top 20 Chart. The two songs were the most popular from the album, and Karam was voted "Female Artist of the Year" by Musicana.net, which was decided via a large-scale internet poll.
2005–present In the second quarter of 2005, Karam released a new single and video clip called Shu Jani, a contemporary pop song that incorporates traditional Lebanese instruments. The video was filmed in the Faraya ski resort in Lebanon by director Sa'aed el-Marouk. It was to be on her upcoming 2005 album. The timing of the new clip was criticized in some tabloids because it was released during the tense electoral season in Lebanon and the Cedar Revolution (Independence Intifada). These tabloids argued that it was disrespectful for Karam to release new material at such a time. Karam defended herself by putting the claim on her Saudi production company, Rotana, which she says fast-tracked the release against her wishes. Although there was some controversy surrounding Shu Jani, it fared well with the public.