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 This was the
first time she came in contact with an audience, whose verwhelming warmth and
energy she immediately took to.
Her theatrical beginnings motivated her to move on
to singing, which she did in 1992-1993, when she participated in 'Studio Al
Fan'. The show was broadcast on LBCI, one of the most renowned TV stations in
the Middle East. Elissa won a silver medal over the course of her stay in the
program. Following this, she performed in concert tirelessly until 1999, when
Lido Productions released her first album, 'Baddy Doub'. Elissa's debut on the
commercial music scene was definitely an event of considerable importance.
The album was a success and featured a smash hit
with famous French gypsy act, Gerard Ferrer. The release of this first album
took her straight to Cannes, to participate in the International Music Festival
of 2000. Following this first success, Elissa then released her second album,
'W'akherta Maak', which in turn included the hit duet 'Bitghib Betrouh', sung
with Lebanese superstar Ragheb Alameh. 'Bitghib Betrouh' was a massive hit, and
is still being played on radio and TV today, more than three years after its
initial release. Elissa's current album, 'Aichalak', has been the number one
selling album in the Middle East since its release in June 2002.
For this album, Elissa took advantage of the high
momentum of her previous two albums, and managed to reach an even higher level
of stardom. The video clip of the album's hit single, also entitled 'Aichalak',
was filmed in Paris with acclaimed French director Fabrice Begotti. Elissa was
officially dressed and made up by Christian Dior Paris for the entire duration
of the shoot. This was the first time the illustrious French designer
collaborated with an Arab artist. 2002 brought Elissa more consecration with
the winning of the Murex d'Or award for best female artist.
Hot on the heels of the outstanding 'Aichalak',
Elissa shook the music scene further by teaming up with world-famous Irish
singer Chris De Burgh. Needless to say, the collaboration of these two talents
resulted in the historic duet 'Lebanese Night', which is featured on De Burgh's
2002 album, 'Timing is Everything'. To crown the year, Elissa was included in
the anthology book '100 Pioneers of Lebanon', alongside artists such as Fairuz,
Wadih al-Safi, as well as many other celebrities who have left their mark on
the Lebanese cultural, political and social landscape.
Elissa is more than just a rising talent. With three
smash hit albums already released, she has definitely surpassed expectations
and risen above the rest of her generation, achieving full-fledged star status.
With one of the biggest fan bases in the Middle East, Elissa has marked the
musical scene in an unforgettable way, now and for years to come.
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Endorsements
Pepsi and Rayban Elissa's fantastic run continued in
2003, when she signed a deal with Pepsi. This contract, which was dear to her
heart, made Elissa the official female star for Pepsi for the Arab world, with
Amr Diab as her male counterpart. She has already filmed the ad for Pepsi X, to
be followed this year with the Regular Pepsi ad. Further commercial projects in
2004 include the Ray Ban campaign, which was launched in February.
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