25 عاما م لأ ال سمع يف 25 عاما م لأ ال سمع يف اخلفاء بعيدا عن النظر!! اخلف

A Star above the Pyramids
Chantal Chamandy
Returns to Egypt
for a Spectacular
Performance at
the Sphinx
Muslim American
Promoters Make
Heavy Hit in Sports
Market
‫ عاما ملأ ال�سمع يف‬25
!!‫اخلفاء بعيدا عن النظر‬
‫هل ك�سب باراك �أوباما‬
!‫تر�شيح الدميقراطيني ؟‬
Vol. 4 Issue 18 | February 21, 2008
A Star above the Pyramids
Chantal Chamandy Returns to Egypt for a Spectacular
Performance at the Sphinx
By: Suehaila M. Amen
Performance at the Pyramids
I
n a land where ancient Cleopatra once ruled
and hieroglyphics, papyrus, and the pyramids
were perfected is the birthplace of Montreal
based, international songstress Chantal Chamandy.
Raised by her father after her mother passed on when
Chamandy was 10, this stunning woman with an exotic mix of Greek and Lebanese heritage, grew up in
Montreal and began singing at a young age.
While singing in a choir, an opera singer heard her
enchanting voice and noticed her artistic style, encouraging Chamandy to take professional vocal
training. Through these trainings, which launched
her opera singing career, she studied under the tutelage of renowned artist Carmen Mehta.
The Arabian beauty has transcended time with her
music. She began as a member of the duo Voggue at
the young age of 16. Speaking five languages with
French being her first language, along with Arabic,
Italian, English, and Spanish - Chamandy appeals to
a wide range of ages and cultures with her diverse
sounds and varied artistic ability to mold her musical gift into whatever she wishes it to be.
Rearranging Life’s Priorities
After creating a demo tape, which she went door to
door with, Chamandy landed a contract and her first
hit song, Dancing the Night Away, launched her musical career. She did some acting and a great deal of
singing, and then life began to change.
At 22, Chamandy had put her music career on hold
and was working in a musical theater in Canada,
where she met her prince. Greg Chamandy, a 5th
generation Lebanese, met Chantal and after a year of
dating, they married. He also serves as her manager
and owner of NineMuse Records, Chantal’s label.
After Chamandy married and had her first child, her
music career began to take a back-seat as she put her
family and home first.
After a while, her husband questioned her as to
whether she would want to begin singing again, or
not. Chantal realized that the love of music had not
diminished and that she was blessed to have a supportive husband, whom she calls her “best friend
www.f orumandl i nk .c om
4
www.f orumandl i nk .c om
Vol. 4 Issue 18 | February 21, 2008
5
and confidante” that encouraged her to continue
singing.
The First in 5,000 Years
It is only appropriate that the daughter of the Nile
who possesses a magnificent voice and extravagant
style be given permission by the Egyptian government to be the first artist to ever hold a filmed concert at the base of one of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World.
The concert titled, Chantal Chamandy; Beladi: An
Evening at the Pyramids brought together Chamandy’s love of her heritage, desire to exhibit the beauty
of the ancient land, and her passion for music to a
culmination with the preparation and successful execution of this magnificent PBS sponsored event.
The project took over a year to organize and prepare
as Chamandy worked in coordination with renowned
French director Gerard Pullicino, the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, lighting director Mathieu Larivee, and
set designer Guy St. Amour. Serving as the artistic
director herself, Chamandy worked with prominent
choreographer Genevieve Dorion-Coupal in training dozens of dancers for the concert which included
the celebrated Ahmed Nabil, principal dancer of the
Cairo Opera House Ballet Company.
On September 7, 2007, at the feet of the Sphinx,
Chamandy performed 18 songs in five languages for
more than 5,000 attendees. Situated at the expansive Giza Plateau, the base of the Pyramids and the
Sphinx, Chamandy watched her dream come true as
she dazzled the crowd with her sensuous sound and
artistic elegance.
“It was absolutely magical to be on this stage, at
long last, surrounded by such a fantastic team. I had
this crazy dream of singing at the feet of the Sphinx
and, tonight, I realized my dream, after all this work.
It’s unbelievable. I’m very privileged to have been
able to perform here, so close to the Sphinx,” said
Chamandy during the Beladi performance.
Chantal Chamandy; Beladi: An Evening at the Pyramids has been distributed to all stations on the PBS
Network and will begin airing in March 2008. Viewers will enjoy not only the musical performance, but
the cultural, historical and tourist elements, with
commentary given by Chamandy.
“It is fantastic that this production can be captured
and eventually seen by hundreds of thousands of
people in North America. I am happy that this event
and TV show will enable me to perform before the
Egyptian audience, but I also want it to serve as a
window into the cultural richness of my ancestral
country. From an artistic point of view, it is extraordinary to produce a concert that will be distributed
on such a large scale,” stated Chamandy on her website.
A Special Welcome in Dearborn
Chantal with representatives of Alo Hayati Magazine and Arab Detroit
Arab Detroit, its President Warren David and Vice
President Siham Awada-Jaafar welcomed Chantal
Chamandy to Dearborn with a five star, red carpet
event held at the Arab American National Museum.
Arab Detroit hosted the welcoming press conference luncheon and special preview reception at
the AANM, featuring a special, by-invitation-only
screening of the Beladi concert. With nearly 250
attendees for the screening, Chantal was able to mingle and chat with guests and witness the reactions of
the community to her PBS special.
“Chantal was extremely thankful for doing the premier of Beladi in Dearborn, home to a largely concentrated Arab population,” tells Awada-Jaafar. “She
truly felt as if she was among family and friends and
belonged, as would any long time community member.”
On February 9, Chamandy was featured on Fox 2
Detroit in the morning for a brief chat and also performed her hit single, Crazy.
“It was an honor to host such a magnificent star that
is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside,” tells Awada-Jaafar. “She is proud of her heritage and willing to portray herself as a proud Arab
Canadian. Her premise is peace through culture and
is the motif of the tour and expresses what it will
signify. We were privileged to honor such a beautiful and genuine woman who touched each of us with
her sincerity and love of her heritage and culture.”
In December 2007, ADC Michigan recognized Chamandy with the ‘Excellence in th Arts Award.’
(Special Thanks to contributor Mrs. Rima MerouehHariri)
To learn more, visit www.chantalchamandy.com and
www.arabdetroit.com