Pan Arab celebrity Najwa Karam made headlines at the launch of her new album by dressing the part in a record-breaking cape.
Najwa, one of the most beloved female singers of the Pan Arab region, achieved a remarkable feat by breaking the record for the longest cape, with the garment measuring an impressive 182.7 ft (55.7 m).
On 27 July, she met with her enthusiastic fan base in Amman, Jordan, to unveil her latest album Karizma while becoming the first Lebanese singer to hold a Guinness World Records title.
In celebration of her extraordinary accomplishments, the cape was aptly named "Karizma" after her album, which hit shelves in May and garnered widespread attention.
The album features seven songs that showcase a diverse range of musical styles, reflecting Najwa's ability to seamlessly transition between classical and modern influences while preserving the distinctive Lebanese character that has defined her illustrious artistic career.
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Najwa's musical journey spans four decades, and here are some notable highlights from her illustrious career:
- In 2000, her 10th album Ayoun Qalbi became her best-selling album. In 2001, her album Nadmanah sold millions of copies worldwide and she won the Golden Murex Award for Best Arab Artist and awards from Rotana Records.
- By the time her album Sahrani was released in 2003, Najwa had established herself as one of the top Lebanese singers and an icon of pop music in the Middle East. Her success continued with albums like Heda Haki, Am Bemzah Maak, and Khallini Shoufak. She frequently collaborated with musician and composer Melhem Barakat and singer Wadih El Safi, and their duet "Wakbarna" in 2004 was praised by critics.
- In 2011, Najwa collaborated with Sony Entertainment and Rotana to produce the first 3D music video in the Arab world for her song "Ma Fi Nom" from the album Halli Layl Ma Fi Nom. In 2012, she walked the red carpet at the 65th Cannes Film Festival and has since released successful singles and music videos. Her latest albums include Minni Elak in 2017 and Karizma in 2023.
- She broke all barriers and sang in important opera houses around the world, including Dubai, Muscat, Paris, Kuwait, London, Boston, Stockholm, Istanbul, Montreal, Melbourne, and many others.
Apart from Najwa, only five other Arab singers have achieved Guinness World Records titles:
1- Mohammed Abdu (Saudi Arabia)
Mohammed Abdu holds the world record for the most simultaneous pepper's ghost illusions of a person. Multiple hologram copies of Abdu were on display during his Riyadh Season concert organized by the General Entertainment Authority on 14 January 2022 where 100 songs were recorded using this technology. Five holographic versions of the Saudi singer appeared on stage before the real performer was revealed.
2- Tamer Hosni (Egypt)
Tamer Hosni was able to achieve what seemed impossible to some, breaking a record with some of his global fans in Abu Dhabi for the most contributions to a bulletin board. Exactly 12,086 fans from all over the world contributed to this memorial on 6 December 2019.
3- Amr Diab (Egypt)
Amr Diab continues to be one Pan Arab’s favourites. The Egyptian "Al-Hazbah" holds the prestigious title for the most World Music Awards for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist for the years 1996, 2001, 2007 and 2013. Diab’s achievement was verified on 8 September 2016.
4- Faia Younan (Syria)
Her name in Syriac means "The gorgeous lady", and like it sounds, Faia is full of beauty from the inside out. She was born in June 1992 in Madinat al-Malkiyya to a Chaldean Syrian family, and grew up in Aleppo. She holds the Guinness World Records title for the first Middle-Eastern musician to crowdfund a debut single, funding a goal of $25,000 (£16,696; 5,361,250 Syrian pounds) to record her first song "Ahb Yadik – I Love Your Hands" on 19 April 2015. Then, in March 2017, her first album "Binatna Fi Bahr" was released in Greece, making her the first Arab female to hold a Guinness World Records title.
5- Cheb Khalid (Algeria)
Some people call him the most famous among Al-Rai singers globally- "King of Rai". He is the first Arabic singer to achieve a worldwide record for the best-selling artist of raï music, selling over three million albums worldwide, including the album Khaled and his first international song "Didi". This achievement was verified on 19 April 2000.
In summary, Najwa's record-breaking cape and her latest album Karizma have further solidified her status as a Pan Arab celebrity and an iconic figure in the music industry.
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