3 QUESTIONS WITH LEBANESE ARMENIAN SINGER NOURHANE
By Sherif Awad
Egypt Today, Egypt
Aug. 29, 2006
Nourhane and her passion for change
Lebanese Armenian singer Nourhane received the award for Best Young
Female Artist’s Voice for her latest video clip, Men Zaman(Long Time
Ago) at the 6th International Oscar Video Clip Festival that took
place in Cairo this past August.
In this clip, directed by Elie F. Habib and written and composed by
Marwan Khoury, Nourhane is a desperate lover who tries to warn her
man of an unknown danger, while in her first clip, “Habibi ya
Einy” (My Love, My Dear), directed by Walid Nassif, she portrayed
a woman able to turn the dullness of any place into a lively show.
Her second clip, Shaklo Keif saw Nourhane lead a feminist revolution
against her lover, throwing vegetables at his new car, ultimately
forcing him to raise the white flag.
Nourhane spoke last month with Contributing Writer Nadine Emile:
NOURHANE ON HER PASSION FOR CHANGE: Of course it is better for the
artist to be different, because not all the people have the same
tastes. For example, there are people who loved me in “Habibi
Ya Eini,” others in “Shaklo Keif,” and others were
crazy about my character in “Men Zaman.” The clip that
I am now in the process of making will have a completely different
character from all the ones I have made before. This clip is called
“Tab Wana Mali” — it’s an old folkloric song from
the movie Beyn El-Kasreyn (Palace Walk) by Naguib Mahfouz, and I
took the song and made a remix. I will shoot it in Egypt You know,
I was watching the movie and I really loved the song, that’s
why I decided that I wanted to do it.
ON SNUBBING BIG PRODUCTION COMPANIES: If I am going to be an artist
in these big companies just as a filling spot, then I do not want to.
I am more comfortable and happy this way — I’m in the
beginning of my career and I have the freedom to present my clips
or album in the time that I find suitable. But if there is a company
that will use me as a star, of course I can consider it.
ON THE PRICE OF SUCCESS: I don’t have the privacy I used to
have. My friends love to stay out late at night partying, I love that,
but I can’t. Still, it doesn’t matter ’cause my aim in
the end is to be a famous artist, so I gave it priority in my life.
photo at 020
