Biography
According to Let's Go Egypt, Diab is the best-selling Arab recording artist ever. He won the World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist four times: in 1998, 2002, 2007, and 2009. He has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide.
Amr Abdel Basset Abdel Azeez Diab was born on October 11, 1961, in Port Said. His father worked as an accountant and his mother was a French teacher. Both parents encouraged their children to sing from an early age. At six years old, Amr performed publicly on national radio during Galaa’ Day in 1968, singing the national anthem. For his performance, the mayor of Port Said awarded him a guitar.
Diab studied music at the art academy in Cairo and performed with his band “Mo Music.” In 1982, he moved to Cairo to attend the High Institute of Arabic Music. He recorded his first song, “Time,” in 1983, though it was never officially released. That same year, he released his debut studio album, “The Road.” He graduated from the institute in 1986 and released three more albums between 1984 and 1987. His 1988 album "Mayaal," produced, arranged, and remixed by German musicians Frank Von Dem Bottlenberg and Jörg Evers, achieved major success throughout the Middle East with multiple releases. Subsequent albums such as Shawakkna, Matkhafesh, and We Yloumouni also brought him further success. By 1992, Diab became the first Arabic artist to produce high-tech music videos.
The song "Habibi Ya Nour el Ain" from his 1996 album Nour El Ain became a worldwide hit and was remixed by many top DJs worldwide. In the summer of 2007, Diab released El Leila De, which dominated Arabic music charts for 22 weeks. This album earned him a World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist. In 2008, he renewed his contract with Rotana for an additional five years. The following year, in 2009, Diab released a new album titled Wayah.
