19 Facts About Samira Said

Samira Abdelrazak Bensaid, professionally known as Samira Said, is a Moroccan-Egyptian singer who has lived in Egypt for more than 40 years and is known for her Egyptian Arabic genre.

Samira Said represented Morocco in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980, and is to date the only Moroccan entrant in the contest.

Samira Said was born in 1958 in Rabat, in Morocco, to a father from Rabat and a mother from Fez.

Samira Said began singing at the age of nine, and was discovered on the music program, Mawaheb, broadcast on Moroccan TV.

Samira Said then moved to Egypt where her fame around the Arab world began.

Samira Said has dual nationality in Morocco and Egypt, her resident home, as she moved to Cairo in 1977.

Samira Said's singles included "Maghlouba" and "Wa'ady".

Samira Said worked with the Egyptian composer Mohamed El Mougi, and sang and acted in the film Saaktob Ismak Ala Arrimal, which included her singing "Yadamiiti Haddi".

At the 15th annual World Music Awards in 2003, Samira Said won a World Music Award based on worldwide sales figures for that year.

Samira Said won the BBC award for world music for the best artist in the Middle East with her album Youm Wara Youm.

In 2003, Samira Said was chosen as the best singer in the Middle East by BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music.

Samira Said won the Rabab D'or prize at the Tetouan's Voix des Femmes Festival in 2008.

Samira Said was the winner of the Murex d'Or Award in 2009.

At the 2009 Timitar Festival in Agadir, Samira Said performed for a crowd of 100,000.

Samira Said has been both credited and criticized for bringing Arab music into the pop-driven, commercially fueled 21st century.

Samira Said was married to Egyptian musician Hany Mehanna from 1988 to 1994.

Samira Said then married businessman Mustafa Naboulsy, with whom she had her only son, Shady.

In multiple interviews, Samira Said has expressed her desire to return to Morocco and live near her family and loved ones.

Samira Said spearheaded concerts to draw people together after the 2006 riots in immigrant suburbs across France and solidarize between faiths.