9 Key insights from the Awakening Talent Record Contest

Don't Forget To Vote, there are 32 talents who await your support. They hope to be on the third phase, the more you watch, the more you learn. If you did not qualify, keep going, it might be a good thing to be redirected some place else. As for the viewers, there are some videos one has to watch, make sure the ones whom he approve of get your vote. 

Fact #1: YouTube Views:

More than 1,500,000 views to submitted videos/playlists.

By end of contest @ July, we expect reaching more than 3 Million views since the newly uploaded top 32 videos are about to receive total 250,000 views this week:

Link 

Fact #2: Gender:

We received 120 videos for female applicants (15.9%)

We received 635 videos for male applicants (84.1%)

Fact #3: Countries:

We received videos from 66 countries (from all the continents) including South Korea, Singapore, Bolivia, Austria, Netherlands, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Oman, Mauritius, Turkmenistan and Australia:

Afghanistan

Algeria

Arakan

Australia

Austria

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Belgium

Bolivia

Bosnia and Herzegovnia

Brunei

Burma

Canada

Denmark

Egypt

Eritrea

Ethiopia

France

Germany

Ghana

India

Indonesia

Iraq

Italy

Ivory Coast

Jordan

Kenya

Kosovo

KSA

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Lebanon

Libya

Malaysia

Mauritius

Mecedonia

Morocco

Netherlands

New Zealand

Nigeria

Oman

Pakistan

Palestine

Philippines

Qatar

Romania

Russia

Singapore

Somalia

South Africa

South Korea

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Sweden

Syria

Tajikistan

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Turkmenistan

UAE

UK

USA

Uzbekestan

Yemen

Percentage and Video Count

1. UK 45 videos (5.9%)
2. USA 52 videos (6.9%)
3. Canada 25 videos (3.4%)
4. Other EU 44 videos (5.8%) including NZ & AU
5. Turkey 14 videos (1.9%)
6. Egypt 166 videos (21.9%) Go Egypt
7. Morocco 85 videos (11.3%)
8. Algeria 17 videos (2.3%)
9. Gulf 29 videos (3.8%) excluding Yemen & Iraq
10. Other Arabs 85 videos (11.3%)
11. Malaysia 39 videos (5.2%)
12. Indonesia 68 videos (9%)

Fact #4: Jobs:

We received videos from people working for 102 different jobs including truck driver, air traffic controller, Ph.D student, lecturer, Master student, civil engineer, banker, barber, university student, housekeeper, dentist, vocalist, draftsman, painter, photographer, business owner, economist, etc.

Accountant

Administrator

Aeronautics specialist

Agricultural Engineer

Air Traffic Controller

Airplances Technician

Architect

Assistant Engineer

Banker

Barber

Biologist

Biomedical Engineer

Business Director

Businessman

Civil Engineer

Composer

Computer Engineer

Truck Driver

Contractor

Copywriter

Creative Director

Data processing specialist

Decor artist

Dentist

Doctor

Draftsman

Economist

Electrical Engineer

Electrician

Electronics & Communications Engineer

employee

Entrepreneur

Event Manager

Financial Clerk

Financial Service Consultant

Football player

Foreign Service Officer

Geograpghics Technician

Graphic Designer

Guitar player

Health specialist

Housekeeper

HR specialist

Industrial Engineer

Inspector

Interior designer

IT Analyst

IT Consultant

IT engineer

IT Manager

IT specialist

Lawyer

Lecturer

Marketing Manager

Master student

Mechanical Engineer

Media specialist

Merchant

Mother

Music teacher

Musician

Network specialist

NGO employee

NGO voulanteer

Nurse

Optics specialist

Painter

Ph.D Student

Pharmacist

Photographer

Power station operator

Psychologist

Purchasing Manager

Quran Recitor

Research assistant

Researcher

Sales Manager

Sales rep

School student

Secretary

Security Guard

Self employed

Singer

Software developer

Software engineer

Songwriter

Stylist

System Engineer

Teacher

Technical support specialist

Technician

Traffic Engineer

Trainer

TV Director

Unemployed

University Student

Video producer

Vocalist

Web developer

Worker

Writer

Fact #5: Applicants were singing for:

Awakening Records' Artists = 348 videos (46.1%)

Applicants with self-composed/written songs: 63 videos (8.3%)

Remaining contestants were singing for other artists

Fact #6: Applicants that their YouTube channels have only their submitted video (New YouTube Users):

424 videos (56.2%)

Fact # 7: Singing Languages:

English: 339 videos (44.9%).

Arabic: 397 videos (52.6%)

Fact # 8: Age groups

Average age of the 755 applicants: 21.4 years

Youngest contestant: 7 years from UK:

Eldest contestant: 53 (Removed his video now)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C2VFij4Zjk&list=PLoagsPg26SY61oEdt9FleW_AQRt-Fvjzn

Next eldest one: 50 years from USA:

Fact # 9: Website Visitors AwakeningStar.com till 13th of May:

Egypt 18.5%, Morocco 8.6%, USA 7.5%, KSA 7.3%, UK 6.2%, Malaysia 4.6%, Turkey 4.2%, Indonesia 3.8%, Jordan 5.6%, Canada 3.3%

Don't Forget To Vote, there are 32 talents who await your support. They hope to be on the third phase, the more you watch, the more you learn.

That's Cute! Hamaki Gets A Squad Of Cheerleaders

Fans are crazy, and they would do almost anything to get the attention of their favorite star. But some Egyotain stars form some kind of an ultras, or cheerleaders who would follow them everywhere, cheer them on and praise them. Some call it an entourage, others call it a lame attempt to be the center of attention.

The fans I am talking about here, are an organized group that wears matching t-shirts, get in for free and always drum up the event for any entertainer. Tamer Hosny may have invented this tactic, but others have copied him soon.

No doube, there are loads of fans of Hamaki, he is a cool star, but he is no prophet and he is a pop star whose sole act is to bring joy. He should not form a gang of young and confused souls who want to look cool. Just see the young man shouting and making Hamaki feel like a million dollar.

تحية الترس حماقى للفنان محمد حماقى

Maya Diab Releases Some Racy Pictures With A Black Model And The World Freezes

The TV hostess, songstress and pop star Maya Diab is second to none in this crazed world of celebrity. Haifa Wehbe has been hogging the news with the release of her stellar music video. Maya Diab did not want the week to end without getting her name out there, so she took to Facebook and shared some pictures that came with no explanation. Creating confusion, and a lot of pissed off middle aged guys. I am the only one who remembers that sex tape by Kim and Rapper Ray J?  

Mind you Maya is married, were those pictures part of a new music video? mind you some comments have been racist about the model who has a darker skin--keep on mind Maya is not the fairest pop diva of them all. Maya does not mind showing some legs, and short shorts. She knows what works for her, and she does what;s right for her. If you do not like her work--turn off the TV or whatever medium she is coming through to grab your innocent soul. 

 As now we know, the photos were taken during the making of Maya Diab's Video Clip "Shaklak Ma Btaaref Ana Min" photographer Charbel Bou Mansour. snagged them. Too bad, the release of the music video was so botched that not even half a million YouTube viewers saw the clip. The delay and the bizarre press ate the buzz the music video had. Plus no one has 8 minutes to watch a movie disguised as a music video for a mediocre pop song. 

The issue with the negative comments stem from the man's inability to understand a woman except in terms of the only two roles he knows how to assign her: virgin or whore. But this song tells us that there is no room inside the mind of the this in this photo shoot for the notion that a woman might be a friend, a lover, or a partner. So Maya doing sexy might be too confusing for some people. I think people need to understand it all those antics in terms of money--the more pissed off people are, the richer she gets. 

Maya Diab - Shaklak Ma Btaaref / مايا دياب - شكلك ما بتعرف

Listen: "We Hacked You Tel-Aviv" Song Released اغنية هكرناكي يا اسرائيل علاء رضا

This is a random song by someone who has little talent yet he sings. His new song is about the anonymous hack operation at Israel. It's a current event song, that mentions even the striking prisoners. Alaa Reda has way too many lyrics for this song and his song is about bragging of the operation.

Do not know where to begin, this singer might be clueless about security systems but that did not stop him from singing about something very complicated. He does drop all kind of social media references and so on. I found this song worthy of being blogged about. President Obama even gets his names repeated in this all over the place song.

Sure the young people would find the track of interest. I do not really know what happened. alaa Reda is not the first to sing about this, but his song seems to have gone the farthest.

اغنية هكرناكي يا اسرائيل جديد علاء رضا 2013 الاغنية كاملة

Bassem Yousef Gets A Guilt-Trip Song On Hafez TV

A conservative Egyptian TV is taking the Freedom of Speech argument to ridicule the funny man of Egypt. Hafez TV has a song--or something pretty close to it about the satire. You do not hear music, but you hear lyrics with sharply worded words for Bassem Yousef. Also keep on mind, there are only male vocalist on this song.

They sort of put him to shame, picking on him is a fair game. They are shaming to him using religion. You get paid but you seem to forget that the big man upstairs will take issue with your lies, edits and jokes. Hafez TV is a popular network, and they have followers too, they seem not to appreciate the man and his style.

They do end the song on a call from him to join in rebuilding the country. This is a heavy song that will get some fans out there, I think it sounds a lot more sobering that some of the jokes that have been flaying around. I do not think using religion is an effective tool, I think there are so many facts that can make a far better argument.

One a serious note, Bassem Yousef was cleared of some charges and a court refused to shut down his popular show.

#قناة_الحافظ تهدى اغنية اتفرج يا سلام ل #باسم_يوسف #الحافظ @Hafeztv

Listen: Ray J, Releases "I Hit Is First" Track On Kim Kardashia

Ray J, the R&B singer who co-starred in the sex tape with Kim Kardashian that launched her career, has released a  new song called “I Hit It First” about their love affair. He is no different than those jaded boyfriends whose girl goes on to do better things with her life, and then they feel the urge to make comfort themselves by singing how they were the first.


Certainly Kanye West is going to appreciate this.

This is an off the wall and perhaps tasteless, Ray J, the one-time paramour of reality TV sensation Kim Kardashian—who co-starred in the infamous Kardashian sex tape that helped launch the bodacious starlet’s career—has released a diss track called “I Hit It First.”

“If you would’ve come back to me, girl, I know just how you’d do me / And if you would’ve come back to me, girl I know just why you choose me,” he sings. “And if you would’ve come back to me, girl I’ll give you a Jacuzzi / And if you wanna come back to me, girl, we’ll make another movie.”

Kardashian, 32, briefly dated Ray J after her four-year marriage to music producer Damon Thomas ended in 2004. Years later, in Feb. 2007, a sex tape she’d made with Ray J in 2003 was leaked to the Internet. "I Hit It First" will hit iTunes April 9. Kim, for her part, doesn't seem concerned by Ray J's new song. Today (April 6), for instance, she showed off her growing baby bump on her

WATCH: The Drunk Arab Diva Leaked Video Scandal فضيحة نوال الزغبي سكرانه في الفندق

Not a proud moment for me, but this beloved songstress of mine had a leaked video out where some dudes are talking to her and she seems to be out of her element. Watch for yourself. She does have a lot of enemies including a loser for a former husband.

Whoever leaked this video better explain himself/herself. This seems to have been filmed in a hotel where the diva had her guard down, or she might be trying to make it to her room when those guys stopped her and took their shoot. She is a mother and she had a legal battle with her husband over the custody of the children.

It seems that she knows at least one person in this group, and while we have no date on this video, it might have been leaked by her deranged husband. To her credit  she sings so well even with having had too much to drink.

أخر فضايح نوال الزغبي سكرانة


فضيحة نوال الزغبي وهـي سكرانه بالفندق

Video: Capella With Alaa Wardi Live In BAB

Alaa Wardi, the dude who looks like an orthodox Muslim, but rocks like super star on an energy drink. Alaa has moved form the viral video screen to the live concert venue where droves of fans cheer him on as he does his thing.

He now plays the guitar on stage as he performs one of his better known songs. He also plays a big screen of him making varies musical instruments and beats. He keeps a busy program and he joins other rock stars who hold similar events in Jordan and Beirut.

Not sure what will be the net step for Alaa, but he has held firmly unto his fan base. The toxic political mode across the Arab world makes it hard for entertainers to perform in public or yet make much money.

BAB - Alaa Wardi - Ela El Ex | Roya علاء وردي - الى الـ اكس | رؤيا

Egypt's Jon Stewart Is No Hero

My latest post for the Huffington Post

Bassem Youssef, the famous host of an Egyptian satire news show, is being sued. Bassem is no hero of mine, and there are countless others who share my view. Facebook is riddled with pages and groups who declare their lack of affection for Bassem Youssef. The former heart surgeon has been gaining fans and building an audience throughout the Arab world with his jokes and zingers. At the get-go, I loved his jokes and delivery. I thought he was the missing breeze of comedy the Arab world has been missing.

Entire Post Here

Video: Chafik Nibou Is The Most Bizarre Audition On Arab Idol 2

He is Moroccan and he thinks he can sing. He did a number in Arabic and another song in Spanish--according to the judges he has better luck in Spanish. But this is nothing, the cast of Arab Idol were not ready for this guy. Chafik Nibou  made a number of bizarre  claims that are if true are shocking. See when he walked into the Arab Idol on camera audition, he was really pissed off, you see it in his eyes.

1. You guys are not important, I can make it on my own
2. I produced my own stuff in Egypt and moved to Lebanon for more work
3. Nasr Mahrous used to work for me
4. Hassna Abu El Soud wrote me a song, but then changed his mind. 
5. Sherine, the Egyptian diva used to be a backup singer in my band.

Chafik Nibou is a very confident man, and it was so fresh and so funny to see the judges try to handle that. I do not think he is all that great, he does have something in his Spanish singing--he says he is from Northern Morocco. When he walked away from the show, he spilled the beans, mockery is all I got. People drinking?  They made fun of my clothes...etc.

This is so funny, and I respect Chafik Nibou for holding his ground and bragging about his past. boy does he hate Sherine? He seems to have made another enemy, Ahlam. He also might be upset for not being treated well. He hates Arab Idol--why did he take part of it? He is talking about Beirut, and the executives are mean and rude to the participants.  I could see that and I agree with him for the lack of class.

 Arab Idol - تجارب الاداء - شفيق نيبو

شفيق نيبو يكشف المستور و يفضح ارب ايدول Arab Idol

WATCH: Sijal Hachem SExed Up - Khalas / سجال هاشم - خلص

50 Shades of Grey might be the talk of town in America  but Sijal and his sexy lady copes are the talk of those fitly boys. Women in short uniforms with authority turn some people on and he did all that in Lebanon in a music video about the battle of the sexes.

Got no idea what's the message of this random music video, but the dudes are taking it seriously as those oversexified police women take a stand. Models dancing on cars is nothing new...but I do like the line about her grandfather traveling via jackasses not fancy rides.

But it gets worse and never gets better. This is a dance song about a guy who goes bankrupt because he gets his woman all she wants. I have never seen cops stripping, in real life.I weep for the sext interrogator portion, it makes it look fun. No woman would find anything of value in this very stereotypical music video where women are the entertainment.

Sijal Hachem - Khalas / سجال هاشم - خلص

Watch: This Random Egyptian Song أبو جريشة - اللي أنت شايفة

No idea who this guy is, but someone gave him a shot at making a music video that was supposed to be funny. Maybe it's meant for people with a different taste, but I do not get it. I understand it's meant to be a treat for people who like a little laughter at the expense of the common man of Egypt.

His name is Abu Greisha and he is one of the people. He wears sporty clothes, rides a bike and looks like one of those average people. He has half a dozen of kids whom are glued to him. The odd facotr is the appearance of good ball Sha'abi singer Sha'ban Abdel Rahim on the clip. Spot them as the leader of the neighborhood watch group.

The song is about making all the wrong decisions  he tells the subject of the song to go ahead and take another wrong call. Abo Greish is not star, but his voice is not as bad as some of those voices I have heard in the psst.

Abo Greisha - Elly Enta Shayfo / أبو جريشة - اللي أنت شايفة

Bassem Yousef Shouldn't Go To Jail, But He Should Think Twice

The famed Egyptian host of some TV show with satire news is being sued. For more on his legal woes, visit this Arabic link it details some of the charges. To be clear, Baseem is no hero of mine. You too should be tired of being told who your heroes are. I am sick of lies circulating around the internet that conservative Muslims are the ones who want Bassem Yousef in Jail. I think it's safe to say, a lot of business interest people want to see him in jail. This is not a joke, you see laws of defamation and libel are tricky even in the West. You could be in serious trouble if someone has a serious case against you.

Per US Legal Journal

Most defendants in defamation lawsuits are newspapers or publishers, which are involved in about twice as many lawsuits as are television stations. Most plaintiffs are corporations, businesspeople, entertainers and other public figures, and people involved in criminal cases, usually defendants or convicts but sometimes victims as well. 

Bassem is not doing his show for free, he has a contract worth millions, and with that comes a great deal of prestige and access. I bet he enjoys all that fame and media attention he received from around the world. I love how American media is using this ordeal to further damage Egypt and get back at president Morsi--the guy who won an election.

I have one question, do you think if Bassem Yousef was a support of the president of Egypt, the international media would care what happens to them? No! Not in a million year. It's all about self-interest. CNN and such follow Bassem only because he is casing trouble in Egypt and because he is critical of the democratically elected president.

All he has to know, those media folks who cheer him on, will be with him so long as he stays on the same page with them. The moment he tries to do or say something un-american or hostile to the West, they all will jump ship. So he would lose at home and lose abroad.

Every night of the week, Bassem Yousef finds a way to call the Morsi an idiot, and when he is not on air, he is tweeting about him. As someone who holds freedom of speech to be absolute  I know there is no such thing.

Bassem Yousef is milking his 15 minutes of fame, and his friends are talking about him as if he is some modern-day Martin Luther King. MLK did not have a million dollar contract, MLK did not insult people for money, MLK did not try to embarrass his foes. Let's stop pretending Bassem is fighting the good fight. He is just fighting for a pay check.

Now, I do not want to see him jailed for stuff he said, he should not have to be subjected to a witch haunt. He must now know, that he is playing with the fat cats, and if he tries to rock the boat too much, he would be shown the door.

On another note, is Bassem Yousef being patriotic? I do not think he puts Egypt first! It only takes one deranged person to ruin the reputation of an entire nation, Bassem Yousef has entertained so many people and in the process he has mocked all things that make Egypt the place loved by so many people. Because last thing, Egypt needs is a voice that promotes divisions.

If things get serious  I am certain he would not have a hard time moving somewhere else and doing his who--I think he might actually end up doing that, I see him doing his show in Dubai or even Beirut. It's sad but Egypt right now is in a delicate state.  

WATCH: Ahmed Mekky Funny Movie إعلان فيلم سمير ابو النيل بطولة احمد مكى

This will be the movie of the summer, the one movie that will be able to make 90 million Egyptians and a hundred million more Arabs to laugh will be the new movie by the funny man Ahmed Mekky.

The movie is stuck in the eighties and for those who are nostalgic to characters from that era. Street smart characters are nothing new, but none makes them so local and so random like how actor Ahmed Mekky makes them. And doubling the entertainment by bringing to the screen Lebanese songstress-cum-actress Nicole Saba.

I love the sidekicks, they always get a fair screen time and a fair share of funny one-liners. Ahmed has placed himself the king of one-liners and soundbites. This is the one movie I cannot wait to watch this summer when I visit Egypt.

The trailer shows a lot of pop culture knowledge and lampooning a number of songs and singers like Haifa Wehbe. Aside from that, the movie takes issues with a number of personalities like those talking heads, and the kids who like to brag about change and protesting.

الاعلان الثانى لفيلم سمير ابو النيل لاحمد مكى


إعلان فيلم سمير ابو النيل بطولة احمد مكى

SubeeTube Finds Comedy At Arabic Weddings Songs

Arabic weddings are a blast, too many random elements come together to create one odd party that has so much politics. I have poked fun of Arabic weddings before, but no one does a better job lampooning different wedding songs and dancing styles, like the kid in the video below

Khaliji songs are meant for shoulder dancing, Egyptian sha'abi songs are meant for the dudes, old ladies dance with hands and shoulders, young women do the hip thing. You really need to see this video and ejoy the jokes as the comedian tells them. He makes one find dancer.

The on camera person is Subhi Taha from SubeeTube, an American Palestinian from Texas, the land of natural humor. Spot on Subhi!

Arabic Weddings

Diab Mashour And His Prison Inmate Song

The sixties and seventies were very kind to one folksy Syrian singer, Diab Mashour who has appeared on a Syrian play/TV show playing the role of the prison's singer. He is connected to Iraq by the river where they share common cultural antidotes. He is an image known for his nice and sweet voice recounting stories from the village. Diab plays the flute, the oud, and the violin 

He visited Damascus and played his song to then comedian Duraid Laham who loved his song so very much and asked him to appear on his show. He recorded his song sin Beirut and Jordan and remain classics to this day. Simple songs, the kinds your grandmother would sing you as she puts you to sleep

Diab traveled to the States to do concerts for Arabs there, he has even made it all the way to the Philippians. He composes his songs and performs them, and refuses to represent his older songs to fit with today's tastes.

ذياب مشهور ـ يابو ردين يا بوردانه

WATCH: President Obama Is Coming Obama Jay أوباما جاي #Palestine

Activist in Palestine are poking fun of president Obama's visit to the West Bank, they are not mean or anything  just sarcastic at the man who comes offering nothing and changing little. They are bored and it's all a fair game to recount some of the pains people of Palestine live through daily.

This is a humorous song with, welcome Obama! The Ramallah activists are smart too, you can hear a voice in English saying, "I have seen enough, I must go, wait for peace" The biggest expense for the music video was the car rental where the actor playing president Obama rides.

The song talks about the crossing or military checkpoint separating Jerusalem from Ramallah or the west Bank. I like the geek guy with glasses, he might have his fans around the world as those geeks have a league of their own. It's sad, but true, this trip came form nowhere in a time where the peace process has not gone anywhere in five years.

Obama Jay أوباما جاي

The Now Offensive Bassem Yousef With Sex Jokes

There was a time when Bassem Yousef used to be a folk hero and a guy who told jokes by grilling the lame media. He had a good run, and we loved him for it. When he started worrying about the money, he had to watch the rating of his program. There are very few things one can grill in public, but now he has gone to great length to insult the collective IQ of his followers. 

I for once, do not watch the show and can no longer stomach the guy--I like to point out that we are the first blog to write about him. But now he is in trouble with his fans. This time, Bassem joked about sex, sexual harassment and failed to make a point. I do not watch his show, but I read about it when it makes the news. There's nothing with using sex to tell jokes, but this is something often reserved for adult audience in a private club late at night. 

I present some of the comment via his programs official Facebook page. The comments take issue with his language and crass humor. Some have accused his critics of being members of political groups that he often ridicules   

--Disrespectful

--May God Take Revenge On Him

--Low life and crude.

--This episode is garbage.   

WATCH: #Egyptian Short Film "Youm Sa3b" "فيلم "يوم صعب

This is indeed a hard day, but this is also a movie that was made about the January 25th revolution of Egypt . A comedy about Mubarak. The old man who can get away with many things and blame it on age. While the film is supposed to be about Egypt, it's loaded with sexual references. And that's what sells in Egypt, never mind what they say in public.

"A Hard Day" is the title, and counts various stories about the political stalemate in Egypt at the moment, but the focus is on the people who tell the stores not the events themselves. There are too many odd characters  like the guy who seems to be from the  "Saw" franchise.

Thugs, torture, and women caught in the crossfire are all common tale we have heard form the Egypt, now we get to see them blended together. The short pokes fun of Mubarak, has kind word for the revolution, but it's entertaining.

"Youm Sa3b" The Movie - "فيلم "يوم صعب

It's Raining Cats And Dogs For Egyptian Kids الكات والدوج - مجد القاسم ·

Magd AlKasem is a Syrian singer who was a big deal 17 years ago. He is still out there based in Egypt hoping to score a big hit, so far he has not. But his music career where he composed songs is doing fine. He has not said anything about Syria, which is something smart.

It seems he is now trying to make music for kids--he has few of his own. So he made a song about cats and dogs where his kids also star in the music video on his side. The song has dogs, cats and a monkey  This is a low budget song with a cheap music video.

Toward the end of the song, the two siblings talk about how much they love soccer--sure the boy likes one team and the girl likes another. Both are fans of Al Ahly and Al Zamalik, and they fight each time there is a game. Majid tries to mediate. I like the concept and I am sure the little oens will enjoy the cat and dog one

El Cat Wel Dog - Magd Alkasem الكات والدوج - مجد القاسم ·