OUMEIMA EL KHALIL
Oumeima el Khalil is an established Lebanese singer who interprets her culture and passion for music to a worldwide audience. She has a voice that has been touching her diverse fan base for decades and she continues to thrive in the music industry today.
Oumeima was born in a small Beqaa village called Al Fakiha and was driven to perform from the moment she could speak. Indeed, Oumeima el Khalil was born to sing. Surrounded by an artistic and supportive family, Oumeima began her quest to sing at the young age of 7.
Her father had heard of a recently graduated musician called Marcel Khalifeh and Oumeima was introduced to him as a potential student. When she sang for him in his home, he was so impressed by her talent that he would later return to the Beqaa valley in search of this young prodigy.
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Shortly after their meeting, civil war broke out in Lebanon and the landscape of the music industry was altered. Marcel Khalifeh left for France to pursue his career and Oumeima continued her secondary studies in the Beqaa, never giving up her dream of being a singer. In 1979, Khalifeh would return to Beirut as a famed musician and quickly hires 12-year-old Oumeima to perform a solo with his band “Al Mayadin”. Singing for the first time in front of a sold-out crowd at the renowned UNESCO Palace Theater in Beirut, this 12-year-old girl astounded the music industry with her talent and professionalism. In 1981, as a teenager, she was signed on to Khalifeh’s US tour where she performed solos in 16 different states. She has been a staple in the fabric of Arab Culture and a worldwide performer ever since.
Oumeima continues to collaborate with Marcel Khalife on several of his albums and began her solo career in 1994 with the breakthrough record, “Khallini Ghanneelak”. Her songs are written by renowned Arab poets such as Mahmoud Darwish, Badr Chaker El Sayyab, Mohamad El Abdallah.
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