Shaalan was first discovered in 1995 by Dr. Tarek Sharara. Without hesitation he hosted her live on an FM radio station program called “Play On.” Sharara interviewed her and presented some of her songs to the public.Since that moment “ I felt I should take a step forward to seek in this path of singing and composition,” Shaalan said.

Shaalan received the Jury Special Award in the fifth Annual International Song Festival held in Alexandria, in 2007. She also featured as guest singer with Grammy Award Winner Fathy Salama at the Cairo Opera House in 1997. Salama has since “pushed me to continue by offering me more chances to appear as a guest in his concerts, which ultimately lead to a point where, since 2003, I was able to hold performances on my own,” Shaalan said.

In 2003, Shaalan appeared in a television interview which focused on her biography and songs. The interview was also broadcasted on FM radio. Shaalan’s increasing popularity has lead to her songs playing on a daily show on “Nogoom FM,” hosted by Mohamed Salah and Rami Hohsen, since 2007. Moreover, Shaalan was hosted on “Good Morning Egypt” and OTV. In addition, she was interviewed live by Mohamed Ezz El Din for “Radio Horyatna,” an online radio station heard in many countries.

Shaalan also featured in two documentaries. One was broadcasted on Dubai’s “Al Aan” channel and the other was called “Hadeeth Al Madeena” by Mofeed Fawzy in 2007. She has also performed on ART and a number of occasions held by ART. Furthermore, she performed for “The Poor People’s Day” event organized by the UN and held in the Sawy Culture Wheel in 2007, and the “Orphan’s Day” event in 2008.

Shaalan’s first performance on stage was in the USA in 1984. This was in an international camp with 200 students from around the world. She then went on to perform in a number of competitions and events in Egypt.

The rapid success Shaalan is gaining and the support of her family, friends, Salama, and fans, motivated her to pursue singing as a career. “They gave me more confidence and faith that I have something to offer people through my music. This induced my desire to continue my path with more hope,” said Shaalan.

Shaalan blends Eastern fusion, blues, Jazz, and slow rock in Arabic music. Her lyrics address peace, love, and non-violence. She also writes about friendship and romance. Her lyrics are influenced by everything that touches her heart and stimulates her imagination. “Nature and passionate experiences have great influence on me,” she noted.

The goal Shaalan seeks to reach through her music is to “convey messages to people of different cultures, touch their emotions, and make even a slight change in their lives,” she said.

Shaalan will also be performing in a concert in July as part of an Anti-Smoking Campaign held by WHO, World Health Organization. The concert will be held in an open air private club. Shaalan is also planning for more future concerts and touring Europe for some solo concerts. Dates have yet to be decided.

Currently, Shaalan is preparing a few songs to perform in future competitions “hoping that winning will give me a better chance to find producers to help finance an album,” she said.

Besides singing, Shaalan is also a sculptoress. She has participated in international and local art exhibitions with her statues. Her bronze piece will be displayed as part of the Egyptian Museum for Modern Arts collection this year.

More on Shaalan and her music can be found on Facebook. Or on the following links:

[CONTACT-FORM]http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19697757200

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rania-Shaalan/7269334989

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=11988645955

Skillz is founder and member of Lebanese hip-hop group “961 Underground,” and is also the one behind the exposure of most of Lebanon’s hot MC’s. Moreover, Skillz is an influential member of the rapid growing Arabic hip-hop movement. In 2007, he was an official judge for the “DMC World Championship for Gulf Battles,” held in Dubai, along with DJ Q-bert, Akakabe, and turntablist Co-ma fro. “I wanted to represent Lebanon and put Arabia on the map in the DMC World Championships,” he noted.

In addition, Skillz is DJ in ”Die hard” by Eslaam Jawad featuring De La Soul. The song is part of the album “Die Hard” which is set for release in May 2008. The album will be released under RPEG Lmtd. – Cilvaringz. And, he is DJ in the album “From Jeddah to L.A” on the track by Qusai aka Don Legend (Jeddah Legends) featuring Nate Dogg. The track is part of the album which is set for release in the summer.

The music Skillz makes is a blend of Arabic and hip-hop. It also includes trip-top, break beats, and drum ‘n’ bass. His goal is to “create a platform where Arab youths can express themselves peacefully and away from politics and war.” He emphasizes wanting “to show the world a different image about the Middle East so they view us from a different perspective and see who we truly are. We also need to give Arabic hip-hop its rightful place on the world’s entertainment map.”

Skillz’ notes that the content of his music is an expression of Arab youth and life experiences, “how we feel and what we go through in our social, political and personal lives. Most of my music addresses and promotes peace, unity, love and respect.”

Skillz’ influences vary from Fairuz and Rahbani to Kool G Rap, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Goodie Mob to Canibus, WU Tang Clan, Mob Deep, and Jedi Mind Trix. He explains how he “always wanted to have a musical mentor but living in a war zone and being a kid was difficult, so I had to mentor myself and learn from everything I hear and see on videos and TV.”

Making lots of noise on the Malaysia charts, Skillz is number 5 on Hitz FM’s Top 20. He is currently in Kuala Lumpur shooting the video for his single released in Malaysia called “KL to Beirut.” The video is produced by Skillz and Malaysia’s hip hop Turntables Champion, DJ Fuzz. The Malaysian lyrics for the track are written and performed by MC Moe from Lebanon.

Currently, Skillz is working with Nas Jota Records in producing his first official Arabic hip-hop compilation album called “New World Disorder.” The Album is set for release and international distribution in June 2008. He is also working on another album called “Karmageddon.” The album combines Middle East and Far East hip-hop cultures and will be released in December 2008 in the Far East and Middle East and will be available online.

In the future, Skillz will be involved in national and international releases, events, concerts and tours with Arabic hip-hop artists and his group “961 Underground.” He is currently discussing future gigs in Bahrain and recordings with DJ Outlaw. Skillz will also direct and appear in the Arabic Lebanese hip-hop documentary film called “961 Underground.” The film is about the Lebanese underground hip-hop scene and is set for release in the summer. It will be available on DVD in music stores such as Virgin megastore and online.

Skillz will be performing in the “Red Bull Lord of the Streets” event held in Dubai, Muscat and Beirut this summer.More information about DJ Lethal Skillz, his music and group can be found on My Space, YouTube and his official websites here and here.