The poster for Hiba Tawaji's concert at the Olympia, which is in only a few days.
Hiba Tawaji just arrived from Montreal, where she had two concerts for the first time in her career. She is set to take to the legendary stage of the Olympia in a few days, alongside producer and composer Oussama Rahbani.
The star made her name in France with "The Voice" and the "Notre-Dame de Paris" show. She is looking forward to being on the stage, happy to share with her Arab and French audiences her hits and new album “Baad Sneen.”
Her husband, trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, wrote on his Facebook page that she will sing in three languages and that “the concert is not to be missed under any circumstances.”
“Hiba’s first big concert in Paris will, I’m sure, remain an important date for all those who love her and those who will discover her. Of all the surprises, there’s one I can already reveal to you: A trumpet will be playing from time to time on stage!” he wrote.
L’Orient-Le Jour has been following her since her debut 16 years ago. After she performed last summer at the Byblos Festival, and before the Olympia, the Lebanese singer agreed to partake in our offbeat questionnaire.
Music
What gave you the desire to sing?
My voice. The gift gives the desire!
What song do you sing alone but never dare to do so publicly?
Songs by boy bands NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.
What’s your favorite Hiba Tawaji song?
“Min Elli Byekhtar,” which has become an anthem for women’s emancipation.
Who was the teacher who left their mark on you the most?
Nadia Jammal was my French literature teacher in high school. She was an exceptional person who inspired me enormously.
What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen to you on stage?
A broken toe on stage, in the Notre-Dame de Paris musical. Throughout the show, I ran barefoot and bumped into a metal bar. That didn’t stop me from going on with the scene. It was about Clopin’s death and I was in tears. People thought I was crying for Clopin!
What do you say when you stub your toe?
A swear word.
Life
Which fictional character most resembles you?
Gracie Hart, or Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality. She’ll do anything to reconcile opinions and bring people together.
If you could go back in time, what would you change?
I would have continued piano lessons.
How do you see yourself in 10 years?
The same as today, times 10.
Two or four children?
I’d say more like three children, as we now have Nael, Rita and my step-daughter Lili.
The best part of your day?
Watching a Netflix series in the evening.
The last time someone told you “I love you?"
Today, on Mother’s Day in France.
Tastes and Colors
What color dress will you wear to the Olympia?
I’m still undecided between two dresses.
Zaatar [thyme] or jebneh [cheese]?
Thyme.
Morning or evening?
Evening for sure.
In [a] one-on-one evening with Michael Jackson, what would you do?
I [would] take moonwalking lessons.
What’s your strangest phobia?
I’d say loneliness.
If you could change just one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I get irritated very quickly. I lose my patience.
What’s the sweet treat that makes you crave it every time?
A Nutella French-style pancake.
If you could only eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A zaatar manousheh. It’d all get a bit boring in the long run, but I think a zaatar manousheh would be just fine.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
The gift of ubiquity. The ability to be in several places at once.
If you had to choose three wishes, what would they be?
First, health for my family and myself, happiness and fulfillment for my children and a world without war and violence, where each has its own place. Miss Congeniality, I told you!
This article was originally published in L'Orient-Le Jour and translated by Joelle El Khoury.
