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Spreading positivity with music: Dubai's Nadine Chammas conquers charts

UAE singer, life director and mum releases two Arabic singles garnering over one million views

If there is one act to be encouraged now more so than ever it is the dissemination of positivity and kindness. If the global pandemic has taught us anything it is that coming together and playing to our strengths, whatever they may be, in order to help others is essential. For Dubai mum-of-two, Nadine Chammas, it was important to project a unifying message through her passion: singing. The Lebanese founder of The Life Director - a personal and corporate development consultancy - and former theatre director has recently hit local music charts and garnered over 1.2million YouTube views with two tracks, Mesh Bas Hek and Khaleek Ijabi; launched in March and April.

"Lately I've been doing a lot of motivational talks about living a positive and healthy lifestyle and how to reprogramme your mind to see the positive in every situation," Chammas told City Times about the inspiration behind her music. "Every time I tell the audience that I'm a singer as well, they get excited and ask me to sing, so I thought why not write a song about thinking positive and make it a signature in my talks?"
Composed by husband Serge Bekhaazi with lyrics written by Chamms, Mesh Bas Hek (Not Just That) is about the communication between soul mates. Khaleek Ijabi, literally 'Stay Positive', looks to evoke fun through a video showcasing clowns and modern dance elements.
"My music is a fusion of oriental and occidental because I started my singing career singing in French and English," Chammas said. "I like the happy tunes and I like the songs that put me in a good mood or heal a part in me. Music is a healer and I'm working on having this aspect in my songs plus sending clear messages to make us rethink our relationships, our life and our jobs."
Chammas moved to Dubai from Beirut in 2000. Upon landing in the UAE she opened one of the first musical theatre production houses for kids together with her two sisters. Since then, Chammas has written, directed and produced over 250 theatre pieces, which have been showcased across the Middle East before moving to life coaching alongside raising children Laeticia, 15 and Nicolas, 13.

"For me living in the UAE gives me the clarity and motivation to always move forward and challenge my creativity and passion."
When it comes to fantasy collaborations, Chammas says the tunes of Kazem Al-Saher always provide joy through the Iraqi's genuine interpretation of whatever words come his way, although at the moment a huge arena tour is not on the cards - at least not solely for her music.
"I see myself producing my transformational show and more songs and releasing my book about how to be the director of your life," she said. "I want to combine singing as part of the whole experience."
All that really matters for the artist in this moment is her stay-strong spirit reaches as many ears as possible during a difficult time.
"The best feedback is when I receive a message saying 'Nadine you changed my life and all I want at this time is to listen to your song to lift my spirits up and give me hope.'"

Has your StayHome time been productive?
It's a break away from our comfort zone and our routines. Growing up in Lebanon, I've lived through the war and we learned to live in the moment and appreciate every breath we take. I took this time to declutter and get clear on where I want to put my energy. I have written three new songs and recorded them and filmed two video clips, so I was very active and focused to take this time to create many ideas for a future plan.
david@khaleejtimes.com