The reality series, broadcast on the Lebanese satellite channel LBC to much of the Arab world, brought 19 young singers from around the Arab world to Lebanon to live at the “Star Academy,” beginning in December. The singers faced off each week in a talent competition to garner support from viewers, who voted with SMS messages over who would advance to the next round.
Shada won Friday’s final competition with over 40 percent of the vote. Seven million SMS messages were sent from Iraq in the course of Friday’s vote.
Star Academy 4 drew wide interest in the Arab world, but Shada’s place in the competition was of special significance to many Iraqis, for whom her talent became a bright spot against the grim backdrop of life in their country.
As Slogger reported earlier, Shada’s Iraqi supporters spanned all ethnic and sectarian backgrounds, and many Iraqis supported her and her advocacy of a united, peaceful Iraq. Shada purposefully did not reveal her sectarian background to the audience, preferring to be known as an Iraqi.
“The Daughter of the Two Rivers who United Iraq,” one Iraqi media outlet calls Shada in Arabic, referring to a traditional name for the country.
In the video below, Shada sings “Baghdad Wal Chouarra,” written by the famous Lebanese Rahbani brothers and originally popularized by the Lebanese singer Fairouz. The lyrics celebrate the long cultural history of the Iraqi capital, and point wistfully to the city’s past greatness.
Shada makes her entrance approximately 45 seconds into the recording, after the choral intro.
