Haifa Wehbe Goes Maximus

March 18, 2010 at 1:41 am · Filed under Arab Culture, Art, Music

Haifa Wahbi’s latest Gladiator style video clip for her newly-released song “Inta Tani” reminds me of the last paragraph of Philip Hitti’s masterpiece, “History of the Arabs”, first published in 1937:

“Originators of the third monotheistic religion, beneficiaries of the other two, co-sharers with the West of the Greco-Roman cultural tradition, holders aloft of the torch of enlightment through medieval times, generous contributors to European renaissance, the Arabic-speaking people have taken their place among the awakened, forward-marching independent nations of the modern world. With their rich heritage and unmatched natural resource of oil, they should be able to make a significant contribution to the material and spiritual progress of mankind.”

Ahem.






  • http://reflectupon.blogspot.com super devoika

    =?
    [Back to culture. Yes, to culture. You can't consume much if you sit still and read books] Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
    .-= The latest from super devoika´s blog ..The Narratives* | 24 =-.

  • http://blog.vickiboykis.com Vicki

    I love that you were able to connect the two :). Thanks for posting the video..I haven’t been hearing much about Haifa lately except that she might be touring the U.S. so I was worried she’d stopped being controversial.
    .-= The latest from Vicki´s blog ..On Notice =-.

  • Astro

    “they should be able to make a significant contribution to the material and spiritual progress of mankind.”

    “He probably regrets putting that sentence in their.

  • http://www.catnip2k.blogspot.com Anisah

    What does Tani mean?
    .-= The latest from Anisah´s undefined ..If you register your site for free at =-.

  • http://meshx86.wordpress.com Mesh
  • Chris

    What? What!?! Are you trying to say that her vast musical talent hasn’t advanced Arab culture? Blasphemy! ;) But I do know someone whose interesting career change just might. I will fess up, here, that I have watched some of her videos. After all, I am a man. So easily distracted, we are… But anyway, Amen, to those words, though… :)

  • khalid jarrar

    i think…no no i am pretty sure last time you talked about Haifa here you said that it would be the only mention to haifa wahbi on this blog! :O

  • Pingback: Friday Links | Vicki Boykis

  • http://meshx86.wordpress.com Mesh

    Chris, if you think this is how we advance our culture, then you should also recognize why all our resources and beautiful minds is being wasted, and we are stuck in 1900′s.

    i am raising my hand (and i am no fan of Arabic songs) and i shout that we are OVER SATURATED with Arab singers & songs (Arab blabbers i mean) where no one can even write a song without the word HOB “Love” in it, i would “like” to see a song about hate for example or about our current miserable situation and the pressure and humiliation we receive where ever we go (in home lands before foreign lands) , a song about families and relations…about life in general..

    i can imagine the advancement that we might achieve if the money spent in Rotana’s, are spent to enhance education, training, creating decent job opportunities (critical job fields, we won’t die from hunger if we don’t watch Rotana) or even helping the poor or young guys getting married.
    .-= The latest from Mesh´s blog ..Apple I-rack, speaking itself.. =-.

  • http://meshx86.wordpress.com Mesh

    am not saying to ignore the culture (and that Haifa does not represent any Arab culture in any case or angle IMHO), but not to set song development the main goal, that it has trillion satellite dvb channels on the ArabSAT.
    .-= The latest from Mesh´s blog ..Apple I-rack, speaking itself.. =-.

  • http://www.kinziblogs.wordpress.com kinzi

    Heh-heh. Cute, Roba!
    .-= The latest from kinzi´s blog ..Revelation Song =-.

  • Chris

    @Mesh My man, I can’t say that I really know you, but I like your style. Very passionate! Keep up the good fight! Just some sarcasm there, though. Since English isn’t your first language, that was a little easy to miss. Oh, now, if that was you being sarcastic… good one man! Wah Wah :D Well, since my habitual morning internet session is over… I gotta go! @Roba btw, good luck! I hope it works out for you. I’m sure it will. :) :) Double smiley! Sweet!!!

  • http://andfaraway.net Roba

    Super Devoika, lol, I love that book, but I don’t remember that quote! :)

    Vicki, oh it’s one of my favorite paragraphs ever. I’m always rereading that book, but it’s too complicated to remember anything in it :/ I doubt Haifa will ever stop being controversial :P

    Astro, lol, yeah, good thing he died soon after the book was published :D

    Anisah, Tani means “Again” :)

    Mesh, aren’t these mostly pre-1900′s?

    Chris, sometimes you talk in riddles :P You’re right though, it is blasphemy to say that Haifa hasn’t affected Arab culture :) In an um.. interesting kind-of-way.

    Khalid, loooool you cracked me up. But here i’m not talking about Haifa Wehbe, I’m talking about Philip Hitti :o

    Mesh, the least Rotana could have done is not knock down Rainbow Cinema to build Rotana Cafe :/

    Kinzi, is it? :)

  • http://meshx86.wordpress.com Mesh

    @Chris, thanks for picking up on my English :) , i think it delivered my message in the end..

    Roba, yes those Islamic inventions were before 1900s, they were in the medieval ages, were Europe suffered from darkness, while Islamic cities roads were lit, but my point was: where were we back then, and where are we now.. compare the achievements to the corresponding ages.

    i personally believe (and am extremely sorry if this hurts anyone’s feelings) that we don’t need Haifas and the like. specially if you compare her to majda-fairuz-etc..
    .-= The latest from Mesh´s blog ..Apple I-rack, speaking itself.. =-.

  • ahmad al-sholi

    The funny thing is that these bimbos and jigolos with their corporate sponsors aren’t even progressing! It was sad to see them rise before, it is sad to see them still there, even more, exactly where they were 10-15 years ago.

    Mesh, There is nothing wrong with honoring heritage, but we were brought up romanticizing it more than trying actually to understand it.

  • http://meshx86.wordpress.com Mesh

    ahmad, heritage ?

    khalli el shabab te3raf tedbek awwal lol
    .-= The latest from Mesh´s blog ..Apple I-rack, speaking itself.. =-.