The 5 – group
Mentored by Donia Samir Ghanem
A pan-Arab group of young men who have consistently managed to drive fans wild, The 5 are made up of 22-year-old Ahmed Hassan from Egypt, 29-year-old Adil Echbiy from Morocco, 19-year-old Kazem Chamas from Lebanon, and Algerians Said Karmouz, 19, and Mohamed “BMD” Bouhezza, 21.
The singers came together in a manner similar to One Direction, who were formed by the judges of the UK version of The X Factor in 2010. With the exception of Karmouz and BMD, who auditioned as a duo, the rest of the members all arrived on the programme as solo artists. The judges – Ragheb Alama, Elissa and Donia Samir Ghanem – immediately saw that they would be better as a group than as soloists.
“It was scary at first, but we knew we had to try; this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” said BMD.
The young men already share an easy camaraderie that is a result of months sharing the same room, shacked up in a hotel in Lebanon.
“At first, we were all in the same room, but then they gave us adjacent rooms so we’d have more space and because we were going crazy. Mostly, because some of us snore,” said Echbiy.
Trivia: BMD has a reputation for brushing his teeth eight times a day. Karmouz is guaranteed to cheer up as soon as he gets a new, female follower on one of his social-media accounts. Chamas and Echbiy are self-confessed football nuts. Their fans are called The Fivers. Their mentor, The X Factor judge Ghanem, has dubbed them her "winning horse". And did you know Hassan broke down in tears when, on his 22nd birthday two weeks ago, his staunchest supporter – his mother – appeared as a surprise guest on the show?
Hind Ziadi – solo
Mentored by Elissa
Hind Ziadi’s voice is often compared to the distinctive sound of late Tunisian singer Thikra, and the young Moroccan is not unaware of the significance of the compliment.
Ziadi is an example of perseverance and hard work. With each passing week, the 20-year-old Moroccan has shown improvement in everything from her presence on stage to the strength of her voice.
“Every live performance is a challenge for me and a chance for me to learn,” says Ziadi. “We have all reached such an important, difficult stage and I feel the pressure, but I’m up for it till the very end.”
Ziadi has a reputation for originality, choosing to tackle every song in her own style. The judges always commend her for that with Alama repeatedly describing her voice as “rare”.
“It’s such a big deal for me that I’ve reached this far, and it is wonderful, but us humans, it’s our nature to be a bit greedy, so of course I’d love to win this,” she said.
Hamza Hawsawi – solo
Mentored by Ragheb Alama
Saudi Arabia’s Hamza Hawsawi is yet to receive a negative comment or unsavoury criticism from the judges. Instead, the 24-year-old has been labelled “international professional” by Elissa, a “natural star” by Alama and an “amazing talent” by Ghanem. Hawsawi sounds as if English is his first language, and his singing is exceptional, but he says he taught himself English by watching Hollywood movies and listening to western music. “That,” said Elissa following his latest performance, “is impressive. I’m so impressed by you and your attitude and everything I hear about you backstage, the way you are with the other competitors, with everyone. Your spirit and positivity and hard work all make you the most important Arab talent to ever grace this type of stage and this type of competition.”
Hawsawi originally took 15 days of annual leave from his job at a bank to audition for The X Factor. "I never thought I'd reach this level when I took those two weeks off, and now look, months have passed," he said. "My self-confidence has grown immensely from this experience and I can't describe how nervous and excited I am at the same time."
When asked by Elissa if he was eager to gain an international audience, Hawsawi shrugged. “Personally, my most important audience is right here in the Middle East, where I am, where I’m from. I was so surprised by their love, especially that I sing in English. It’s something I didn’t expect. I hope to take this audience around the world one day.”
artslife@thenational.ae
