|
It's one thing to have one superstar in the family but to have two may mean the trophy shelf could end up a little crowded. Luckily for the Alame family, they've not only found the secret of success but perhaps, more importantly, the secret of how to manage it wisely.
Ragheb Alame is one of the most celebrated singers in the Arab world and his wife, Jihan is an up-and-coming jewellery designer.
In Dubai to launch their latest offerings — a new collection in Harvey Nichols for her and the fifteenth in a long line of successful albums for him — the Alame creative power couple try and pinpoint for tabloid! the key to their overwhelming happiness.
Ragheb said: "I think the important thing is that we try and keep our feet on the ground. But the biggest element is compromise. Since the children have come along I try not to travel quite as much in order to help with them and spend time at home. It is hard but we talk a lot and understand each other.”
With a career spanning 25 successful years, Ragheb is no stranger to the life of a singer. At an early age his father, Subhi Alame, discovered that his son was gifted with a good voice allied with talent and arranged for him to be introduced to the radio.
Taking off
When he turned 15, he was accepted into a specialised music school where he excelled in his studies, impressing his teachers and peers. He later took part in an art studio programme where he won various merits for songwriting and performance including the Gold Medal — a prestigious accolade — for his achievements in the field of folklore songs.
But it was in 1982 that he really made his mark and things started to take off for the star.
His first successful album, which marked the start of his international career, Albi A'she'aha, was also the first music video ever made in the Arab world.
Since then Ragheb's albums have been remarkably successful and in 1999 American rapper Foxy Brown was so inspired by Ragheb's song Ya Bouy that she included parts of it in a special remix she made in her album Hood Scriptures.
A family affair
Although Ragheb has worked hard to achieve success, he also openly admits that none of it would have been possible without the help and support of his wife Jihan.
With two boys, Khalid, 10, and Loy, 8, Ragheb says he often finds himself torn between his family and career.
He said: "It is always hard to know what the right thing to do is. But over the years I have definitely tried to spend more time with my family. I used to travel a lot more than I do now and that's because my priorities have changed somewhat — which is natural.
Tireless support
"I love to hang out with my boys and I try to be the best father I can. They are very lucky and they certainly don't have the struggles that my father had when I was growing up. But at the same time I am trying my best to teach them about life, what is right and wrong and to be grateful for everything they have. They are not spoilt and I won't allow them to become that way. They are good kids and are not arrogant.”
And after a few, dedicated, years of being a full-time mother, Jihan and Ragheb decided it was time for her to shine.
The Djihan jewellery brand was born four years after the birth of her second child and has been a success from the start.
Jihan admits she had a hard act to follow but also maintains it was the ongoing, tireless support from her husband which helped her get where she is today.
Jihan said: "I had always had a passion for drawing and being creative so I started sketching designs and knew it was the right direction for me. I flew around the world to jewellery fairs and shows to see what the rest of the market was doing and then set about making something which had never been done before.”
Various unique collections with intriguing titles such as Chocoholic, Bon-Bon and Cube are probably enough to prove the pieces Jihan creates are different to most jewellery out there. At the same time, they exude an inspiration which could only come from a woman totally at one with her family.
"The inspiration for the Bon-Bon collection obviously came from sweets. I was standing in a candy shop and watched the faces of the people as they collected their sugary packages. Smiles doesn't describe it. I knew I wanted my jewellery to do the same.”
Working together
Jihan has transmitted her personal dynamic energy and talent to her brand by creating a special character for her pieces that differentiates each one from other brands in the market. Every piece has its own special and unique signature.
She added: "We work together well and help each other where we can. I suggested featuring some of my jewellery in Ragheb's video, which he thought was a great idea. After my Cube range was in the video it was such a huge hit that it sold out in a few days.”
Jihan's journey started when she opted to study fine art and graphic design at the Lebanese American University in Beirut. But it was her love of jewellery which gave her the incentive to use what she learned in art and design to start creating her own line.
Today, the Djihan brand is growing rapidly with one boutique in Beruit and plans to open a second in the region soon.
The full collection was launched at Harvey Nichols this month and will be available until mid-July with pieces starting from $500 (Dh1,836).
As creativity never ends, so does the journey of Ragheb, Jihan, Khalid and Loy — surely a partnership which will only get better with time.
So it's onwards and upwards for the dynamic duo.
Him on her
"When we met, Jihan was very young. She was finishing her studies at university and I always knew how intelligent she was. But the traditions of our culture can, rightly or wrongly, mean that women end up compromising their career because of pressures to become a wife and mother.
"Jihan amazes me every day and I am more proud of her now than ever. She juggles so many things and she does it well — with grace and flair.
"She is an incredible wife and mother and she is the one who makes our household what it is today — full of love and laughter.
"But as for her career I have always supported her every step. She knew she needed something to focus on and to engage in so we sat for a while and looked at some ideas. Jihan came up with the idea of jewellery design and hasn't looked back since.
"I knew she was talented but I honestly don't think I really understood quite how talented she is — I mean her designs are being snapped up all over the world and being sold in some of the major department stores. She has worked hard and deserves every bit of success.”
Her on him
"I cannot even start to explain what an amazing father and husband Ragheb is. The boys adore him and he is so devoted to us all that it makes life very easy.
"People often ask me if I get jealous because of all the press and publicity, as well as the attention from his fans, but the honest answer is no. Some of his biggest fans have ended up being my closest friends. I think they think I'm going to be protective and jealous but I'm not — I am just so proud when I see what these people think about my husband and the music he makes.
"When I see him on stage it's like I am not his wife anymore. My friends ask if I ever get bored of watching him perform but I don't think I ever would. It is like I forget who I am and become just a fan in the crowd for a while. He always amazes me and I hope that never changes.
"He has supported me throughout my career and it hasn't always been easy. We have both had to travel and we agree to not leave the kids at home without one of us there so we have to compromise all the time which is sometimes tough because one of us may have to miss out on something. But our kids come first and always will.”
|
