With her captivating multi-octave voice and persuasive cross-cultural message,
vocalist and songwriter MAYSSA KARAA defines a new era of musical inclusion.
Mayssa’s musical message is about empowerment and overcoming adversity.
An American citizen born in Beirut, Lebanon, Mayssa Karaa infuses middle eastern
influences into modern global pop, melding an inspiring, unique, creative blend.
Mayssa is a lead singer on “This is Our Time”, the official theme song for Expo 2020
Dubai, the first Expo event in the Arab world. She was joined by veteran pop star
Hussain Al Jassmi and rising talent Almas. Produced by Canadian Grammy Award
winner Greg Wells, the Expo's anthem is a lush and dramatic number that drew
inspiration from many other theme songs in history that blended local and international
music.
Mayssa recently made history during a New Year’s Eve concert at the Emirates
Palace Mandarin Oriental in Abu Dhabi, performing alongside Andrea Bocelli as the
first artist to sing in Arabic with him. She captivated the audience with her breathtaking
rendition of The Prayer and other unforgettable performances.
Cinema audiences might identify the classically trained singer’s voice from the hit film
American Hustle, where her Arabic version of the Sixties classic “White Rabbit” was a
standout track on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack album;
She's also had a song “Hayati” (featured in one of the biggest movies in India)
produced by Oscar winner Indian megastar AR Rahman which has rapidly climbed up
the charts in various countries She has also recently been featured on
the soundtrack for his immersive film ‘Le Musk’ singing a song in French titled “Glisse
la vie”.
MAYSSA launched her full-length English solo debut album “SIMPLE CURE” with a
celebration at the historic “Capitol studios” in Hollywood. The songs range from piano based
simplicity to epic electronic orchestration with a unique blend of American pop and middle
eastern influences.
Television audiences might recognize her from the popular PBS Special,
“Enrico Caruso: His Life, His Music, His Cities” featuring Placido Domingo in Naples, Italy.
International families might identify her as the ambassador of Sesame Street (Middle East
edition): “Iftah Ya Simsim” through “The Arabic Alphabet Song” that generated over 36M
YouTube views so far.
MAYSSA is the Artistic Director at Berklee College of Music’s campus in Abu Dhabi and a
Berklee alumna. Berklee is known as the world’s pre-eminent institute of contemporary music,
dance, and theater. Prominent alumni include legendary music producer Quincy Jones, John
Mayer, Charlie Puth, virtuoso guitarist Steve Vai, jazz pianist Diana Krall, and composer
Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones), among many others. MAYSSA was also the Artistic
Director of the Dubai Expo 2020 all-female “Firdaus Orchestra” initiative under the patronage
of AR Rahman.
Melding Arabic influences into Western music is MAYSSA’s forte: notable recordings in her
catalog include a version of Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” accompanied by the band’s
Scott Page, to which both Roger Waters and David Gilmour granted their blessings.
Communicating through music is at the core of MAYSSA’s work as a songwriter.
Through one of her releases “Titi”, she delivers a powerful message of self-love to
all women, a reminder that physical changes don’t alter who you are. The track is
a timely message that real beauty lies within, no matter what changes we make to
our physique. it is a call to action for women to embrace their true selves and their
unique identity.
MAYSSA released an uplifting Arabic version of the song
"My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music, The track, titled
"El Adar Byekhtar”, offers a distinctly Arabic feel without losing the sense of
optimism and glee that characterizes the original English version. Such musical
perfection is largely due to famed Jordanian musician/violinist Yarub Smarait who
mixed, arranged and produced the track.
Another song to mention within her originals, is her song “Meet Me in
Beirut/Netla’a Bi Beirut”, the song talks about expats meeting their loved ones in
Beirut after parting, recalling memories engraved in the streets they always yearn
for. The lyrics were written by Ahmad Abdul Nabi, music by Mayssa Karaa, Yarub
Smarait, MO3Z and Frederic Casimir.
MAYSSA has toured around the world, performing in the United States, Canada,
the Middle East, and Europe. She has taken the stage at major festivals and high-
profile events such as UNESCO Paris, Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Expo 2020
Dubai, the Abu Dhabi Festival, Beiteddine International Festival, Belgrade Arena,
Etihad Arena, Dubai Opera, World Trade Center Dubai, and Detroit Symphony
Hall, to name a few.
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