Assi El Helani

Mohammed El Helani (born November 28 1970), known to the large audience as Assi El Helani, is a Lebanese singer who is has been a major figure in the music scene of the Middle East since the 1990s. Assi's musical career officially started after winning the Art Studio TV Program for young artists at the age of 17.

He has released more than a dozen albums. His biggest hits are "Wani Mareq Mareet", "Amshi Lihali", "Mali Saber", "Ahebbak Gedan", "Ahla Al Oyoun", "Shoag El Sahara" and "Kayed Ozzalak".

Biography

Early life

Assi was born in Baalbeck, Lebanon and was the third youngest among his 13 brothers and sisters. Assi's musical talent became evident very early, when as a child he was performing Lebanese songs in circle of his friends and family. Assi studied for approximately five years (1985-1990) at the Higher Institute of Music in Lebanon concentrating on the Oud performance and Arab vocal techniques.

The Present

Assi El Helani has participated in numerous important musical events, including the Jerash Festival, the Carthage Festival, and a number of concerts around the Arab world, Europe and America.

Despite his soaring popularity, Helani has remained consistently involved in humanitarian issues.

He regularly performs at fund-raising concerts throughout the Middle East in support of a range of charities in the region, including the Women’s Development Association Hayati.

In August 2005, Helani added his voice to the growing roster of celebrities helping WFP raise awareness about global hunger and poverty, recording a Public Service Announcement drawing attention to the tragic fact that 25,000 people die of hunger every day, 18,000 of them children. [ [http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=141&Key=3 Assi Hillani, "Arab knight" | WFP - Latest news - WFPeople ] ]

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