Asalah Mostafa Nasri aka Asala, Assala Nasry and Assalah; born 15 May 1969 is a Syrian musical artist.
Early life
Asala was born in Damascus, Syria to a middle class couple. Mostafa Nasri, Asala's father, was a revered Syrian composer and singer. Asala began her musical career by performing patriotic, religious, and children's songs when she was four years old. She sang the theme song "Qessas Al Sho'oub" (Arabic: قصص الشعوب), of the cartoon show, Hekayat Alamiyah (Arabic: حكايات عالمية). In 1986, Mostafa Nasri died after suffering from internal bleeding caused by a car accident. Aged 17 she helped care for her siblings, Reem, Amani, Ayman and Ayham with her mother Azizah.
Career
Asala's commercial musical career debuted in 1991 with Law Ta'rafou (Arabic: لو تعرفو). The album had 4 songs in the oriental operatic tarab style. The album was an instant hit with heartbreaking songs like Ya Sabra Yana and Samehtak Ketir. She quickly cemented her presence in a growing industry brimming with new, young talent like Najwa Karam, Saber Rebai, Angham, and Abdelmajeed Abdullah.
Personal life
Asala has two children from her first marriage to Ayman Al Dahabi, whom she divorced in 2005 following his adultery scandal. She currently has custody of both their children, Sham and Khaled. She is now married to famous Palestinian-American director Tarek Al Eryan. She was pregnant with Tarek's child in early 2007 but suffered a miscarriage halfway through the pregnancy. Asala is a Sunni Muslim. Asala was granted Bahraini citizenship by Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa a few days after she gave a spectacular performance in the operetta Love and Loyalty in celebration of Bahrain’s Independence Day. Asala holds three citizenship; Syrian, Bahraini, and Egyptian.
Discography
- Qanon Kefik (Law of your fancy) (2010)
- Nos Halah (Half Situation) (2008)
- Sawaha Galbi (My Heart Has Done It) (2007)
- Hayati (My Life) (2006)
- Aadi (Ordinary) (2005)
- Awgat (Times) (2004)
- Ad El Horouf (As much as the number of letters) (2003)
- Ya Akhi Es'al (Ask About Me) (2002)
- Yamin Allah/Haqiqat Waqe'i (I Swear/My Reality) (2001)
- Moshtaqah (I'm Missing You) (2001)
- Ya Magnoun (O Madman) (1999)
- Albi Biyertahlak (My Heart is at Ease with You) (1998)
- Al Mushtaka (The Complainer) (1997)
- Erja' Laha (Return to Her) (1996)
- Rahal (He Left) (1996)
- Wala Tessadda' (Don't Believe It) (1995)
- Ghayar Awi (Great Jealousy) (1995)
- Taw'am Al Rouh (My Soul's Twin) (1994)
- Ighdab (Anger) (1994)Ya Sabra Yana (I Am Waiting) (1993)
- Asala Performs Umm Kulthum (1992)
- O'zorni (Forgive Me) (1992)
