Massari
| Massari | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sari Abboud |
| Born | December 10, 1980 Beirut, Lebanon |
| Origin | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | R&B, Pop, hip hop |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboard |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | CP Records |
| Associated acts | Loon, Belly, French Montana |
| Website | www.massarionline.com |
Sari Abboud (Arabic: ساري عبّود),[1] better known by his stage name Massari[2] (pronounced mə-SAH-ree) is a Lebanese Canadian R&B, Pop, and hip hop singer.[1] In Levantine Arabic, Massari (مصاري maṣāri ) means "money".[3] Massari was born in Beirut, Lebanon, on December 10, 1980. When Massari was 10 years old, he and his family relocated to Montreal, Quebec. Later on he moved to Ottawa, Ontario. His cultural and social upbringing shaped his musical style.[4] His music combines Middle Eastern melodies with western culture, in which audiences of all ages and races, find to be so refreshing. He started his musical career in 2001-2002, and has released two albums, Massari in 2005 and Forever Massari in 2009. He has had a number of hit singles in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and internationally
Contents |
Early life and education [edit]
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, his family moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada when he was 10. At the age of 13, he and his younger brothers moved to Ottawa, Ontario, where he attended Hillcrest High School.[1]
Musical career [edit]
He started his musical career in 2001-2002.[2] He released his first song “Spitfire” (2002) which was aired on Ottawa radio stations.[3] Since then, Massari has been steadily writing and developing his sound.[5]
2005-2007: Debut self-titled album and success [edit]
After three years of preparation, he released a self-titled album Massari on CP Records. His debut album resulted in four singles, receiving Gold certification in Canada, and he continued to have international success in Europe, Asia, the Middle East.[6] Based on his initial success, Massari signed a record deal with independent record label, CP Records, becoming the prominent successful performing artist for the record company alongside Belly (rapper).[2] On November 14, 2007, Massari and his record label, CP Records, came to a mutual agreement to end their relationship.[7]
2009-2010: Forever Massari and resigning with label [edit]
During 2009, he released two tracks from the forthcoming album, namely "Bad Girl" and "Body Body". The album itself Forever Massari was officially released on Universal Records Canada on 10 November 2009. It included songs by writers and producers like Rupert Gayle, Alex Greggs, Derek Brin, Rob Wells and Justin Forsley. In summer of 2011, Massari signed again with CP Records, after five years of his departure from the label.
2011-present: Singles and upcoming album [edit]
On June 20, 2012, Massari realized there was money to be made off of the Middle Eastern ethnic audience, and released a free single called "Full Circle" featuring Belly as introduction for his new project. Massari's first single for the third album called "Brand New Day" was released on July 1, 2012 (Canada Day).[2] Massari shot the video in Miami with Canadian director RT!.On Jan,2013 "Brand New Day" went Gold in Canada. The second single from his upcoming album called "Shisha" feat French Montana will be releasing on May 21st.
Artistry [edit]
Influences [edit]
Massari, the trilingual artist—fluent in English, Arabic, French. Since he has been exposed to a wide variety of music styles, his biggest influence would have to be well-known Arabic singer, George Wassouf[8] Massari says, "I sing from my heart and George Wassouf taught me to do that."[9] Massari learned that music does not discriminate, but instead unites one us.[3]
Many of Massari's songs draw influence from his Middle-Eastern origins. His background (Lebanese) influences his music as most of his songs contain middle-eastern Arabic melodies.[3] Massari says, "Because of my background, my music is heavily influenced with Middle-Eastern melodies. Over the past few years so many artists are trying to bring Arabic styles into their music, but mine is authentic."[2] His biggest influence is women in general. He states, "My music is made for the ladies because that's where I get my inspiration. You'll notice a lot of the music is upbeat and positive. Women give off so much energy; it's hard not to be inspired by them."[2]
Music style [edit]
Massari's known for his upbeat, culturally rich sounding music.[2] Massari has a unique music style that sets him apart from many other R&B, Pop, and hip hop artists. His songs are melodic, have great repetition and sound similar to the backdrop of a belly dancing club. A large portion of Massari's work incorporates elements of both singing and rapping, depending on whether or not another artist is featured on the track. Overall, Massari is of the R&B, hip hop, and pop genre.[2]
Discography [edit]
Studio albums [edit]
| Year | Information | Canada | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Massari
|
|
CAN: Gold[10] |
| 2009 | Forever Massari
|
— | — |
Singles [edit]
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [11] |
GER [12] |
|||
| 2005 | "Smile for Me" (feat. Loon) | 18 | — | Massari |
| "Be Easy" | 4 | 70 | ||
| 2006 | "Real Love" | 9 | 48 | |
| "Rush the Floor" (feat. Belly) | — | — | ||
| 2008 | "Say You Love Me" | — | — | non-album single |
| "In Love Again" | — | — | ||
| 2009 | "Bad Girl" | 77 | — | Forever Massari |
| "Body Body" | 81 | — | ||
| 2011 | "Dance for Your Life" | — | — | non-album single |
| 2012 | "Full Circle" (feat Belly) | — | — | |
| "Brand New Day" | 41 | — | TBA | |
| 2013 | "Shisha" (feat French Montana) | — | — | TBA |
DVDs [edit]
- Massari - Road to Success
- Featured in
- 2006: "Soul on Fire" KMC feat. Beenie Man and Massari.
- 2007: "Ya Dunya" Belly feat. Massari - Belly's album The Revolution.
- 2011: "Latin Moon" (Mia Martina feat. Massari) from Mia Martina's album Devotion.
- 2011: "That Kinda Love" Sol City feat. Massari.
Awards/nominations [edit]
- 2005: Nominated for 2 Much Music Video Awards for Best Independent Video and Much Vibe Best Rap Video
- 2005: Nominated for 2 Canadian Urban Music Awards for Best New Artist and R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
- 2006: Nominated for 5 Much Music Award for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Pop Video, Best Independent Video for "Be Easy" and People's Choice Favorite Canadian Artist
- 2006: Won Much Music Award for Best Pop Video for "Be Easy"
- 2006: Nominated for Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year
- 2013: Won SIRIUSXM Indie Awards for Dance Artist of the Year
Citations [edit]
- Ottawa Citizen: "Back with a splash: Rebuilding the Massari empire"[dead link]
- BlackBeatsFM Interview with Massari (German)
- Metro News Toronto: Forever or nothing
- Star Phoenix: Rebuilding Massari empire[dead link]
- PlanetUrban (Australia) interview with Massari
- Naked Eye video interview with Massari
References [edit]
- ^ a b c "Massari biography". imdb.com. Retrieved 9 January 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Waly, Amr (26). "Massari's Life Story". Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Massari Biography". LetsSingIt. 5.
- ^ "Massari and CP Records Part Ways". Newsblaze.com. 2007-11-19. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
- ^ "Massari | Biography". Massari Lyrics. LyricsFreak. 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ^ "Massari and CP Records Part Ways" (Newspaper article). News Blaze. 19. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ^ "Massari". Tube Lyrics. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ^ "Massari". Massari | American Music Channel. American Music Channel. 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Massari". Jackhouse. URBNET. 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
- ^ "Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)". Cria.ca. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
- ^ "Mia Martina Album & Song Chat History". Billboard charts. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
- ^ German peaks
