Hiba Tawaji on Her Journey From Rahbani Musicals to International Stardom & Performing at L’Olympia Theater

In this exclusive interview with Billboard Arabia, Hiba Tawaji talks about her passion for music & theater, performing in Paris & long-term collaborations with Oussama Rahbani.

Hiba Tawaji

Anthony Ghanimeh/Billboard Arabia

Hiba Tawaji has been turning heads since she debuted her stage career in 2008 as the protagonist in the musical The Return of the Phoenix. Written by the late Mansour Rahbani and composed and directed by his sons, Oussama and Marwan, the musical was the latest addition to the Rahbani Brothers’ established legacy in musical theater. Hiba cemented her position as a pillar of this legacy, starring in the last four musicals made by the Rahbanis.

In parallel with her theatrical debut, she launched her solo career in 2011 with the release of her first album La Bidayi Wala Nihayi (Neither the Beginning Nor the End), which was followed over the years by three other albums: Ya Habibi (My Darling) in 2014, Hiba Tawaji 30 in 2017, and her most recent Levanting pop album Bad Sneen (After Years) in 2023. Armed with a fierce passion for her work throughout this journey, Hiba Tawaji found herself celebrating one milestone after another, not least of which was her impressive participation in the French version of The Voice in 2015. Meanwhile in 2017, she made history as the first female singer to perform on a public stage in Saudi Arabia, after the announcement of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision in 2016. Another milestone was achieved in 2019, when Hiba was selected by Disney to dub Princess Jasmine’s speaking and singing voice in the French version of the blockbuster Aladdin. The film’s success in topping the French box office for several weeks propelled Hiba beyond her established roots in the Lebanese music scene, helping her make a significant mark on the global market. 

Billboard Arabia caught up with Hiba Tawaji after her first concert at Paris’ legendary L’Olympia theater in May, and she told us about the profound and memorable moments that she experienced during the concert, revisiting the milestones of her career that eventually brought her to this world-renowned stage. One such moment during her concert at L’Olympia was sharing the stage with her husband, trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, who has been a great support for her throughout her musical career, as well as knowing that her son was in the audience. This strong connection to her family and their continuous support made that night one of the most meaningful and impactful of her career, which Hiba believes was paved with the support of her partners and her personal vision of art, experience and passion.

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In her interview, Hiba speaks at length about her long professional partnership with Oussama Rahbani and its significant role in the development of her musical and theatrical career, providing her with a strong foundation that allowed her to unleash her creativity and excellence over the past 17 years. Rahbani, who directed the L’Olympia concert, played an instrumental role in bringing Hiba to where she is today.

Hiba recounts how their special partnership began, saying: “I met Oussama in my first year of university studies in acting and directing in Beirut. A friend of mine was a dancer in the Arabesque troupe, which performs the choreography in most of the musicals that Oussama Rahbani produced and wrote, and she knew that I have a passion for music and a lifelong dream to sing. She also knew how much I admired Oussama and everything he does, so she arranged for me to audition for him. That’s how it all started, and to this day our partnership continues. We are hand in hand on this journey, sharing the same vision, dreams and ambitions. We share our commitment to what we do, our loyalty, and of course we have great communication, because that’s the key to a long-running professional relationship like ours, where good communication and the space to express yourself are crucial. Throughout all these years – 16 or 17 years now – Oussama has been a huge support, and he keeps pushing me to challenge myself and go further.”

With all these years comes great experience, but Hiba never lost her passion. Despite her numerous achievements, her focused mindset and motivation are always pushing her toward bigger and better things on the horizon. “Of course, with experience, you are more capable to act better in certain circumstances and to know yourself better – where you stand, who you are,” she says. “You truly understand your capabilities, you become more mature in your choices and decisions, in the way you express a feeling or speak your mind without fear, in the way you express yourself, really. Experience is definitely key in our field of work, but the one thing we must not lose sight of is the spontaneity, the passion that drives us. I still have this passion, and if anything, it keeps growing. I’ve never felt that because of my experience, my art or work has become routine. On the contrary, I believe an artist’s passion grows with experience, dreams go further, and the efforts and responsibilities increase because you start asking yourself: after all I’ve done, what better things can I do now? I always challenge myself so I can reach further.”

Yet the road to success needs more than a focused and positive mindset. Hiba believes a positive and supportive entourage is key to an artist’s success. “I think artists alone cannot do everything. It is very important to be surrounded by the right people who support you and care about you and your image, people who give you good advice and know when to give advice. Not everything is always perfect or good.” She added: “I always try to be surrounded by people who truly love me and whom I love, whom I’ve known for years, because I like to maintain relationships on the long term. I like to form connections that last. This is how you attract positive energy; when you are spontaneous and natural and your relationship with art and people isn’t just for personal gain.”

–This story was written for Billboard Arabia by Omar Bakbouk

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