[YouTube]

I don’t know how I missed this Hachache video.

I have an extra reason to love Roadster Diner now as my Marbled Mud Pie Instagram picture won me two ASOT VIP tickets.

PS: My Instagram user is LeNajib

[YouTube]

I wish he’d put an extra effort in showing some respect to women before singing in favor of a civil marriage.

Allah Yise3id Marie-Rose.

Thank you Toni

The Social Media Awards are happening for the first time in Lebanon and I thought it would be fun to share my nominations for the various categories listed. Before that, here’s how the selection process will occur:

Stage 1: Online Nominations
Members of the online community nominate candidates for different categories via our website www.SMABeirut.com. Users can nominate themselves, friends or an organization on business based on the criteria of each category. Their submission is accompanied by relevant material such as Facebook links, Twitter accounts, blogs and other platforms to support their candidates.

Stage 2: Judges Selection
Based on the nominations received, our team of experienced and celebrity judges from different backgrounds will be narrowing down the nominations in each category to seven (7) nominees within two weeks of closure of nominations. The whole process will be carried out in pure transparency and an announcement event will be held for the press and online community.

Stage 3: Final Vote
Members of the online community are asked to vote for their preference in each category over a period of one month. During this period, nominees will be able to campaign for obtaining votes.

Stage 4: Awards Ceremony
An awards ceremony will be held for over 750 invitees from digital agencies, VIPs and online influencers with entertainment, key guest appearances, and VIP guests bringing Oscar-like award glamour to social media. [SMABeirut]

I took a look at the judges’ list and the ones they chose are more than qualified for this job, with 1 or 2 exceptions which I will not name. One thing that I would have done differently is narrow down the nominations to 4, as I think 7 is too much.

Anyway back to the nominations, here it goes:

Best Blog of the Year
Beirut Spring: I’ve always been astounded by the insights Mustapha provides on the Lebanese society and Lebanon in general despite being abroad. He is concise, convincing, methodical and is among the very few bloggers that I agree with almost always. Oh and he never misses a chance to throw in a new term in every post and make me look for it online.

Best News Blog
Hummus Nation – The good thing about Hummus Nation is that his news are always reliable because he makes them up.

Best Lifestyle Blog
L’armoire De Lana – Lana has been pulling an impressive job ever since she launched her fashion blog. She’s posting daily, tweeting all day long, uploading pictures all the time. She’s doing it right and she totally deserves it.

Best Technology Blog
Tech-Ticker – A website founded by a group of Lebanese Technology enthusiasts covering the latest tech news and reviewing the most recent tech products.

Best Personal Blog
Gino’s Blog – Gino is truly commited to his blog and it shows through his posts. His views on certain topics are as far as they come from the conservative “Lebanese” thinking yet he manages to convince his readers most of the time. Neuromarketing at its best.

Most Engaging Media Personality
Magazine: RagMag’s Editor in Chief Fida Chaaban.
She devotes a lot of times to social media and interacting with readers and that’s not something easy to pull. In fact I don’t think I know any other media personality as devoted as her.

Best Performer
Nemr Abou Nassar: He was funnier when he started and I didn’t like his latest shows but he’s doing a great job online and deserves that award. The problem is here very few performers in Lebanon are active online to begin with.

Best Vocal Artist (Non-Arabic)
Tania Kassis

Most Creative Instagram Account
Mark

Most Viral YouTube Video
I would have loved to say Buzz but it turned out to be a copycat from an old US commercial. I’ll go with LebaneseBrew’s Try Something Brave.

Most Engaging Tweep
TrellaLB

Most Engaging Celebrity on Twitter
Celebrities in Lebanon have no idea how to use Twitter.

Most Engaging Media Personality on Twitter
TV/Journalist: Shada Omar.
Despite having almost 100,000 followers on Twitter, Shada dedicates time to almost everyone that interacts with her and is always interesting to talk to.

Most Engaging Diplomat on Twitter
HMA Tom Fletcher – If you wanna know why, read [this].

Best Business on Twitter
RagMag

Best Organization/NGO on Twitter
Donne Sang Compter

Best Pub/Bar
February30 and The Angry Monkey. The Angry Monkey’s last tweetup was the best I’ve been to in months and the place was packed. Bravo Jessy!

Best Restaurant, Café or Bakery
Roadster Diner and Zaatar W Zeit.

Best Hotel
Phoenicia Beirut.

Best Commercial District Account
LeMall

Best NGO/Community
Donner Sang Compter

Best Startup
Dermandar.

Beirut Open Stage is a walking platform that aims to showcase the best of Lebanon’s artistic talents through a series of open stage events/concerts across the country’s capital. If anyone is interesting in applying, you can visit the [Website].

The first event took place at Dictateur on February 8th with over 450 attendees. [Read More]

What’s pretty cool about this initiative is that it’s a non-profit project aimed at sharing art and music, getting people together and giving exposures to new artists.

Deadline for submissions is March 3rd.

[YouTube]

In case you don’t know what they’re singing about, check Egyptian President Morsi’s visit to Germany below. This guy is a joke lol!

The best part starts at Minute 08:15

Thanks Hala!

The legendary Guns N’ Roses will be performing at Biel on March 30. Details to follow.

This is Divanessa’s latest video clip. I like the music but why are there Mummies in the clip?

Lebanese violin player Divanessa (Vanessa Abdo Nassar) was born in Montreal-Canada and grew up in Lebanon. She was just nine years old when she started playing violin, her music is a fusion of occidental grooves and oriental spirits. [Link]

I am reposting the video of Anthony Touma’s performance as many have been asking me if I found it since all YouTube links were blocked.

Thank you Naji

Thank you Naji

I’ve been trying to find a YouTube video but all were blocked for copyrights violation and the one TF1 posted is not available for Lebanon. For those of you who don’t know him, Anthony Touma is a talented singer born in Paris in 1992 but has been living in Lebanon since 1995. He’s been a fan of Michael Jackson ever since he was 4. He also plays the piano since he was 8. [LOrientLeJour]

He is currently participating in The Voice’s French edition on TF1 and his performance yesterday was applauded by all four judges who were all impressed by the young man’s voice. All four judges, Jenifer, Garou, Louis Bertignac and Florent Pagny, wanted him on their team but he ended up by picking Jenifer.

Here is an excerpt from a French article describing Anthony’s performance yesterday:

Anthony Touma a tout quitté pour tenter sa chance en France. Ce jeune garçon est made in Liban et il a pris un aller simple pour Paris afin de faire le casting de The Voice. Il est accompagné de toute sa famille venue spécialement du Liban, donc, pour l’encourager et le soutenir. Sous ses airs de garçon sage façon Freddy Prinze Jr, Anthony a de la voix, du charisme et en plus il sait jouer du piano.

Assis derrière son piano, on se demande bien quel tour va nous jouer le jeune homme. Et dès les premières notes on est subjugués car du haut de ses 20 ans, Anthony Touma est un prodige qui nous offre une reprise surprenante et hallucinante de Billy Jean de Michael Jackson. Il a du groove, du peps, il monte dans les aigus avec une facilité déconcertante. Sans surprise, Anthony séduit les 4 jurés et fait monter les enchères en proposant aux jurés de l’accompagner en chanson pour qu’il puisse faire son choix. [Link]

Here’s his first song and video clip:

And his interview on MTV’s Min el Ekhir 10 months ago:

PS: I will update the post whenever I find the Billie Jean video.

If you don’t know who Frank is, check [Here].

Thank you Abdallah!

[YouTube]

Since Haifa Wehbe is all over Lebanese TVs and billboards lately for some reason, here’s what Egyptian Lawyer Nabih el Wahsh had to say about her last week. I don’t know what’s the deal with this guy but he’s taking things way too personal.

Back in November 2012, Salah Abdel-Maksoud, Egypt’s Information Minister, had forbidden all Egyptian TVs from broadcasting any show including Haifa Wehbe or Elham Chahine. To be honest though, I don’t think anyone would want to be in Egypt these days.

[High-Res]

A great opportunity for William Nasr (AKA Junior) and other rappers to show off their talents. I will update you as soon as I have more details on where this event is taking place and when.

[YouTube]

Watch the first 20 seconds then watch this Lowe commercial shown below:

[YouTube]

I read about this first in Lebanonfiles and a friend sent me Lowe’s commercial. Isn’t it easier if they mention where they got the idea from? Is that so hard?

(Thank you S!)

[YouTube]

After she got eliminated from MTV’s Dance With the Stars second episode (having received the lowest combined votes from judges and viewers), proved to be a sore loser and made a joke out of herself in an interview with Tony Khalife, May Hariri received another blow when she lost the lawsuit against MTV to prevent Lebanese singer Haifa Wehbe from participating in the show’s fifth episode as a special guest.

It would have been better if she remained silent from the start and avoided all this humiliation.

@HaifaWehbe seems more excited than usual about her DWTS performance tonight. I wonder why.