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RIYADH: Lebanese-Canadian singer, songwriter, and genre-defying performer Maya Waked is celebrated for her evocative reinterpretations of classic songs and emotionally rich originals, blending nostalgia with modernity in a voice shaped by her multicultural heritage. Ahead of her anticipated performance at Dubai’s Zabeel Theatre this November, she spoke to Arab News about her creative journey and cultural identity.

“I take pride in taking the road less travelled by. I’ve always taken an unconventional approach within my art and like to challenge social boundaries,” Waked said, noting that genre-defying music allows her to explore sounds and themes without limits.

Her songs capture the joie de vivre — the joy of life — even when tinged with nostalgia. “I express love, longing, and hope, especially from the perspective of someone living in a multicultural city like Dubai.” She envisions her upcoming show as “a warm, emotional celebration,” adding: “I hope the audience laughs, cries, sings, and dances, just like we do at any Lebanese gathering.”

Being trilingual shapes her music deeply. “Arabic adds depth and poetry, French lends romance, and English gives a modern edge.”

She began her career by reinterpreting 1980s Lebanese songs she loved, aiming to give them fresh life. “I’m also drawn to timeless melodies — anything that people hum as soon as the first note plays.”

Her audience is primarily aged 30 to 50, often Lebanese and Middle Eastern expats, although her music also resonates with non-Arabic speakers. “Despite the challenges of balancing my personal and artistic life, I’ve learned that adversity often fuels meaningful art.”

Looking ahead, Waked hopes to keep performing and producing, and dreams of singing in Beirut — the heart of her song “Helmi Ghanilak Bi Beirut.”

LONDON: Madonna has urged the pope to travel to Gaza and “bring your light to the children before it’s too late.”

The superstar posted her appeal to the pontiff on social media Monday, saying her son Rocco’s birthday prompted her to make the post. Rocco turned 25 Monday.

Addressing Pope Leo XIV, she wrote: “Most Holy Father. Please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it’s too late. As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering.

“The children of the world belong to everyone. You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry," she added. "We need the humanitarian gates to be fully opened to save these innocent children. There is no more time. Please say you will go. Love, Madonna.”

The singer added that she wasn’t taking sides in the war. “I am not pointing fingers, placing blame or taking sides. Everyone is suffering. Including the mothers of the hostages,” she wrote. “I pray that they are released as well. I am merely trying to do what I can to keep these children from dying of starvation.”

The pope recently renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking the international community to respect humanitarian laws and the obligation to protect civilians.

“I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” the pontiff said last month. 

Aid workers and doctors have said that after months of Israeli blockade and turmoil in the distribution of supplies, children in Gaza with no previous conditions are starting to die from malnutrition.

The United Nations said that across Gaza, more than 5,000 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in May, though that is likely an undercount. Malnutrition was virtually nonexistent before the war. Doctors struggle to treat the children because many supplies have run out, the UN says.

Israel denies a famine is taking place or that children are starving. It says it has supplied enough food throughout the war and accuses Hamas of causing shortages by stealing aid and trying to control food distribution.