Prestige issue 271, February 2016
A Face of a Madonna on an irresistible body She is full of life … and love.
Reserved and exuberant. Sexy and friendly. Sporty and emotional…
Many words could describe May Hariri.
On the occasion of Valentine’s Day, she dedicates to the lovers of the whole world her new music video W3adni, an endless promise of love unveiling all her talents of star.
Prestige met her in the cozy atmosphere Of Sydney’s at Le Vendôme Hotel.
Dress: Georges Chakra
Prestige dedicates the February issue to Valentine. What does this occasion mean to you and where will you spend it this year? Valentine’s Day is the celebration of love in all its forms. Love is an outburst, a gesture, a look full of tenderness and fresh as a daisy, it is sincere love, that breath of life that sustains us, moves us and inspires us. Love is this happiness we communicate to others. Love is also fidelity to everything we do in life. Our daily work needs love to grow and succeed. This year I will spend a lovely Valentine’s evening at Regency Palace Hotel.
What memories do you keep from your childhood? I keep lasting memories marked with innocence, when as a child I happily climbed on trees. Even as an adult, childhood still lives in each of us. Personally, I like to go back to childhood and relive those memories and candor by taking part in games and activities with my daughter as a child. I grew up in a cohesive and united family, without having contact with the outside.
And from the artistic world? Art was offered to me on a golden tray. I have drawn what suited my tastes and my expectations and isolated myself from the gossip and slander that prevail in certain artistic and media circles. I deliberately keep myself away from those environments that are not in harmony with my spontaneous and sincere character. I am a transparent person, polite, frank, even if sometimes my frankness could hurt. Ziad Rahbani, Wael Jassar, Ragheb Alame, Wael Kfoury are among people close to my heart and I am proud of their friendship. If you plant flowers, you will get out flowers. If you plant thorns, you shall reap thorns.
How do you express your love for your children Melhem Junior and Sarah? I surround them with kindness and respect and I give them a great interest in being always with them and listening to them. But I leave them some freedom so they learn to rely on themselves.
Would you rather be a mother or only a star? How can we, in your opinion reconcile these two lives? I fully assume my role of mother. My son Melhem Junior is now with his father, Melhem Barakat and my daughter Sarah, 8 years old, is in school and lives with me. The artistic field is my profession. I believe that art is a good message for the public, especially if we succeed in communicating the message. I am proud to be a star, but my biggest pride and happiness is being a mother. The greatest advantage in life is being able to devote myself to my children, if not the most valuable, despite all the troubles and sorrows that children could generate.
What is the secret of your beauty? What do you think of plastic surgery? Physical beauty is a grace that God granted me and I take care of it regularly and diligently through sport and healthy nutrition. But it is not enough for a person to be beautiful. The beauty is above all a reflection of our inner self and our mood. Being peaceful and loving is an essential element of beauty. Regarding aesthetic medicine, I resort to it to do the minimum for being always natural.
What is important for you now? Currently I am busy with my new and recent video clip W3adni, that was just released. This is a new concept, a new young and fresh style, with lyrics and music composed by Sélim Assaf, distributed by Mike Abdel Nour and directed by Anwar Eid. Filmed in Istanbul, it has already raised the excitement and enthusiasm of the public. This is the first time I turn a clip dedicated to the youth. The look is young and daring. I hope the public will appreciate.
You’re a regular at the Cannes International Film Festival. To which festivals will you participate this year? I will be present as usual at Cannes festival on May 13th. A reality TV program I’ve always wanted to do was conducted on behalf of a reputable chain. I will also participate in March for the second edition of the Fashion Week, in Dubai. When it opened last year, I was their media image. This major event is now on the map of big international events.
Dress: Georges Chakra
«Promise me not to get away from me. Do not deprive me of your embrace …
Promise me this very night, we will never be separated,
We will stay together for better or for worse.»
Excerpts from the new music video of May Hariri, W3adni.
May Hariri tells about her daily schedule … My daily life is very ordinary. I wake up with my daughter Sarah before she leaves to school and I take my sacred morning coffee. Then I practice a sport which is an integral part of my daily life, to proceed later with my professional activities. As for lunch, I take it with Sarah on her return from school.
Do you like to cook? I love the Lebanese and Italian cuisine, and I cook with passion dishes from both cuisines.
Would you like to join a specific charity? Which and why? This is a scoop for Prestige. The charity that I have in mind will bear my name. I will invest my name in a purely humanitarian project. People need an association that protects them, including children and the elderly, for whom I have a special affection and a deep humanitarian sense. I am so imbued with this project I feel ready to achieve, like a superwoman. I will work within this association that will require considerable time and effort and I will seriously involve my children to bring a smile on the lips of a needy child. Proceeds from the reality TV program that I will animate with international artists will be fully repaid to the benefit of the association.
What kind of challenges have you faced? My whole life is about challenges. We live in a jungle where I constantly meet challenges in order to affirm myself. I am a self-taught artist and proud of my work and my family. I am a real human being.
In what area the artist can succeed? The artist is able to succeed in all areas. Being an actor like Takla Chamoun and Nadine Njeim, who have proven themselves not only requires a lot of time spent at work, but also a good production.
If your daughter chooses to follow the career path of her mother, would you encourage her? If she has talent and is willing to work with all her heart in this area, I will encourage her for sure, especially since she already practices all artistic activities at school, piano, dance, drawing … However I believe that the university degree is not only necessary but essential for her to later take a considered and deliberate decision. However, Sarah is determined to pursue engineering studies, like her father the engineer Oussama Chaabane.
What is your most important quality? Sincerity. Honesty.
What do you hate most of all? Lies and treachery.
What is your dream of happiness? Swimming in the water, to see my mother in a dream…
What is your favorite color? All pastel colors.
Which flower do you love? The rose candy pink color.
What makes you wake up in the morning? My daughter Sarah, her gentle kiss and her irresistible hug.
What would you like for your birthday? I love flowers and I love to welcome my guests joyfully.
What is the best compliment you have received? A person who does not personally know me said, «May Hariri is an artist worthy of respect.»
What would you never throw? I am very attached to everything that belongs to me.
If you had a magic wand, what would you change in the world? I will change everything. I would separate religion from politics.
If you were not May Hariri, who would you have liked to be? With pride, I would say May Hariri.
In which country would you like to live? In Lebanon and Abu Dhabi, in UAE.
Do you have a last wish? More than a wish, a message of peace and love in this new year 2016, from Lebanon towards all countries of the world that currently suffer the terrorist wave. Interview by Mireille Bridi Bouabjian
Dress: Rani Zakhem
«Love is a breath of life, a happiness that we communicate to others.»
Photo credits:
Photographer: Jihad Hojeily
Hairstyle: Salon O Hair
Makeup: Taha
Thanks to the hotel Le Vendôme Beirut and Sydney’s restaurant.
