Layal Watfeh

This article is about the Syrian composer. For other people named Layal, see Layal (name).

Layal Watfeh
Background information
Born (1980-02-14) February 14, 1980 (age 44)
Damascus, Syria
GenresFilm score, classical, commercial, instrumental
Occupation(s)Composer, musician, voice actor
Years active2002–present

Layal Watfeh (born February 14, 1980) is a Syrian composer, musician, and voice actor. Watfeh's work primarily consists of original film score for commercials, television, and film. Over two decades of work, Watfeh has won numerous international awards for her voice acting and original scores for television and film. Her style incorporates symphonic, orchestral tones as well as traditional Arab sounds. She has worked with major companies composing commercial music, including past clients such as Olay, T.G.I. Friday's, and Krispy Kreme. Besides recording music, she has also been a voice on many TV networks across the Middle East, such as MBC2, MBC4, OSN, Abu Dhabi TV, DMTV. Watfeh currently lives in Dubai.[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Watfeh was born in Damascus, Syria, where she began exploring her interest in music at a young age. She entered the music conservatoire in Damascus to learn the violin at nine years old.,[5] though later that year moved to Dubai with her family. At 11, she turned her attention to the piano for two years,[6] and by 17 Watfeh was recording voice-overs for TV and radio commercials.[7] After working in numerous music studios in Dubai, Watfeh began composing original music.[8]

Career

Watfeh's career in music began in 2002 when MBC Group offered her a job as a post-production sound engineer, sound designer, and music composer.[5] Watfeh accepted the job, and after six years she was named the senior manager of her branch.[9] Meanwhile, Watfeh was active in the music industry as she sang the lead vocals with Abali on their album "Lemonada"[1]" in 2004.

Watfeh left MBC in 2009 to create her own studio and begin composing music.[10] She was drawn to a variety of media, including advertisements, TV series, documentaries, short films, and feature films, and she found work across the Middle East, the United States, Canada, and the UK. Watfeh was invited to Berlinale Talents[11] 2014 in Berlin, Germany; she was one of approximately 300 invitees that year[12]

In 2016, Watfeh signed a contract with scoreAscore[13] in Los Angeles as a composer, where she has been writing scores for various American companies.[8][14]

Awards

Year Event Nominations Result
2006 Promax Awards-World Best Sound Design

Gold

2007 Promax Awards-Asia Best Sound Design Silver
2007 Promax Awards-Arabia Best Sound Design Silver
2011 The New York Festivals Best Original Music (Tears for Rain) Bronze
2011 The New York Festivals Best Narration (Road of Death) Bronze
2015 US International Film & Video Festival Best Original Music (Tide of Grief) Silver
2016 Hollywood Music in Media Awards[15] Best Music in a Trailer (Slums of India) Winner
2017 Cairo Film Society Festival Best Original Main Title Theme Music

[16][17]

Winner
2017 Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Music in a Trailer Nominee
2022 Canadian Screen Music Awards Best Original Main Title Theme Music[18] Winner

Television and filmography

Year Film/TV Show Role
2007 The Strange Case of Salman abd al Haqq[19][20] Composer
2008 A Journey to Tripoli Composer
2010 Baram and Hamza[21][22] Composer
2010 Butterflies of Trip City[23][24] Composer
2010 A Journey to Tripoli[25] Composer
2011 Abandoned Memories[26] Voice Actor/Sound Editor
2011 The Road of Death[27][28] Composer/Sound Editor
2011 Acid[29][30] Composer
2012 04[citation needed][31][32] Composer
2013 I Hugged the Berlin Patient[33][34] Sound Mixer
2013 Moga Harra ("Heat Wave")[35][36][37] Composer
2014 Thakira Min Waraq[38][39] Composer
2014 Burkan Naem[40] Composer
2014 Second Chance[41] Composer
2015 Hob Walaken[42] Composer
2015 Kaeb Alee[43] Composer
2015 Abu Mohammad[44] Composer
2015 Nawara[45][46][47][48] Composer
2015 Before the Summer Crowd Composer
2016 Motel Fin de la Route[49] Composer
2016 Baab al Reeh Composer
2016 Khiyanat Watan Composer
2016 Slums of India Composer
2017 Photocopy[50][51] Composer
2017 The Black Day[52] Composer
2017 Love Without Boarders Composer

References

  1. ^ Armes, Roy (August 23, 2010). Arab Filmmakers of the Middle East: A Dictionary. Indiana University Press. ISBN 978-0253004598. Retrieved January 30, 2018 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ HMMAwards (January 2, 2017). "Layal Watfeh – Best Song/Score – Trailer (Slums of India)". Retrieved January 30, 2018 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Layal Watfeh (September 28, 2016). "Connected Generation – Slums of India **WINNER for Best Trailer Music in HMMA 2016**". Retrieved January 30, 2018 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ "Layal Watfeh Expands Her Activities in the Arab Region with Commercials for the Red Crescent Society and Three TV Series Scores". mad-solutions.com. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "???? ????… ????? ??????? ????? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ????????… | ???????? ?????". www.panoramatartous.com (in Arabic). Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  6. ^ ""???? ????"... ??? ???????? ?? ???? ??????? ????????? | Nabad Souri". nabadsouri.com (in Arabic). Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  7. ^ ""???? ????"... ??? ???????? ?? ???? ??????? ????????? | Nabad Souri". nabadsouri.com (in Arabic). Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "layal-watfeh". layal-watfeh. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  9. ^ "????????? ??????? ???? ????: ?????? ?????? ?? ???". ??????? ????. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  10. ^ "'???? ????' ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ??????". ??? ????? (in Arabic). Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  11. ^ Talents, Berlinale. "Imprint". Berlinale Talents. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  12. ^ "Berlinale Talents 2014 Magazine – Filmmaking – Cinema". Retrieved January 30, 2018 – via Scribd.
  13. ^ "???? ???? – "???? ????".. ?????? ??????? ????? ?????". esyria.sy. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  14. ^ "??????? ??? – Dubai TV". dmi.ae. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  15. ^ Marj Galas (November 3, 2016). "Nominees Announced For 2016 Hollywood Music in Media Awards". Variety 411. Retrieved November 8, 2017.
  16. ^ "Before the Summer Crowds". IMDb. December 10, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  17. ^ "Qabl Zahmet Elsaif – Movie – 2015 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  18. ^ "A celebration of Canadian screen composing". screencomposers. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  19. ^ "The Strange Case of Salman abd al Haqq (2007)". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  20. ^ "The Strange Case of Salman abd al Haqq (Short 2007) - IMDb". IMDb.
  21. ^ "Baram & Hamza (2010)". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  22. ^ "Baram & Hamza". IMDb. April 27, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  23. ^ "Butterflies of Trip City (2010)". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  24. ^ "Butterflies of Trip City". IMDb. September 26, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  25. ^ "A Journey to Tripoli". IMDb. September 25, 2010. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  26. ^ "Abandoned Memories". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  27. ^ "The Road of Death (2011)". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  28. ^ "The Road of Death". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  29. ^ "Acid (Video 2011)". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  30. ^ "Acid". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  31. ^ "- Series – 2012 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  32. ^ "- Series – 2012 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  33. ^ "I Hugged the Berlin Patient (2013)". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  34. ^ "I Hugged the Berlin Patient". IMDb. December 5, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  35. ^ "Moga Harra (TV Series 2013– )". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  36. ^ "Cast: Moga Harra – Series – 2013". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  37. ^ "Moga Harra". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  38. ^ "Dhakerah Men Waraq". IMDb. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  39. ^ "Zakera men Waraq – Series – 2015 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  40. ^ "Burkan Na'am – Series – 2013 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  41. ^ "forsa thanya – Series – 2014 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  42. ^ "- Series – 2014 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  43. ^ "Kaab Aaly – Series – 2014 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  44. ^ "Abu Mohammad". IMDb. January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  45. ^ "??????? ??????? "???? ????" ??? ?????? ???? "?????" | ONA – ONews Agency – ????? ????? ????". onaeg.com (in Arabic). Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  46. ^ "Nawara". IMDb. March 23, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  47. ^ Weissberg, Jay (January 11, 2016). "Film Review: 'Nawara'". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  48. ^ "- Movie – 2015 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  49. ^ "Motel fin de la route". IMDb. May 1, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  50. ^ "Photocopy". IMDb. December 21, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  51. ^ "- Movie – 2017 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  52. ^ "Al Youm al Aswad – Series – 2017 – Cast? Video? Trailer? photos? Reviews? Showtimes". Retrieved January 30, 2018.