Sofia Marikh

 

Women are the cause of considerable debate in the NOX office. A recurring theme is the distinction between those whose name you never need learn as you share hot-tub in Las Vegas penthouse suite wearing nothing more than a smile, and those who make your knee buckle in preparation for an immediate proposition the minute they glide into a room. Sofia Marikh is the perfect – and, boy, do we mean perfect – example of the latter. Soulful brown eyes, delicate frame and a smile that could illuminate a Baghdad blackout, the Moroccan singer is someone who makes bachelorhood an incredibly overrated concept. 

 

Although already a performer, mainly acting in French and Moroccan movies, Sofia seared herself onto the public consciousness, making grown men across the Middle East weep as she sang the French song “Je Suis Malade”, during the inaugural Star Academy in 2003 – when she was still just 20. 

 

NOX: Love the video! We hope you’ve been treated much better by the men in your life...! And we certainly hope it didn't give anyone any ideas...!


Sofia Marikh: Oooh, if anyone even thinks of treating me this way should consider themselves dead! No way on earth will I let a man treat me this way no matter what, and no trust me no one even dares having any ideas. It’s just pretend and should stay that way. But thanks for loving the video… 

 

SM: Randa Alam is a great director. Everything you see in the clip was all agreed on before we even started shooting. But I must admit that a couple of scenes were really harsh. For example, the scene where my hands were tied up, I can’t tell you the pain I endured through out the scene – I have no clue where they got the rope from, maybe the vegetable market or something. Plus I was pulling in the scene, so you can imagine... I still have bruises today. Another scene, which was sad and funny at the same time, was when I was dancing on water. There was a electrical problem and all I felt was 220 volts run to my body. My hair frizzed up, just like in the cartoons! That was scary and everyone was worried. But all is fine…

 

SM: Basically he treats me badly, but regardless of everything he does to hurt me I still see the love in him for me, the love in his eyes for me etc… that is what the song means.


 

NOX: What music did you grow up listening to, and was there a particular song that made you go 'That's it, I want to be a singer'?


SM:I love music in general, but there wasn’t one song that made me feel that I want to be a singer. Emm, I listened a lot to Celine Dion. I think she’s fabulous.

 

SM: Of course you get more attention. I realised that people admired me and appreciated my talent. But I don’t let these things affect me or, perhaps a better way of saying it is that I don’t think about them too much. I would much rather keep my legs firmly on the ground rather than fly up to “la la” land where one’s potential for success will become limited for sure. I always tell myself I still need a lot of work to become good. This helps me focus and work on what’s important.

 

SM: I don’t know to be honest. I am sure maybe they are more reluctant to talk to me or feel that I will not give them the time of day… but I am honestly a very friendly person. I will never turn my back on anyone who wants to say hello.




SM: I have actually got married at least three times, I have committed suicide a couple of other times and the most bizarre thing was that I went up to LBC headquarters and went on an angry rage breaking all the glass because I was jealous of someone…! 

 

SM: That’s difficult…

 

SM: Honestly, I would say that the more I work the more God rewards me. He has rewarded me a lot for all my hard work so far. I thank him for that.

 

For the full version of this article, see NOX 22.