Saint Levant admits he does not have a voice as Haifa Wehbe story revealed

Palestinian-Algerian artist Saint Levant, whose real name is Marwan Abdelhamid, has sparked discussion after making a candid admission about his voice and explaining what he believes truly defines his music.

During an interview with media personality Mohammad Kais, Saint Levant openly addressed his vocal abilities and the way he approaches his career.

“I don’t have a voice—I admit that—but the art I create isn’t built on vocals; it’s built on my ideas,” he said.

The comment quickly reignited a wider debate over what it means to be a singer in today’s music industry. While traditional vocal ability remains important, Saint Levant argued that his own work is built around ideas, identity, storytelling and artistic vision rather than vocal range or classical singing techniques.

Saint Levant Explains His Musical Identity

Saint Levant has developed a style that blends R&B, rap and pop while moving naturally between Arabic, English and French. His multicultural background has become an important part of his artistic identity.

His Palestinian roots, upbringing and experiences across different countries and cultures have also shaped his music. Palestine remains a major part of his public identity, while his songs often explore love, alienation, identity and belonging.

That approach has helped him connect strongly with a younger audience, particularly through digital platforms and social media.

His comments also reflect how the modern music industry has changed. An artist’s success is no longer determined only by vocal ability. Production, lyrics, visual identity, branding, storytelling, personality and audience connection can all play a major role.

Saint Levant’s admission received mixed reactions. Some fans praised his honesty and self-awareness, arguing that understanding his strengths and building music around them has helped him establish a recognizable style.

Others questioned whether modern music has placed too much emphasis on production, image and personality at the expense of traditional vocal ability.

Haifa Wehbe Was Originally Chosen for “Clementine”

During the same interview, Saint Levant also revealed an unexpected detail about his connection with Lebanese superstar Haifa Wehbe.

He explained that Haifa was originally the first choice to collaborate with him on “Clementine.”

Producer Wassim Slaiby arranged their first meeting through Zoom, an experience Saint Levant admitted left him nervous.

“Imagine joining a Zoom call with Haifa Wehbe! Seeing Haifa right there on the screen… I was incredibly shy,” he recalled.

Haifa reportedly liked the melody and concept, but the collaboration could not happen because of timing. Saint Levant’s album was scheduled for release on February 14, leaving too little time for her to record her part.

As a result, “Clementine” was ultimately released as a solo track.

Haifa Wehbe Was Upset With Saint Levant

Their story did not end there.

While Saint Levant was in Beirut for a concert at the American University of Beirut, he contacted Haifa to check on her. Instead of receiving a warm response, he discovered that she was upset with him for not staying in touch.

“She told me, ‘I’m upset.’ I asked, ‘With whom? Give me their number.’ She replied, ‘You’re the one who upset me.’”

Saint Levant said he then sent her four messages but received no response.

He eventually decided to repair the situation in a more public way. During a DJ set, he played Haifa’s song “Fakerni” and addressed her from the stage.

“Send this video to Haifa; I love her,” he said.

Haifa later shared the clip on her Instagram Story, and Saint Levant said the misunderstanding was resolved.

Saint Levant Calls Haifa an Icon

Saint Levant also spoke warmly about Haifa’s influence on his generation, praising not only her music but also her approach to branding and visual presentation.

“She is incredibly skilled at handling her music videos and branding; she is bold—truly very bold,” he said.

He also praised her musical arrangements and choice of rhythms, describing her as an artist who understood the importance of image and presentation ahead of her time.

How “Mitsubishi” Became a Duet

The pair eventually turned their complicated start into a creative collaboration.

Saint Levant recalled meeting Haifa face-to-face for the first time at a dinner in December. He admitted that he was intimidated, describing Haifa as stunning and joking about the large entourage surrounding her while he attended with his mother.

During the dinner, he played her a demo of “Mitsubishi,” which he had originally recorded as a solo song.

Haifa immediately liked it.

“The song is really great,” she told him.

Saint Levant then suggested transforming the track into a duet and writing lyrics inspired by the unresolved tension between them.

What began as a missed collaboration, followed by a personal misunderstanding, eventually became the story behind “Mitsubishi”—turning an unfinished exchange between two artists into a song that brought them together.