October 11, 2025 โข 60 mins
From chart-topping success to surrendering it all for her faith, Rima Yussef shares her remarkable story of conviction, sacrifice, and spiritual transformation.In this heartfelt interview, Rima opens up about: โข Growing up in Lebanon and discovering her gift for music ๐ต โข Breaking into the pop scene and the pressures that came with fame โข The defining moment she chose Christ over the industryโs expectations โ๏ธ โข The personal cost of standing for her faith โ and the peace that followed โข How her relationship with God now shapes her music, identity, and missionA powerful testimony that reminds us that no amount of fame or success can compare to the joy of walking with Christ.โธป๐๐๐จ๐งโ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ.https://www.youtube.com/@thesaltpodcastlive?sub_confirmation=1Website: https://www.thesaltpodcastlive.com/โญโญโญ Audio Podcast is currently on your favourite platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3f0Dz67f6AGtIJn6z7nJUi?si=8IWeEYUiR7-FpaJJQmlbCg&nd=1&dlsi=481c69cd800245c4Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-salt-podcast/id1798334463PodBean: https://thesaltpodcastlive.podbean.com/Follow ๐ Linktree https://app.assistproviders.com.au/v2/preview/UsUR9msIUDwfaiU5M08Y๐ Stay Connected With UsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSaltPodcastLive/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesaltpodcastlive/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesaltpodcastliveTwitter (X): https://x.com/saltpodcastlive๐ฉ For business inquiries: George@thesaltpodcastlive.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Please take me and Simon off thescreen.
Yeah. And just leave it on Reema
because it's I just we want to focus on Reema.
So if you can do that, I don't know if technically.
For someone for English as not as your main language, it you
speak incredible English to it. Better than that's good.
Better, I'll say. Better than Simon, better than
me. What's one thing people would be
surprised to know about you? That's a really hard question.
(00:27):
We're getting, we're getting into the details today.
I hate it. Beyond the spotlight and stage,
I'm just dreamer. Your type of music is the stuff
that my mum would love to listento.
I sent to her some of your stuffand she was like so sweet.
And then she just has broken English.
So this is the Salt podcast. The Salt Podcast.
(00:49):
Let's pick up the Bible. Let's read.
Let's. Pray and because that's what
Jesus called me to do the. Lord makes you that salt of the
earth. We need Christians to share the
truth. Preserve the world for Christ.
May this podcast be a beacon of light.
This is the Salt podcast. Welcome to the Salt Podcast.
(01:09):
I'm George Iskander and joining me is my incredibly good looking
and incredibly single Co host Simon Thomas Gilter.
Again again today on the Salt Podcast, we're joined by
Lebanese pop star with roots in Africa and a celebrated career
in the Middle East and now a powerful story of faith in
Jesus. Rima's journey is nothing short
(01:30):
of remarkable. She's not only known for her
beautiful voice and chart topping Arabic songs, but also
for standing firm in her Christian faith while navigating
the highs and lows of success. Now living in Saudi Arabia, Rima
is raising her daughter alongside her husband while
continuing to shine as both an artist and a woman of faith.
Joining us all the way from Saudi Arabia.
Please welcome Rima Youssef. We're so happy for you to join
(01:52):
us today. Hi, Simon.
Hello I'm. So blessed to be on the Soft
podcast today. Thank you for having me.
Thank you for joining us. It's lovely to connect with you.
And actually, First off, I'd like to say that the way we we
kind of cross paths, I realized on Instagram that you were
liking the fuel valve clips. So I wanted to ask you, how did
(02:12):
you come across our clips and what were your thoughts about
the kind of content we were putting out?
Yeah, I actually came across your podcast when I watched the
full episode of Bishop Marmari and he's been such a big
inspiration for me and my family.
Honestly, we love him and I never expected to be invited to
(02:34):
the same podcast. It feels like a calling for me
to be here. That's awesome.
That's awesome. Once I reached out to you and I
realized you had a beautiful story, we definitely thought
we'd love to have you on becausewe love on our platform.
We'd love to have people that emulate what it means to be the
salt of the earth. So we really see that in you,
and that's why we're really gladwe've got you on the show.
(02:55):
Exactly what George said. Yeah, it was very well said,
George. So we're going to hop straight
into a rumour. We can't wait to have you on
board. So we usually start off with
different questions, but for forthis time around, we're going to
ask a few rapid fire questions so you can answer any which way
you like. OK, we're going to start off
(03:15):
just whatever comes to your mind.
Say it. OK, so what's the first word
that comes to your mind when youhear the word Jesus?
Perfect love. Love Beauty, Wilson.
What's your favorite hymn right now?
Oceans by Hillsong. Hopefully we could hear it
(03:39):
later. I have.
What's a Bible verse that gives you the most comfort?
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Beautiful. What's the hardest habit that
you had to break? Well, scrolling on Instagram for
(04:01):
hours. This guy, this guy me.
OK, not me. Not me, I'm too busy.
What's one thing people would besurprised to know about you?
Well I'm near sighted and I never wear my glasses.
Oh well, we're getting, we're getting into the details today.
(04:23):
I hate it. So on that note, what is as
since George said that you are happily married with a child,
what is the key to having a great marriage?
I'd say grace. Grace.
Grace well. This is getting deep, all right?
(04:43):
What's your daughter's funniest habit or saying?
When she pretends to sing like me.
That's very sweet. Speaking of singing, if you
could describe to someone in oneword your your music, what would
it be? Heartfelt.
(05:10):
Very well said. Beautiful.
I think that's that wraps up oursalty segment of fast questions.
So I think we'll get straight back into it.
So it's good just to get a few alittle bit of information about
you like that. So our listers know a little bit
more about you. But I guess what we want to
start with is if you had to introduce yourself today beyond
being a singer, who is Reema or as Simon Says, Reema?
(05:36):
Well, I'm a mum and a cat lover.I have 3 cats at home and in my
daily life I'm just a normal person, not really the artist
that people know. I describe myself as someone
(05:56):
who's extra sensitive, in touch with emotions and happiest in
the quiet moments. I actually love being at home.
It's my comfort zone. Sometimes people have to push me
to go out and be more social, you know, because I stay a lot
at home. And I feel so grateful for the
(06:20):
blessed things that God gave me.A beautiful voice, a little
family of three that I treasure,and most importantly, a good
heart that I know will never change.
So yeah, beyond the spotlight and stage, I'm just dreamer.
And I'm much more simple than what people think.
(06:40):
That's amazing. So you mentioned that you like
to stay at home and you like the.
Quiet, yeah. How How does that compare when
you're on a stage performing like?
What's the difference? Well, when I'm at home, I don't
feel, I don't feel the stress ofperforming.
(07:00):
And and I mean by stress, the the beautiful part of the
stress, I feel really comfortable at home and I enjoy
spending time with my family andalso doing things that I love to
do like cooking, watching series, Turkish series
especially. Yeah.
So, so I think that that's the difference, that there's no
(07:24):
stress at all. The good or the bad?
Stress both. Very well said.
Well on that point, since you like to be at home more and you
don't like to be in the spotlight or anything, what does
being closer to God and your faith mean to you now that
you're you're focused on more onbeing a mom and being a great
wife? What?
What does that look like in yourday-to-day life?
(07:49):
That's a deep one to me. God is feeling the presence of
peace in your life. If you have faith in God, you
can be standing in the middle ofchaos without even shaking and
still feel blessings coming yourway at all times, the good and
the bad. On the other hand, whenever you
(08:13):
feel that you're always distracted, angry, having bad
thoughts, you know that isn't from God.
So God is peace, love and joy and that's what the word is so
desperate for today, you know, especially in the middle of wars
(08:33):
and suffering. And let's be honest, the planet
is not OK and people are not OK.I mean, how can we live in a
world where people will cry their hearts out at a singers
concert but turn away from the image of a starving child in
(08:56):
Gaza dying without food? I mean, I just can't get it.
It shows how upside down our priorities have became.
I mean, everybody thinks we are still living in the era of peace
and grace. I mean, we're not right.
I mean, we're very blessed. To be we're.
(09:18):
Very blessed to be a little bit removed from the reality, the
harsh realities of the world. I was just thinking about that,
you know, looking at my kids andthe security and safety that we
live in. It's unbelievable to think that
some people don't know if they're going to wake up the
next morning, if they're going to have food the next morning.
It's unbelievable. Exactly.
This is how much we should be thankful every day we wake up
(09:41):
and we should be thankful for everything we have because we
might not have it tomorrow. So on that point, I want to talk
a little bit about, you know, you, you being a Christian in a
predominantly Arab, Muslim, Islamic focused environment,
What's it, what's that like? What was it like for you in
(10:04):
terms of day-to-day life, but also growing up?
What was that like being a Christian in the Middle East?
For me today, it's definitely not easy.
As a Christian family here, we miss church life deeply, and as
a mum, I sometimes worry about Isla, my daughter, not having
(10:26):
access to the sacraments the wayI did growing up.
But I also believe that God places us exactly where we're
meant to be, even if it feels like a desert season.
So for now, we make faith part of our home.
We watch Mass on TV, we pray together as a family, and we
(10:49):
pray the rosary with our daughter every day.
And whenever we travel, we make sure to attend church and
receive communion. And I believe that the weapons
God gave us, praying the rosary and reading the Bible, are
already enough to keep us close to Him wherever we go.
(11:11):
Do you feel as though the struggle you had nearly as many
struggles when you were younger compared to what your daughter
has now? Or were the were there not that
many struggles when you were growing up?
You mean in my, in when I was younger?
In my. Teenage years.
You mean, you know, I think thatin my teenage years I didn't
(11:38):
really experience the typical things most teenagers do.
At that stage, I was so focused on my dream of becoming a singer
and on the artistic side of life, which made me a pretty
calm teenager. While a lot of my friends were
discovering nightlife, going outto clubs, or just spending hours
(12:02):
hanging out with friends, I was chasing stages.
I spent a lot of my evenings andweekends performing, sometimes
in front of large crowds and then coming home to face the
reality of school work waiting for me.
So I remember nights where I hadto memorize a list of new songs
(12:25):
for an upcoming performance while also trying to prepare for
an exam the next day. And I used to drink jars of
coffee just to stay awake and keep up.
It was really hard to balance and there were definitely
moments where I felt exhausted or even questioned if I could
(12:47):
handle it. But at the same time, it gave me
a sense of purpose and directionthat a lot of people my age
didn't have. So Rima, tell us a little bit
about your early childhood and family life and where did you
grow up? Yeah.
Well, I lived in Africa until I was about four years of age and
(13:13):
French was actually my very first language.
Then we moved to Lebanon and that's where most of my memories
come from. And it was an interesting
transition because I had to adapt to a new culture and a new
language at such a young age. I still remember how my cousins
(13:34):
would teach me to speak Arabic and in return I would teach them
some French words. It became this little fun
exchange that made learning exciting for all of us.
And on a spiritual level, I learnt to pray before bed and to
read the Bible at home. I definitely had a good
(13:55):
Christian base. But as time went on, things
started to shift a little and myparents didn't really keep up
those practices in a consistent way.
For example, going to church on Sundays became more optional.
Sometimes we went, sometimes we didn't.
(14:16):
That's why I feel like while my parents gave me the foundation,
they weren't the main influence in shaping the personal
connection I have today with Jesus.
That relationship, that faith, is something I really had to
develop on my own as I grew older and started searching for
(14:40):
a deeper meaning. So in a way, these two countries
pushed me more to find stabilityand faith in God myself rather
than relying solely on what was modelled at home, you know?
Oh wow, very interesting. So you actually feel that you've
got a lot closer to Jesus withinthe last year, more so than when
(15:03):
you were younger? Or did you feel that you got
close younger, you kind of went away a little bit and came back?
Or is this the most you've kind of been taking your spiritual
life seriously now? I remember when I was younger
that I was really close and I used to go to church a lot to
(15:25):
sing with the choir a lot. And then I remember that when I
stopped practicing for a while, this happened.
This this distance happened. And when when this distance
happened, my music career started.
So I wasn't ready spiritually toface everything in the music
(15:49):
industry. Yeah.
I like, I like what you said about how when you feel as
though you were distancing yourself from God, you didn't
really feel right with everything.
I don't know about you guys, especially George.
I feel as though people usually tend to get really, really close
to God when when the things aren't going well in their life.
(16:11):
Like for example, if if you've gone through a breakup, if
you're grieving someone or whatever the case may be.
That's when I feel someone's heart becomes the closest to God
because there's often looking for answers when they just need
to understand that once they align themselves with God's
will, then everything happens for a reason and they have that
peace. Like you said.
(16:32):
Have you ever had a situation where you've you've only wanted
to cling to God because you didn't have the answers for
anything? Have you had that situation in
the past? I think yeah, many times, many
times. I mean, getting closer to God
(16:53):
should not be attached with how you feel and how you daily feel
in your life. I mean, sometimes I wake up very
tired and not in the mood and say that I don't want to pray
the rosary. I don't want to read the Bible
because I don't feel good. But this is not a reason to not
(17:13):
read the Bible or to or to pray the rosary.
So, so as you said, we sometimesreach to God when, when we are
when we need him, but we have toreach them at all times, even
when we are happy and even when everything is is good in our
life. That's what I believe in A.
100%, very well said. I think you mentioned to me
(17:37):
before that when you were younger you actually lost a
sibling. Can you tell us a little bit
about that and how that affectedyou?
Because I mean, a lot of some people when they grieve or have
such a big loss, they can actually be angry from God and
turn away from God. And some people can cling to God
more. So can you tell us a little bit
about what happened and how you dealt with it?
(18:00):
Yeah, before I was even born, myfamily went through this life
changing tragedy of losing my brother.
He was only three years old whenhe passed away in a car accident
in Africa. And that loss really left a
permanent mark on my parents lives and I was born after his
(18:24):
passing. So I never met him just in
pictures. But in a way, I grew up in the
shadow of that grief. You know, even though my parents
did everything they could to protect us, to give us love and
to try to keep the home balanced, I could always feel
(18:45):
the weight of that pain. I mean, as a child, it's really
hard to process something like that.
You don't always have the words for it, but you sense it, right?
Yeah, of course. I remember feeling the heaviness
in the house, the sadness in their faces, and the quiet
moments that spoke louder than words.
(19:06):
My mom especially, She was neverquite the same after the loss.
She became emotionally and spiritually broken in many ways
and it was heartbreaking to witness that as her child.
I always wished she could have been in a better place mentally
(19:26):
and spiritually, that she could have found healing or peace.
But at the same time I I could never blame her for not being
able to handle such a huge loss.It was just too much for her at
the time. Yeah, it's very, very tough.
Did you have any other siblings?It was just you.
(19:49):
Yes I have an older sister. She she was the first child and
came my brother and and me the last.
So I guess I want to touch now on, on the fact that you you
were raised in Africa and also Lebanon, which are two very
unstable countries. So what was that like?
Was there real fear of somethinglike, you know, right now we're
(20:13):
talking about Gaza, Gaza, what'shappening in Gaza and around the
world? Was there a feeling of
instability at some points when you're growing up in Lebanon OR
was it fairly safe or did you ever or and also in Africa?
As you said, these are two very unstable countries and in both
countries there's problems. I mean, in Africa back then, my
(20:37):
parents used to tell me stories about how they lived there.
It was really a hard life for them.
And I remember my mom telling mestories about how it took her
six hours, for example, in car to arrive to the hospital just
for normal pregnancy checkup. You know, I mean, life in
(21:01):
general was hard there. You've had a very tough
childhood, but one that's also brought you a lot of virtues, I
could tell because you've becomeso much more understanding your
perspective, so much more forgiving and loving and you
approach that now with your family.
Now we'll leave that. We'll leave that journey to the
side for a bit. Let's get into now your music
(21:22):
career because we're very, the listeners are very intrigued on
what happened. So can you let us know how did
your music journey begin? Was it something you always knew
you wanted? Did you just have a good voice
or was it just all these opportunities at once?
Actually, my singing talent was discovered at a very young age
(21:43):
at home. My dad was a musician and a
pianist, so music was always part of the atmosphere in our
house. I still remember one specific
moment that really stands out, when my dad was doing rehearsals
on the piano with a choir and I was the little child who kept
(22:07):
jumping in between them, correcting their singing and
joining in. It was funny at the time, but it
also made my dad realize that I had a natural gift.
And after that, my dad decided to take me to music school,
where I started training my voice with a vocal coach and
(22:30):
learning techniques and buildingdiscipline.
It wasn't just about singing anymore, it was about developing
the confidence and presence to perform life on stage.
And at the same time, I I remember that my parents were
very careful with this gift. They loved seeing my talent
(22:51):
grow, but they also knew how dangerous the music industry
could be, especially for someoneso young.
And they made sure to protect mefrom signing long term contracts
that came with strict binding terms, contracts that could have
(23:14):
easily ruined my life. So looking back, I'm so grateful
they had that wisdom because at the time, I might not have
understood the risks. And with that protection,
reaching my dream took a lot of persistence.
I mean, when you are protected, it's harder to reach your your
(23:37):
target, you know? I had to keep working,
performing wherever I could and making the most out of every
good opportunity that came my way.
And eventually, I reached the point where I realized this
wasn't just a hobby, and being an artist became the only path I
(23:57):
could see for myself. Honestly, I never pictured
myself doing anything else, likebecoming a doctor or a lawyer.
So to me, it was singing or nothing else.
Yeah. Did you always know you're going
to make it, or did you ever think of giving up?
(24:20):
Honestly, I've always believed that God gave me my voice for a
reason, for a purpose, and that's why I never gave up on
it. Even in the hardest moments.
I've always wanted to know how God wants me to use this
precious gift, and to be honest,I'm still searching for that
(24:42):
answer today. In the beginning, after each
song release, I used to wonder why a track didn't work out.
I think I worked so hard on this.
Why isn't this song preaching people?
Why aren't you helping me? But with time, I realized
something important. I was asking God's help after
(25:07):
the work was already done, instead of inviting Him into the
creative process from the very beginning.
So I never asked. For example, what do you think
about this song? Is this the message you want me
to share? I was just creating what I
thought was right and what I thought people would want, and
(25:31):
then hoping God would bless it afterwards.
And you know, in today's music industry, most tracks are very
commercial, designed to fit trends and to please the
audience. And I went through that two
writing and recording songs justto match what people might want
(25:55):
to hear. But eventually realize that if
I'm truly using the voice God gave me, it cannot be just about
trans. It has to start with Him.
So now I try to put God at the center before the first word is
written or the first note is played, because when he guides
(26:17):
the process, it's not just a song anymore, it's a message.
It's a piece of purpose. And that shift completely
changed how I see music, by the way.
And honestly, it changed me as aperson too, not just my music
and and how I see my career. Emma, I love your point of view
(26:37):
and I love your framing of that.It's really lovely to see that.
I mean, I in my own life and in my like I have, I, I'm involved
in business predominantly. And I always realized that you
can work so hard and think and everything on paper makes sense
that it's going to be successful.
And if, if God doesn't bless it,it's not going to be successful
(27:00):
and then it's not. So I think for me, what I find
is not one drop of success comesunless it's from God.
I really truly believe that because you can work as hard as
you can and it could just all befor nothing, or God can bless
and you don't even have to work that hard.
And if God wants to bless, he'llbless and multiply and grow.
(27:21):
So definitely a beautiful perspective.
You mentioned earlier that you were involved in choir and a lot
growing up. Do you think music also was one
of the reasons why you developedyour relationship with God, like
through hymns and praise and being in the choir?
Or did you just like doing that because you were good at it,
because of, you know, your lovely voice?
(27:44):
No, of course, doing that was getting me closer to God And,
and actually when I stopped doing that, I felt that I'm a
bit far from God. You know, I think what I was
doing in the church and the how I used to sing with the choir,
(28:06):
all these were some kind of protection for me and, but I
didn't realize it then. Then I stopped doing it and
started to go more into the music industry and the world and
what the world wants from a singer nowadays and started to
(28:26):
shift from singing hymns to singing pop songs and dance
songs and and what people want to hear simply.
Did you find yourself that? Do you find that because you
know, thank, thank God, you knowyour I wouldn't say your
purpose, but you know, your talent that God's given you do
(28:46):
you had Do you find that balancing your ambition for
success and wanting to have a relationship with God?
Can they can they be in line with each other or are they
always going to clash? Because at one point you're
trying to please the world, likeyou said, but at the other
point, when you're trying to please God, you find that
there's usually a rift. So how can one balance the idea
(29:10):
of their ambition on wanting to focus on their goals and also
wanting to focus on their relationship with God?
After what I experienced in my career, both cannot go together.
I always thought when I was young that I could balance both
together and and I could do my music at the same time, be a
(29:35):
good person and and not get distracted with everything I see
in the music industry. It was really hard to keep that
connection with God, and I've reached the point where I felt
that, that feeling of desperation when you're chasing
what you believe you deserve. So you go into every step with
(29:59):
such high expectation and you pour your heart into the music,
the performances, the projects, and then you face disappointment
after disappointment. And this cycle is exhausting,
not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually.
And when I signed with a label, by the way, I thought things
(30:22):
would finally fall into place, but the reality was very
different. I started feeling like just
another product, part of the system where every artist is
following the same strategies and patterns.
It was no longer about my voice or my story, it was about
fitting into a mould. You know, even the interviews,
(30:43):
by the way that I did, started to feel empty.
I could tell when the interviewer was wasn't really
interested and when it was just another task on their schedule.
And in those moments, I felt invisible, like my worth wasn't
being recognized. That's when I began falling into
this trap of, of seeking approval and wanting people to
(31:06):
validate me. You know, people pleasing and
trying to prove myself over and over.
And I will tell you something that I remember very well, that
I used to come back from performances crying.
I would be up there giving everything I had, sharing my
(31:29):
voice with all the emotions inside me.
But then I'd look at the audience and people were eating,
drinking, chatting, or even asking me to just sing upbeat
songs so they could dance as if I were a background playlist.
Deep down, I always felt that this wasn't my place and that
(31:52):
wasn't the audience I was meant for.
And Jesus created me with so much more value than to stand
there and feel like a product orlike a CD people can just play
and skip through, you know? So I realized you wouldn't want
me to throw away my gift into anindustry that doesn't truly
(32:12):
value the soul of the artist anymore.
And that was the hardest truth Ihad to face because I thought at
the beginning that I can balanceboth and and be always on the
right track, but I didn't feel that way.
And I feel, and it feels so hardto be in the music industry
today. With that said, you said that
(32:34):
you felt that maybe there'll be a relief once you got a label,
everything was going to start getting better and had the
opposite effect. Did your label ever kind of try
and force you to step outside boundaries in order to allow you
to grow, like you said, to fit the mold or to, you know, appeal
to a larger audience? Were they obviously they they
(32:55):
didn't. I wouldn't assume they would
care much about Christian values, but would would they
ever want you to be a little bitmore compromising of your morals
and be a little bit more, you know, out there so you can grow
faster? You know, over the years I
started reaching many of the things I had dreamed of.
(33:16):
Recording songs, writing and composing, shooting music
videos, being in the spotlight, building a strong social media
audience, and even influencing people through my music.
On the outside, it looked like aseries of successes.
But the truth is, those very achievements also opened the
door to the wrong circles. And as the saying goes, you
(33:41):
know, bad company ruins good morals.
And the deeper I went into the industry, the more I realized
how much pressure there was to compromise.
And some people around me even try to create conflict in my
personal life. They would suggest, directly or
indirectly, that my marriage washolding me back, for example,
(34:05):
that being a wife somehow made me less free.
Imagine hearing that from peoplewho were supposed to be guiding
your career. You know, it wasn't just about
my work anymore. It was touching the most sacred
part of my life, my family. And at the time, I thought I had
(34:25):
everything under control. I thought I was strong enough to
navigate it all, but then I cameto a very humbling realization
that I'm not smarter than Satan,and if I wasn't careful, I could
lose everything that truly mattered.
That's when I knew that I had toset boundaries and very clear
(34:50):
ones whenever I felt my values, my marriage, or my faith were in
danger and I had to step away. And that decision came with a
cost. I lost a lot of connections,
people who were helping me professionally, and it felt like
I was tearing down everything I built.
(35:13):
And it wasn't easy at all. I had to rebuild not just my
career, but myself. So I completely cut off
connections with anyone who wasn't helping me grow closer to
God. And I surely forgive those
people. But forgiveness doesn't mean
allowing people back into your life to continue influencing you
(35:33):
negatively, you know, So you have to cut the connection at
the end. And for me, forgiveness meant
letting go, but also protecting the path that God was putting me
on. And what gave me the strength to
stand firm was remembering that my values, my family and my
faith are worth far more than any spotlight you know.
(35:57):
Was there a time that you kind of hesitated with that and you
thought you were really ambitious and you were even
thinking, if I just do this, I'll get high, get my goals or
wait? Did you always have that
grounding where you said, you know, I'm not going to cross
these lines or, or because I'm just imagining someone working
so hard to get to a certain place and it's probably within
(36:20):
your arm's reach to do it, but you just might need to
compromise on a few things. So did that ever cross your mind
because you wanted to get to a certain point?
Yes, definitely. I think anyone who has stepped
into the music industry has faced that temptation at some
point. When I started to feel a bit of
(36:41):
success, instead of being content, I always wanted more.
It was like if I managed to succeed in one step, then the
next one had to be bigger, stronger, louder than the
previous one, you know? And while that mindset pushed me
forward, it was also really destructive.
(37:03):
It got to a point where I started considering things that
didn't even feel like me. I thought about changing part of
my personality or even doing things that didn't match my
morals and values just to grab more attention or fit into what
the industry want and people wanted from me.
(37:23):
It was like this constant battle, you know, between who I
truly was and who I thought I needed to be in order to be
successful. But the truth is, even when I
achieved those milestones, the satisfaction never lasted.
And every success gave me this quick rush of happiness.
(37:47):
But then it faded and the emptiness came back even
stronger. And that cycle left me drained,
really, because no matter how much I accomplished, it was
never enough. It was.
It wasn't until I turned back toJesus that I finally realized
what I was missing. Remo, what was your original
(38:11):
goal when you signed with the label?
Like in your music career, did you have an end goal or what was
the goal that you had? Yeah, I always wanted to to
record songs and to and to make music videos and to shoot music
videos. So these are the small dreams
(38:35):
that I have when I was a child and I couldn't do, you know, my
family wasn't able to do all this investment, you know, on,
on my career. So I always dreamed of these
steps. And these steps were just dreams
for me as a child. But when I reached these dreams
(38:55):
and I did these steps, I always wanted even more than that.
So these steps are now just normal and basic and, and you
start asking for more, you know,and it will never end.
You will always want more. You will always want to go
higher than the level you are. And this is destructive, really.
(39:19):
Absolutely. So at what point did you say,
well, actually before I get to that, you said that obviously
the music industry is is very not the best.
Can you tell us more about the kind of things you saw in the
music industry, maybe from your own eyes or other colleagues in
the same industry that you saw? What what were the for people
(39:42):
that are outside the industry, what goes on in the music
industry that is really bad? I mean, there's so many things,
but what I'm sure of in the music industry is that it's not
anymore innocent. The the music industry isn't
(40:05):
innocent anymore and doesn't want innocent people anymore in
it. So you will have to compromise a
lot of things to reach your target.
And I used to dream to stand on big stages when I was young by
the way. And until that day, I always ask
(40:25):
God why? Why am I not getting?
To this stage, to this big stagethat this big star is on now.
Then I realized that I will not get it.
I will never get it if I if I didn't do the same thing that
this artist does or if I didn't compromise to achieve this goal.
(40:47):
And I understood this reality late, I guess.
Yeah. Is there any artist that you
look up to that did it the rightway, that got to a level that is
where you want to be, that you think didn't compromise on their
values? Honestly not really.
(41:09):
In my experience I was actually.It was actually the opposite
because the artist I used to look up to before were pretty
far from from faith. So instead of finding
inspiration there, it kind of pushed me to realize how
important it is to stay groundedin my own faith and not get
(41:33):
carried away by what I see in the industry.
So it was no, it was totally theopposite for me.
What do you think allowed you tohold on to your faith like and
not go down the path that many other musicians went down?
What caused you to kind of stickto the faith and stick to your
morals and and let go of that ambition for the sake of God?
(42:01):
I guess the most important thingwas realizing that nothing in
this world will give me the Peace of Mind that I'm looking
for. No success, no fame, no money,
nothing, nothing at all will will ever give me this Peace of
(42:25):
Mind. You know, when I was working on
my music, I always felt that I need, I always needed a break.
I always needed some rest. And I didn't feel rest at all at
all. I and I mean rest more
spiritually, not not body rest, just normal rest.
(42:46):
So seeking this kind of peace inmy life couldn't be found in the
world, just in Jesus. Do you believe that?
Had you not had a strong faith growing up?
Or were you married before you got into your music career?
(43:09):
Or did that come later on? Yes, I got married before
starting my music career and my husband was really helping me
with my music career and and by the way he loves music and he
sings also and he loves acting. So we have the same vision.
(43:33):
We had the same vision me and myhusband and he helped me a lot
reach my targets and he saw all the things I went through.
And by the way he was a main person in getting me closer to
God because he always pushed me to keep praying to do my daily
(43:55):
rituals and to pray always and never skip prayers or or skip
going to church when we were in Lebanon.
And he told me to watch Marmari by the way he used to watch
Marmari all the time. So he used to tell me you should
listen to Marmari, you should listen to all the episodes of
Marmari and, and everything willchange.
(44:15):
You will be OK and you will feelmuch more peace in your life and
it will be OK. So he was a main, main person in
in, in my relationship now with Jesus.
Good on you, Rudy. Such a good man, Rudy.
Rudy's the reason we have. Very beautiful.
(44:36):
So living in Saudi Arabia, tell us a little bit about that.
Because you don't have a church.What's that like?
I'm just trying to put myself inyour shoes.
If I was in that environment, it'd be really hard to kind of
stay grounded and connected to Christ without a physical church
because community and, you know,having, you know, the sacraments
like you mentioned is, is very important.
(44:57):
So how hard is that and how do you navigate through that?
Yeah, it's definitely not easy as a Christian family.
I mean, we miss church life deeply, you know?
And that's honestly the hardest part for me as a mom as well,
because I dream of Isla growing up with the same church life I
(45:21):
had back in Lebanon. But for now, since she's still a
toddler, we teach her everythingat home.
She prays with us daily. We celebrate Christmas and
Easter together, and whenever wetravel, we take her to church.
So, and she was, by the way, even baptized in Madagoria, the
(45:41):
place that you need to visit very soon, which was so special.
So if God's will is for us to stay here, we will give her the
roots and the secret of faith inour home to carry with her
always. And if his will is for us to
move soon, then we will definitely go where she can grow
(46:03):
up in in a better community. For me, it's always about his
will, God willing. This is what George said, by the
way. I learned God willing from you.
Really. I say the word in Arabic all the
time. Inshallah, Inshallah.
Inshallah. Now I got it from you.
All right. Perfect.
(46:25):
So tell me, is there any risk though in Saudi Arabia to
express your faith openly or is it, I, I, I know it used to be a
lot stricter before and you know, I don't know if you can
still go out without head covering.
And is it still that strict overthere or has it eased up now?
Because I feel like they're starting to become a little bit
more relaxed and more kind of like secular, like Dubai or
(46:48):
something like that. Is that the case or is it still
very hard and you can't really talk about your faith and.
No, it's not strict as before, definitely.
And no, we don't have to put something on our head to go out,
but but definitely we have to wear, you know, clothes always.
(47:11):
And, and definitely there's risks, I guess about expressing
your, your faith loudly because the laws don't allow
Christianity to be practiced openly yet.
And we don't have churches here like let's say in Dubai, in
Dubai, we have church there. So we live our faith quietly in
(47:35):
private and keep it sacred within our family.
Do you feel that God has a purpose for placing you and your
family there? And what do you think that
purpose is? Yes, I really do.
Every place has its pros and cons to me.
But I can see God's purpose in our life here as well.
(47:58):
For example, in this country we found safety and stability for
our daughter and it's something we were struggling with back
home in Lebanon. Also, we are blessed with
reliable basics like electricity, good job
opportunities and good schools for her future.
(48:18):
So even though living our faith privately is a challenge, I also
thank God for the blessings and opportunities He's giving given
us here. And I believe He's using this
season for a purpose, even if wedon't see the full picture yet.
Beautiful. So I want to talk about what's
(48:42):
next for Rima Youssef. So right now you got out of your
label. You said you've been working for
the last two years to kind of rebuild yourself.
What does it look like now for you and your career and where do
you take things? Well, you know, ending my
contract with the label changed a lot of how I see the music
(49:05):
career today. What change is that I'm free
now. I'm a free artist.
I work alone. I do my music alone.
And I want my music to have purpose, to have something to
give to people, and not just what people want to hear, but
(49:25):
what I should be giving to people and what God wants me to
give to those people, you know? So how do you put music out
without a label? Like so you just work for
yourself. You make a song, you just put it
on YouTube and or Spotify and people who follow you before
will just, you know, how does itwork?
I'm just, I don't know really how it works now that you don't
have like a label pushing your music out.
(49:48):
Yes, definitely, because I already have the, the base, I
mean my accounts, my, my, my ownYouTube channel and, and all the
platforms that I used to releasemy songs on.
So definitely it's better for menow to keep doing my music alone
and freely and not feel that pressure that I was feeling.
(50:10):
I would say that after listeningto your story, you're definitely
like, for as raw as you made it sound, you've definitely come a
long way in the terms of your perspective and how you, your
idea of wanting fame and, and everything that came with it
shifted once you found your purpose with Jesus.
Now, if you could speak directlyto any young Christians around
(50:31):
the world that are trying to maybe be in that phase that you
were in years ago where they're trying to chase that fame,
trying to chase that success, what would you say to them?
I'd say the spotlight is empty if you lose yourself in it.
(50:52):
So don't get lost with everything you see.
And don't think that whatever you see in the industry is good
from the outside. I mean if you dig inside you
will you will see different things and use your gift to
glorify God, not just yourself, because only He can give you
(51:13):
peace that fame will never bring.
That's very awesome. If you could speak to your
younger self now with all the wisdom and all the grace that
you have now when you speak, what would you tell your younger
self? Oh, I tell her.
(51:36):
Don't rush, don't chase after the words approval and trust
God's timing. And know that you are loved even
when you don't feel it. Just keep the faith.
And on that note, what encouragement would Reema the
(51:56):
mother give to families all around the world trying to keep
Christ at the centre of their homes, no matter where they are?
I'd say keep it simple. You don't need perfect routines.
Just make space for Jesus in theeveryday.
Pray together, talk about him openly, celebrate faith as a
(52:18):
family, even little habits create an atmosphere where his
presence feels natural at home, you know, and most importantly,
start your day right. I mean instead of waking up and
holding your phone first thing in the morning, just hold the
rosary and pray and read in the Bible.
(52:39):
This will help you start your day better and end it also
better. That's beautiful.
I think you have a really great gift that God gave you and I, we
spoke before the interview, I'd love to encourage you to bring
out more Christian music becauseI think it would be beautiful to
have more Christian music and more.
(53:00):
I mean, music is such a powerfultool and people want to listen
to it as they, you know, go to the gym, as they work out, as
they go for walks. And there's nothing better or
more wholesome when there's a song that is Christian rooted or
even even if it's not exactly saying Jesus in the song, but
actually having Christian moralsor values.
(53:21):
It's very uplifting. So I'd really love for you to to
bring out a whole bunch of of hymns in in English though, or
actually in Arabic. Sorry, but even in English, I
think you you could you could still do that.
You have AI mean your accents fantastic.
I think you can definitely sing in English.
George has become her manager, so thank.
You so I didn't say today in English.
(53:43):
For someone for English as not as your main language, it you
speak incredible English to it better.
Than that's good. I'll say better than me, but
some days better than George as well.
Happy to know really. On that note, OK, we always ask
our guests this question and I know you're going to give a
great answer. Jesus calls us to be the salt of
(54:06):
the earth, All of us. What does being the salt mean to
you and how are you living that out in your own life?
For me, being salt means bringing flavour and light into
a word that often feels dark. You know?
It's about living in a way that points people back to Jesus
(54:29):
through everything you do in life, through, let's say for me,
through my music, through my family, and even in quiet
everyday moments. I want my life to leave behind a
taste of God's love wherever I go.
That's what it means. That's beautiful.
(54:51):
Wow. So what would you, what would
you say? What do you want to be
remembered as when it's all saidand done?
When people look back on Reema Yusuf, what do?
What do you want people to to remember?
It's tape, isn't it? That's a really hard question,
(55:15):
but I'd say I wanted to remembereverything good about me instead
of the bad things. Maybe I I wish people Remember
Me with all the good things thatI gave in this life and I hope
nobody remembers me in in any bad thing.
(55:38):
Yeah, you definitely, you definitely have a good heart
after just hearing you on this interview.
You can when you meet some people, you can tell that they
have a pure heart. I mean, you have a, I'd say I
have a George. George doesn't have it, but it's
OK. I'm learning from you so.
I'm trying now you have a very pure heart and it shows.
(55:58):
And the fact that you've not, I don't want to say that you've
thrown away what you had, but you've chosen to sacrifice
what's what the world's going togive you for God.
And ultimately that's what's going to be looked at by God.
God always looks at the heart, never anything else.
So. Definitely, yeah.
Well, Simon did ask me before westarted, he said, George, you
(56:20):
know, I've, I've listened to Rima Singh and I'd love for Rima
to, to sing for us on the podcast.
I said, I'll ask. I don't know if it's going to
happen. I said it completely.
I actually looked, I actually looked at your YouTube videos.
Great, you have you have music. I said.
I told my mum because she's currently overseas.
I I said you have to listen to this woman because when I was
(56:42):
younger and she used to take me to school.
It's like these your type of music is the stuff that my mum
would love to listen to. I sent to some of your stuff and
she was like so sweet. And then just she just has
broken English. So yeah, it got approved by my
mum. So thank God that's.
Sweet. So I think we're going to we're
going to ask you kindly to sing for the viewers and George, so
(57:06):
if that's OK. Sure.
Is there anything in mind that you have?
In English or Arabic I can sing both.
Why not? Why not both?
Which Whichever, 1 Whichever. One, let's start with English.
Beautiful. I'm just going to close my eyes.
Let's. Go why are you crazy, guys?
That's weird. I think it makes it weird.
(57:26):
It's weird if you open your eyesand just looking at.
It should I close my eyes? No.
If we both close your eyes, it's.
Going to be weird all right, I'mjust.
Look and you you look at and then we can swap when she
changes languages. All right, done.
I'm going to sing my favorite one in English.
For you, but now I'll. Open my eyes.
Spirit leads me where my trust is Without Borders.
(57:50):
Let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith
will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.
(58:14):
And I will call upon your name, Jesus, and keep my head above
the waves. When oceans rise, my soul will
rest in your embrace, for I am yours and you are my.
(58:40):
Wow, that's beautiful. I feel.
Like you, I feel like that's exactly.
How I say it. There's one in Arabic, by the
way, there's there's one in Arabic that mentions the the
title of your podcast. Oh, wow, OK, we definitely got
to hear that. But I'm going to ask Pavli while
our person in our in our group, please take me and Simon off the
(59:02):
screen and just leave it on Rimabecause it's I just we want to
focus on Rima. So if you can do that, I don't
know if technically. Yeah.
All right, probably just do it. Do it for this next part.
Just take us off the screen and just leave.
Rima, please. Because otherwise Simon's just
being too weird. He's going to make me laugh.
(59:23):
So this one in Arabic says let nasin El kilmil iltan into
milhel, ardu into noora. The translation.
(59:52):
What did that mean? Into Mel Hellardo, into New
Right? Means you are the soul.
And the light of this well. Yes, we sold and the light.
We should have we should have asked Rima to make because we
have a theme song during our podcast.
We should have done it. We could Rima.
We might hire you to to do our theme song.
For us, we've got a job, but we do the jobs out of life.
We don't we. Don't I think our one is like
(01:00:13):
just AI? Yeah, this is the sole podcast.
It's catchy. We need to do it.
Rima, it's been lovely chatting with you.
Thank you so much and thank you for singing for us.
I feel like we got our own private show and our, our, our.
I'm sure our viewers are going to love it too.
I really, really appreciate you.Thank you so much for having me.
Really love your perspective andyour point of view.
(01:00:36):
Thank you so much and I hope to see you soon in Sydney.
That will be amazing either thatalways we.
All go Bosn I'm. Going to go to Saudi Arabia
we're. Going to go to Bosnia, we're
going to go visit that place. We'll all go together.
Yeah, we should. We should.
Please take me and Simon off thescreen.
Yeah. And just leave it on Reema
because it's I just we want to focus on Reema.
So if you can do that, I don't know if technically.
For someone for English as not as your main language, it you
speak incredible English to it. Better than that's good.
Better, I'll say. Better than Simon, better than
me. What's one thing people would be
surprised to know about you? That's a really hard question.
(00:27):
We're getting, we're getting into the details today.
I hate it. Beyond the spotlight and stage,
I'm just dreamer. Your type of music is the stuff
that my mum would love to listento.
I sent to her some of your stuffand she was like so sweet.
And then she just has broken English.
So this is the Salt podcast. The Salt Podcast.
(00:49):
Let's pick up the Bible. Let's read.
Let's. Pray and because that's what
Jesus called me to do the. Lord makes you that salt of the
earth. We need Christians to share the
truth. Preserve the world for Christ.
May this podcast be a beacon of light.
This is the Salt podcast. Welcome to the Salt Podcast.
(01:09):
I'm George Iskander and joining me is my incredibly good looking
and incredibly single Co host Simon Thomas Gilter.
Again again today on the Salt Podcast, we're joined by
Lebanese pop star with roots in Africa and a celebrated career
in the Middle East and now a powerful story of faith in
Jesus. Rima's journey is nothing short
(01:30):
of remarkable. She's not only known for her
beautiful voice and chart topping Arabic songs, but also
for standing firm in her Christian faith while navigating
the highs and lows of success. Now living in Saudi Arabia, Rima
is raising her daughter alongside her husband while
continuing to shine as both an artist and a woman of faith.
Joining us all the way from Saudi Arabia.
Please welcome Rima Youssef. We're so happy for you to join
(01:52):
us today. Hi, Simon.
Hello I'm. So blessed to be on the Soft
podcast today. Thank you for having me.
Thank you for joining us. It's lovely to connect with you.
And actually, First off, I'd like to say that the way we we
kind of cross paths, I realized on Instagram that you were
liking the fuel valve clips. So I wanted to ask you, how did
(02:12):
you come across our clips and what were your thoughts about
the kind of content we were putting out?
Yeah, I actually came across your podcast when I watched the
full episode of Bishop Marmari and he's been such a big
inspiration for me and my family.
Honestly, we love him and I never expected to be invited to
(02:34):
the same podcast. It feels like a calling for me
to be here. That's awesome.
That's awesome. Once I reached out to you and I
realized you had a beautiful story, we definitely thought
we'd love to have you on becausewe love on our platform.
We'd love to have people that emulate what it means to be the
salt of the earth. So we really see that in you,
and that's why we're really gladwe've got you on the show.
(02:55):
Exactly what George said. Yeah, it was very well said,
George. So we're going to hop straight
into a rumour. We can't wait to have you on
board. So we usually start off with
different questions, but for forthis time around, we're going to
ask a few rapid fire questions so you can answer any which way
you like. OK, we're going to start off
(03:15):
just whatever comes to your mind.
Say it. OK, so what's the first word
that comes to your mind when youhear the word Jesus?
Perfect love. Love Beauty, Wilson.
What's your favorite hymn right now?
Oceans by Hillsong. Hopefully we could hear it
(03:39):
later. I have.
What's a Bible verse that gives you the most comfort?
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Beautiful. What's the hardest habit that
you had to break? Well, scrolling on Instagram for
(04:01):
hours. This guy, this guy me.
OK, not me. Not me, I'm too busy.
What's one thing people would besurprised to know about you?
Well I'm near sighted and I never wear my glasses.
Oh well, we're getting, we're getting into the details today.
(04:23):
I hate it. So on that note, what is as
since George said that you are happily married with a child,
what is the key to having a great marriage?
I'd say grace. Grace.
Grace well. This is getting deep, all right?
(04:43):
What's your daughter's funniest habit or saying?
When she pretends to sing like me.
That's very sweet. Speaking of singing, if you
could describe to someone in oneword your your music, what would
it be? Heartfelt.
(05:10):
Very well said. Beautiful.
I think that's that wraps up oursalty segment of fast questions.
So I think we'll get straight back into it.
So it's good just to get a few alittle bit of information about
you like that. So our listers know a little bit
more about you. But I guess what we want to
start with is if you had to introduce yourself today beyond
being a singer, who is Reema or as Simon Says, Reema?
(05:36):
Well, I'm a mum and a cat lover.I have 3 cats at home and in my
daily life I'm just a normal person, not really the artist
that people know. I describe myself as someone
(05:56):
who's extra sensitive, in touch with emotions and happiest in
the quiet moments. I actually love being at home.
It's my comfort zone. Sometimes people have to push me
to go out and be more social, you know, because I stay a lot
at home. And I feel so grateful for the
(06:20):
blessed things that God gave me.A beautiful voice, a little
family of three that I treasure,and most importantly, a good
heart that I know will never change.
So yeah, beyond the spotlight and stage, I'm just dreamer.
And I'm much more simple than what people think.
(06:40):
That's amazing. So you mentioned that you like
to stay at home and you like the.
Quiet, yeah. How How does that compare when
you're on a stage performing like?
What's the difference? Well, when I'm at home, I don't
feel, I don't feel the stress ofperforming.
(07:00):
And and I mean by stress, the the beautiful part of the
stress, I feel really comfortable at home and I enjoy
spending time with my family andalso doing things that I love to
do like cooking, watching series, Turkish series
especially. Yeah.
So, so I think that that's the difference, that there's no
(07:24):
stress at all. The good or the bad?
Stress both. Very well said.
Well on that point, since you like to be at home more and you
don't like to be in the spotlight or anything, what does
being closer to God and your faith mean to you now that
you're you're focused on more onbeing a mom and being a great
wife? What?
What does that look like in yourday-to-day life?
(07:49):
That's a deep one to me. God is feeling the presence of
peace in your life. If you have faith in God, you
can be standing in the middle ofchaos without even shaking and
still feel blessings coming yourway at all times, the good and
the bad. On the other hand, whenever you
(08:13):
feel that you're always distracted, angry, having bad
thoughts, you know that isn't from God.
So God is peace, love and joy and that's what the word is so
desperate for today, you know, especially in the middle of wars
(08:33):
and suffering. And let's be honest, the planet
is not OK and people are not OK.I mean, how can we live in a
world where people will cry their hearts out at a singers
concert but turn away from the image of a starving child in
(08:56):
Gaza dying without food? I mean, I just can't get it.
It shows how upside down our priorities have became.
I mean, everybody thinks we are still living in the era of peace
and grace. I mean, we're not right.
I mean, we're very blessed. To be we're.
(09:18):
Very blessed to be a little bit removed from the reality, the
harsh realities of the world. I was just thinking about that,
you know, looking at my kids andthe security and safety that we
live in. It's unbelievable to think that
some people don't know if they're going to wake up the
next morning, if they're going to have food the next morning.
It's unbelievable. Exactly.
This is how much we should be thankful every day we wake up
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and we should be thankful for everything we have because we
might not have it tomorrow. So on that point, I want to talk
a little bit about, you know, you, you being a Christian in a
predominantly Arab, Muslim, Islamic focused environment,
What's it, what's that like? What was it like for you in
(10:04):
terms of day-to-day life, but also growing up?
What was that like being a Christian in the Middle East?
For me today, it's definitely not easy.
As a Christian family here, we miss church life deeply, and as
a mum, I sometimes worry about Isla, my daughter, not having
(10:26):
access to the sacraments the wayI did growing up.
But I also believe that God places us exactly where we're
meant to be, even if it feels like a desert season.
So for now, we make faith part of our home.
We watch Mass on TV, we pray together as a family, and we
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pray the rosary with our daughter every day.
And whenever we travel, we make sure to attend church and
receive communion. And I believe that the weapons
God gave us, praying the rosary and reading the Bible, are
already enough to keep us close to Him wherever we go.
(11:11):
Do you feel as though the struggle you had nearly as many
struggles when you were younger compared to what your daughter
has now? Or were the were there not that
many struggles when you were growing up?
You mean in my, in when I was younger?
In my. Teenage years.
You mean, you know, I think thatin my teenage years I didn't
(11:38):
really experience the typical things most teenagers do.
At that stage, I was so focused on my dream of becoming a singer
and on the artistic side of life, which made me a pretty
calm teenager. While a lot of my friends were
discovering nightlife, going outto clubs, or just spending hours
(12:02):
hanging out with friends, I was chasing stages.
I spent a lot of my evenings andweekends performing, sometimes
in front of large crowds and then coming home to face the
reality of school work waiting for me.
So I remember nights where I hadto memorize a list of new songs
(12:25):
for an upcoming performance while also trying to prepare for
an exam the next day. And I used to drink jars of
coffee just to stay awake and keep up.
It was really hard to balance and there were definitely
moments where I felt exhausted or even questioned if I could
(12:47):
handle it. But at the same time, it gave me
a sense of purpose and directionthat a lot of people my age
didn't have. So Rima, tell us a little bit
about your early childhood and family life and where did you
grow up? Yeah.
Well, I lived in Africa until I was about four years of age and
(13:13):
French was actually my very first language.
Then we moved to Lebanon and that's where most of my memories
come from. And it was an interesting
transition because I had to adapt to a new culture and a new
language at such a young age. I still remember how my cousins
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would teach me to speak Arabic and in return I would teach them
some French words. It became this little fun
exchange that made learning exciting for all of us.
And on a spiritual level, I learnt to pray before bed and to
read the Bible at home. I definitely had a good
(13:55):
Christian base. But as time went on, things
started to shift a little and myparents didn't really keep up
those practices in a consistent way.
For example, going to church on Sundays became more optional.
Sometimes we went, sometimes we didn't.
(14:16):
That's why I feel like while my parents gave me the foundation,
they weren't the main influence in shaping the personal
connection I have today with Jesus.
That relationship, that faith, is something I really had to
develop on my own as I grew older and started searching for
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a deeper meaning. So in a way, these two countries
pushed me more to find stabilityand faith in God myself rather
than relying solely on what was modelled at home, you know?
Oh wow, very interesting. So you actually feel that you've
got a lot closer to Jesus withinthe last year, more so than when
(15:03):
you were younger? Or did you feel that you got
close younger, you kind of went away a little bit and came back?
Or is this the most you've kind of been taking your spiritual
life seriously now? I remember when I was younger
that I was really close and I used to go to church a lot to
(15:25):
sing with the choir a lot. And then I remember that when I
stopped practicing for a while, this happened.
This this distance happened. And when when this distance
happened, my music career started.
So I wasn't ready spiritually toface everything in the music
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industry. Yeah.
I like, I like what you said about how when you feel as
though you were distancing yourself from God, you didn't
really feel right with everything.
I don't know about you guys, especially George.
I feel as though people usually tend to get really, really close
to God when when the things aren't going well in their life.
(16:11):
Like for example, if if you've gone through a breakup, if
you're grieving someone or whatever the case may be.
That's when I feel someone's heart becomes the closest to God
because there's often looking for answers when they just need
to understand that once they align themselves with God's
will, then everything happens for a reason and they have that
peace. Like you said.
(16:32):
Have you ever had a situation where you've you've only wanted
to cling to God because you didn't have the answers for
anything? Have you had that situation in
the past? I think yeah, many times, many
times. I mean, getting closer to God
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should not be attached with how you feel and how you daily feel
in your life. I mean, sometimes I wake up very
tired and not in the mood and say that I don't want to pray
the rosary. I don't want to read the Bible
because I don't feel good. But this is not a reason to not
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read the Bible or to or to pray the rosary.
So, so as you said, we sometimesreach to God when, when we are
when we need him, but we have toreach them at all times, even
when we are happy and even when everything is is good in our
life. That's what I believe in A.
100%, very well said. I think you mentioned to me
(17:37):
before that when you were younger you actually lost a
sibling. Can you tell us a little bit
about that and how that affectedyou?
Because I mean, a lot of some people when they grieve or have
such a big loss, they can actually be angry from God and
turn away from God. And some people can cling to God
more. So can you tell us a little bit
about what happened and how you dealt with it?
(18:00):
Yeah, before I was even born, myfamily went through this life
changing tragedy of losing my brother.
He was only three years old whenhe passed away in a car accident
in Africa. And that loss really left a
permanent mark on my parents lives and I was born after his
(18:24):
passing. So I never met him just in
pictures. But in a way, I grew up in the
shadow of that grief. You know, even though my parents
did everything they could to protect us, to give us love and
to try to keep the home balanced, I could always feel
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the weight of that pain. I mean, as a child, it's really
hard to process something like that.
You don't always have the words for it, but you sense it, right?
Yeah, of course. I remember feeling the heaviness
in the house, the sadness in their faces, and the quiet
moments that spoke louder than words.
(19:06):
My mom especially, She was neverquite the same after the loss.
She became emotionally and spiritually broken in many ways
and it was heartbreaking to witness that as her child.
I always wished she could have been in a better place mentally
(19:26):
and spiritually, that she could have found healing or peace.
But at the same time I I could never blame her for not being
able to handle such a huge loss.It was just too much for her at
the time. Yeah, it's very, very tough.
Did you have any other siblings?It was just you.
(19:49):
Yes I have an older sister. She she was the first child and
came my brother and and me the last.
So I guess I want to touch now on, on the fact that you you
were raised in Africa and also Lebanon, which are two very
unstable countries. So what was that like?
Was there real fear of somethinglike, you know, right now we're
(20:13):
talking about Gaza, Gaza, what'shappening in Gaza and around the
world? Was there a feeling of
instability at some points when you're growing up in Lebanon OR
was it fairly safe or did you ever or and also in Africa?
As you said, these are two very unstable countries and in both
countries there's problems. I mean, in Africa back then, my
(20:37):
parents used to tell me stories about how they lived there.
It was really a hard life for them.
And I remember my mom telling mestories about how it took her
six hours, for example, in car to arrive to the hospital just
for normal pregnancy checkup. You know, I mean, life in
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general was hard there. You've had a very tough
childhood, but one that's also brought you a lot of virtues, I
could tell because you've becomeso much more understanding your
perspective, so much more forgiving and loving and you
approach that now with your family.
Now we'll leave that. We'll leave that journey to the
side for a bit. Let's get into now your music
(21:22):
career because we're very, the listeners are very intrigued on
what happened. So can you let us know how did
your music journey begin? Was it something you always knew
you wanted? Did you just have a good voice
or was it just all these opportunities at once?
Actually, my singing talent was discovered at a very young age
(21:43):
at home. My dad was a musician and a
pianist, so music was always part of the atmosphere in our
house. I still remember one specific
moment that really stands out, when my dad was doing rehearsals
on the piano with a choir and I was the little child who kept
(22:07):
jumping in between them, correcting their singing and
joining in. It was funny at the time, but it
also made my dad realize that I had a natural gift.
And after that, my dad decided to take me to music school,
where I started training my voice with a vocal coach and
(22:30):
learning techniques and buildingdiscipline.
It wasn't just about singing anymore, it was about developing
the confidence and presence to perform life on stage.
And at the same time, I I remember that my parents were
very careful with this gift. They loved seeing my talent
(22:51):
grow, but they also knew how dangerous the music industry
could be, especially for someoneso young.
And they made sure to protect mefrom signing long term contracts
that came with strict binding terms, contracts that could have
(23:14):
easily ruined my life. So looking back, I'm so grateful
they had that wisdom because at the time, I might not have
understood the risks. And with that protection,
reaching my dream took a lot of persistence.
I mean, when you are protected, it's harder to reach your your
(23:37):
target, you know? I had to keep working,
performing wherever I could and making the most out of every
good opportunity that came my way.
And eventually, I reached the point where I realized this
wasn't just a hobby, and being an artist became the only path I
(23:57):
could see for myself. Honestly, I never pictured
myself doing anything else, likebecoming a doctor or a lawyer.
So to me, it was singing or nothing else.
Yeah. Did you always know you're going
to make it, or did you ever think of giving up?
(24:20):
Honestly, I've always believed that God gave me my voice for a
reason, for a purpose, and that's why I never gave up on
it. Even in the hardest moments.
I've always wanted to know how God wants me to use this
precious gift, and to be honest,I'm still searching for that
(24:42):
answer today. In the beginning, after each
song release, I used to wonder why a track didn't work out.
I think I worked so hard on this.
Why isn't this song preaching people?
Why aren't you helping me? But with time, I realized
something important. I was asking God's help after
(25:07):
the work was already done, instead of inviting Him into the
creative process from the very beginning.
So I never asked. For example, what do you think
about this song? Is this the message you want me
to share? I was just creating what I
thought was right and what I thought people would want, and
(25:31):
then hoping God would bless it afterwards.
And you know, in today's music industry, most tracks are very
commercial, designed to fit trends and to please the
audience. And I went through that two
writing and recording songs justto match what people might want
(25:55):
to hear. But eventually realize that if
I'm truly using the voice God gave me, it cannot be just about
trans. It has to start with Him.
So now I try to put God at the center before the first word is
written or the first note is played, because when he guides
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the process, it's not just a song anymore, it's a message.
It's a piece of purpose. And that shift completely
changed how I see music, by the way.
And honestly, it changed me as aperson too, not just my music
and and how I see my career. Emma, I love your point of view
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and I love your framing of that.It's really lovely to see that.
I mean, I in my own life and in my like I have, I, I'm involved
in business predominantly. And I always realized that you
can work so hard and think and everything on paper makes sense
that it's going to be successful.
And if, if God doesn't bless it,it's not going to be successful
(27:00):
and then it's not. So I think for me, what I find
is not one drop of success comesunless it's from God.
I really truly believe that because you can work as hard as
you can and it could just all befor nothing, or God can bless
and you don't even have to work that hard.
And if God wants to bless, he'llbless and multiply and grow.
(27:21):
So definitely a beautiful perspective.
You mentioned earlier that you were involved in choir and a lot
growing up. Do you think music also was one
of the reasons why you developedyour relationship with God, like
through hymns and praise and being in the choir?
Or did you just like doing that because you were good at it,
because of, you know, your lovely voice?
(27:44):
No, of course, doing that was getting me closer to God And,
and actually when I stopped doing that, I felt that I'm a
bit far from God. You know, I think what I was
doing in the church and the how I used to sing with the choir,
(28:06):
all these were some kind of protection for me and, but I
didn't realize it then. Then I stopped doing it and
started to go more into the music industry and the world and
what the world wants from a singer nowadays and started to
(28:26):
shift from singing hymns to singing pop songs and dance
songs and and what people want to hear simply.
Did you find yourself that? Do you find that because you
know, thank, thank God, you knowyour I wouldn't say your
purpose, but you know, your talent that God's given you do
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you had Do you find that balancing your ambition for
success and wanting to have a relationship with God?
Can they can they be in line with each other or are they
always going to clash? Because at one point you're
trying to please the world, likeyou said, but at the other
point, when you're trying to please God, you find that
there's usually a rift. So how can one balance the idea
(29:10):
of their ambition on wanting to focus on their goals and also
wanting to focus on their relationship with God?
After what I experienced in my career, both cannot go together.
I always thought when I was young that I could balance both
together and and I could do my music at the same time, be a
(29:35):
good person and and not get distracted with everything I see
in the music industry. It was really hard to keep that
connection with God, and I've reached the point where I felt
that, that feeling of desperation when you're chasing
what you believe you deserve. So you go into every step with
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such high expectation and you pour your heart into the music,
the performances, the projects, and then you face disappointment
after disappointment. And this cycle is exhausting,
not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually.
And when I signed with a label, by the way, I thought things
(30:22):
would finally fall into place, but the reality was very
different. I started feeling like just
another product, part of the system where every artist is
following the same strategies and patterns.
It was no longer about my voice or my story, it was about
fitting into a mould. You know, even the interviews,
(30:43):
by the way that I did, started to feel empty.
I could tell when the interviewer was wasn't really
interested and when it was just another task on their schedule.
And in those moments, I felt invisible, like my worth wasn't
being recognized. That's when I began falling into
this trap of, of seeking approval and wanting people to
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validate me. You know, people pleasing and
trying to prove myself over and over.
And I will tell you something that I remember very well, that
I used to come back from performances crying.
I would be up there giving everything I had, sharing my
(31:29):
voice with all the emotions inside me.
But then I'd look at the audience and people were eating,
drinking, chatting, or even asking me to just sing upbeat
songs so they could dance as if I were a background playlist.
Deep down, I always felt that this wasn't my place and that
(31:52):
wasn't the audience I was meant for.
And Jesus created me with so much more value than to stand
there and feel like a product orlike a CD people can just play
and skip through, you know? So I realized you wouldn't want
me to throw away my gift into anindustry that doesn't truly
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value the soul of the artist anymore.
And that was the hardest truth Ihad to face because I thought at
the beginning that I can balanceboth and and be always on the
right track, but I didn't feel that way.
And I feel, and it feels so hardto be in the music industry
today. With that said, you said that
(32:34):
you felt that maybe there'll be a relief once you got a label,
everything was going to start getting better and had the
opposite effect. Did your label ever kind of try
and force you to step outside boundaries in order to allow you
to grow, like you said, to fit the mold or to, you know, appeal
to a larger audience? Were they obviously they they
(32:55):
didn't. I wouldn't assume they would
care much about Christian values, but would would they
ever want you to be a little bitmore compromising of your morals
and be a little bit more, you know, out there so you can grow
faster? You know, over the years I
started reaching many of the things I had dreamed of.
(33:16):
Recording songs, writing and composing, shooting music
videos, being in the spotlight, building a strong social media
audience, and even influencing people through my music.
On the outside, it looked like aseries of successes.
But the truth is, those very achievements also opened the
door to the wrong circles. And as the saying goes, you
(33:41):
know, bad company ruins good morals.
And the deeper I went into the industry, the more I realized
how much pressure there was to compromise.
And some people around me even try to create conflict in my
personal life. They would suggest, directly or
indirectly, that my marriage washolding me back, for example,
(34:05):
that being a wife somehow made me less free.
Imagine hearing that from peoplewho were supposed to be guiding
your career. You know, it wasn't just about
my work anymore. It was touching the most sacred
part of my life, my family. And at the time, I thought I had
(34:25):
everything under control. I thought I was strong enough to
navigate it all, but then I cameto a very humbling realization
that I'm not smarter than Satan,and if I wasn't careful, I could
lose everything that truly mattered.
That's when I knew that I had toset boundaries and very clear
(34:50):
ones whenever I felt my values, my marriage, or my faith were in
danger and I had to step away. And that decision came with a
cost. I lost a lot of connections,
people who were helping me professionally, and it felt like
I was tearing down everything I built.
(35:13):
And it wasn't easy at all. I had to rebuild not just my
career, but myself. So I completely cut off
connections with anyone who wasn't helping me grow closer to
God. And I surely forgive those
people. But forgiveness doesn't mean
allowing people back into your life to continue influencing you
(35:33):
negatively, you know, So you have to cut the connection at
the end. And for me, forgiveness meant
letting go, but also protecting the path that God was putting me
on. And what gave me the strength to
stand firm was remembering that my values, my family and my
faith are worth far more than any spotlight you know.
(35:57):
Was there a time that you kind of hesitated with that and you
thought you were really ambitious and you were even
thinking, if I just do this, I'll get high, get my goals or
wait? Did you always have that
grounding where you said, you know, I'm not going to cross
these lines or, or because I'm just imagining someone working
so hard to get to a certain place and it's probably within
(36:20):
your arm's reach to do it, but you just might need to
compromise on a few things. So did that ever cross your mind
because you wanted to get to a certain point?
Yes, definitely. I think anyone who has stepped
into the music industry has faced that temptation at some
point. When I started to feel a bit of
(36:41):
success, instead of being content, I always wanted more.
It was like if I managed to succeed in one step, then the
next one had to be bigger, stronger, louder than the
previous one, you know? And while that mindset pushed me
forward, it was also really destructive.
(37:03):
It got to a point where I started considering things that
didn't even feel like me. I thought about changing part of
my personality or even doing things that didn't match my
morals and values just to grab more attention or fit into what
the industry want and people wanted from me.
(37:23):
It was like this constant battle, you know, between who I
truly was and who I thought I needed to be in order to be
successful. But the truth is, even when I
achieved those milestones, the satisfaction never lasted.
And every success gave me this quick rush of happiness.
(37:47):
But then it faded and the emptiness came back even
stronger. And that cycle left me drained,
really, because no matter how much I accomplished, it was
never enough. It was.
It wasn't until I turned back toJesus that I finally realized
what I was missing. Remo, what was your original
(38:11):
goal when you signed with the label?
Like in your music career, did you have an end goal or what was
the goal that you had? Yeah, I always wanted to to
record songs and to and to make music videos and to shoot music
videos. So these are the small dreams
(38:35):
that I have when I was a child and I couldn't do, you know, my
family wasn't able to do all this investment, you know, on,
on my career. So I always dreamed of these
steps. And these steps were just dreams
for me as a child. But when I reached these dreams
(38:55):
and I did these steps, I always wanted even more than that.
So these steps are now just normal and basic and, and you
start asking for more, you know,and it will never end.
You will always want more. You will always want to go
higher than the level you are. And this is destructive, really.
(39:19):
Absolutely. So at what point did you say,
well, actually before I get to that, you said that obviously
the music industry is is very not the best.
Can you tell us more about the kind of things you saw in the
music industry, maybe from your own eyes or other colleagues in
the same industry that you saw? What what were the for people
(39:42):
that are outside the industry, what goes on in the music
industry that is really bad? I mean, there's so many things,
but what I'm sure of in the music industry is that it's not
anymore innocent. The the music industry isn't
(40:05):
innocent anymore and doesn't want innocent people anymore in
it. So you will have to compromise a
lot of things to reach your target.
And I used to dream to stand on big stages when I was young by
the way. And until that day, I always ask
(40:25):
God why? Why am I not getting?
To this stage, to this big stagethat this big star is on now.
Then I realized that I will not get it.
I will never get it if I if I didn't do the same thing that
this artist does or if I didn't compromise to achieve this goal.
(40:47):
And I understood this reality late, I guess.
Yeah. Is there any artist that you
look up to that did it the rightway, that got to a level that is
where you want to be, that you think didn't compromise on their
values? Honestly not really.
(41:09):
In my experience I was actually.It was actually the opposite
because the artist I used to look up to before were pretty
far from from faith. So instead of finding
inspiration there, it kind of pushed me to realize how
important it is to stay groundedin my own faith and not get
(41:33):
carried away by what I see in the industry.
So it was no, it was totally theopposite for me.
What do you think allowed you tohold on to your faith like and
not go down the path that many other musicians went down?
What caused you to kind of stickto the faith and stick to your
morals and and let go of that ambition for the sake of God?
(42:01):
I guess the most important thingwas realizing that nothing in
this world will give me the Peace of Mind that I'm looking
for. No success, no fame, no money,
nothing, nothing at all will will ever give me this Peace of
(42:25):
Mind. You know, when I was working on
my music, I always felt that I need, I always needed a break.
I always needed some rest. And I didn't feel rest at all at
all. I and I mean rest more
spiritually, not not body rest, just normal rest.
(42:46):
So seeking this kind of peace inmy life couldn't be found in the
world, just in Jesus. Do you believe that?
Had you not had a strong faith growing up?
Or were you married before you got into your music career?
(43:09):
Or did that come later on? Yes, I got married before
starting my music career and my husband was really helping me
with my music career and and by the way he loves music and he
sings also and he loves acting. So we have the same vision.
(43:33):
We had the same vision me and myhusband and he helped me a lot
reach my targets and he saw all the things I went through.
And by the way he was a main person in getting me closer to
God because he always pushed me to keep praying to do my daily
(43:55):
rituals and to pray always and never skip prayers or or skip
going to church when we were in Lebanon.
And he told me to watch Marmari by the way he used to watch
Marmari all the time. So he used to tell me you should
listen to Marmari, you should listen to all the episodes of
Marmari and, and everything willchange.
(44:15):
You will be OK and you will feelmuch more peace in your life and
it will be OK. So he was a main, main person in
in, in my relationship now with Jesus.
Good on you, Rudy. Such a good man, Rudy.
Rudy's the reason we have. Very beautiful.
(44:36):
So living in Saudi Arabia, tell us a little bit about that.
Because you don't have a church.What's that like?
I'm just trying to put myself inyour shoes.
If I was in that environment, it'd be really hard to kind of
stay grounded and connected to Christ without a physical church
because community and, you know,having, you know, the sacraments
like you mentioned is, is very important.
(44:57):
So how hard is that and how do you navigate through that?
Yeah, it's definitely not easy as a Christian family.
I mean, we miss church life deeply, you know?
And that's honestly the hardest part for me as a mom as well,
because I dream of Isla growing up with the same church life I
(45:21):
had back in Lebanon. But for now, since she's still a
toddler, we teach her everythingat home.
She prays with us daily. We celebrate Christmas and
Easter together, and whenever wetravel, we take her to church.
So, and she was, by the way, even baptized in Madagoria, the
(45:41):
place that you need to visit very soon, which was so special.
So if God's will is for us to stay here, we will give her the
roots and the secret of faith inour home to carry with her
always. And if his will is for us to
move soon, then we will definitely go where she can grow
(46:03):
up in in a better community. For me, it's always about his
will, God willing. This is what George said, by the
way. I learned God willing from you.
Really. I say the word in Arabic all the
time. Inshallah, Inshallah.
Inshallah. Now I got it from you.
All right. Perfect.
(46:25):
So tell me, is there any risk though in Saudi Arabia to
express your faith openly or is it, I, I, I know it used to be a
lot stricter before and you know, I don't know if you can
still go out without head covering.
And is it still that strict overthere or has it eased up now?
Because I feel like they're starting to become a little bit
more relaxed and more kind of like secular, like Dubai or
(46:48):
something like that. Is that the case or is it still
very hard and you can't really talk about your faith and.
No, it's not strict as before, definitely.
And no, we don't have to put something on our head to go out,
but but definitely we have to wear, you know, clothes always.
(47:11):
And, and definitely there's risks, I guess about expressing
your, your faith loudly because the laws don't allow
Christianity to be practiced openly yet.
And we don't have churches here like let's say in Dubai, in
Dubai, we have church there. So we live our faith quietly in
(47:35):
private and keep it sacred within our family.
Do you feel that God has a purpose for placing you and your
family there? And what do you think that
purpose is? Yes, I really do.
Every place has its pros and cons to me.
But I can see God's purpose in our life here as well.
(47:58):
For example, in this country we found safety and stability for
our daughter and it's something we were struggling with back
home in Lebanon. Also, we are blessed with
reliable basics like electricity, good job
opportunities and good schools for her future.
(48:18):
So even though living our faith privately is a challenge, I also
thank God for the blessings and opportunities He's giving given
us here. And I believe He's using this
season for a purpose, even if wedon't see the full picture yet.
Beautiful. So I want to talk about what's
(48:42):
next for Rima Youssef. So right now you got out of your
label. You said you've been working for
the last two years to kind of rebuild yourself.
What does it look like now for you and your career and where do
you take things? Well, you know, ending my
contract with the label changed a lot of how I see the music
(49:05):
career today. What change is that I'm free
now. I'm a free artist.
I work alone. I do my music alone.
And I want my music to have purpose, to have something to
give to people, and not just what people want to hear, but
(49:25):
what I should be giving to people and what God wants me to
give to those people, you know? So how do you put music out
without a label? Like so you just work for
yourself. You make a song, you just put it
on YouTube and or Spotify and people who follow you before
will just, you know, how does itwork?
I'm just, I don't know really how it works now that you don't
have like a label pushing your music out.
(49:48):
Yes, definitely, because I already have the, the base, I
mean my accounts, my, my, my ownYouTube channel and, and all the
platforms that I used to releasemy songs on.
So definitely it's better for menow to keep doing my music alone
and freely and not feel that pressure that I was feeling.
(50:10):
I would say that after listeningto your story, you're definitely
like, for as raw as you made it sound, you've definitely come a
long way in the terms of your perspective and how you, your
idea of wanting fame and, and everything that came with it
shifted once you found your purpose with Jesus.
Now, if you could speak directlyto any young Christians around
(50:31):
the world that are trying to maybe be in that phase that you
were in years ago where they're trying to chase that fame,
trying to chase that success, what would you say to them?
I'd say the spotlight is empty if you lose yourself in it.
(50:52):
So don't get lost with everything you see.
And don't think that whatever you see in the industry is good
from the outside. I mean if you dig inside you
will you will see different things and use your gift to
glorify God, not just yourself, because only He can give you
(51:13):
peace that fame will never bring.
That's very awesome. If you could speak to your
younger self now with all the wisdom and all the grace that
you have now when you speak, what would you tell your younger
self? Oh, I tell her.
(51:36):
Don't rush, don't chase after the words approval and trust
God's timing. And know that you are loved even
when you don't feel it. Just keep the faith.
And on that note, what encouragement would Reema the
(51:56):
mother give to families all around the world trying to keep
Christ at the centre of their homes, no matter where they are?
I'd say keep it simple. You don't need perfect routines.
Just make space for Jesus in theeveryday.
Pray together, talk about him openly, celebrate faith as a
(52:18):
family, even little habits create an atmosphere where his
presence feels natural at home, you know, and most importantly,
start your day right. I mean instead of waking up and
holding your phone first thing in the morning, just hold the
rosary and pray and read in the Bible.
(52:39):
This will help you start your day better and end it also
better. That's beautiful.
I think you have a really great gift that God gave you and I, we
spoke before the interview, I'd love to encourage you to bring
out more Christian music becauseI think it would be beautiful to
have more Christian music and more.
(53:00):
I mean, music is such a powerfultool and people want to listen
to it as they, you know, go to the gym, as they work out, as
they go for walks. And there's nothing better or
more wholesome when there's a song that is Christian rooted or
even even if it's not exactly saying Jesus in the song, but
actually having Christian moralsor values.
(53:21):
It's very uplifting. So I'd really love for you to to
bring out a whole bunch of of hymns in in English though, or
actually in Arabic. Sorry, but even in English, I
think you you could you could still do that.
You have AI mean your accents fantastic.
I think you can definitely sing in English.
George has become her manager, so thank.
You so I didn't say today in English.
(53:43):
For someone for English as not as your main language, it you
speak incredible English to it better.
Than that's good. I'll say better than me, but
some days better than George as well.
Happy to know really. On that note, OK, we always ask
our guests this question and I know you're going to give a
great answer. Jesus calls us to be the salt of
(54:06):
the earth, All of us. What does being the salt mean to
you and how are you living that out in your own life?
For me, being salt means bringing flavour and light into
a word that often feels dark. You know?
It's about living in a way that points people back to Jesus
(54:29):
through everything you do in life, through, let's say for me,
through my music, through my family, and even in quiet
everyday moments. I want my life to leave behind a
taste of God's love wherever I go.
That's what it means. That's beautiful.
(54:51):
Wow. So what would you, what would
you say? What do you want to be
remembered as when it's all saidand done?
When people look back on Reema Yusuf, what do?
What do you want people to to remember?
It's tape, isn't it? That's a really hard question,
(55:15):
but I'd say I wanted to remembereverything good about me instead
of the bad things. Maybe I I wish people Remember
Me with all the good things thatI gave in this life and I hope
nobody remembers me in in any bad thing.
(55:38):
Yeah, you definitely, you definitely have a good heart
after just hearing you on this interview.
You can when you meet some people, you can tell that they
have a pure heart. I mean, you have a, I'd say I
have a George. George doesn't have it, but it's
OK. I'm learning from you so.
I'm trying now you have a very pure heart and it shows.
(55:58):
And the fact that you've not, I don't want to say that you've
thrown away what you had, but you've chosen to sacrifice
what's what the world's going togive you for God.
And ultimately that's what's going to be looked at by God.
God always looks at the heart, never anything else.
So. Definitely, yeah.
Well, Simon did ask me before westarted, he said, George, you
(56:20):
know, I've, I've listened to Rima Singh and I'd love for Rima
to, to sing for us on the podcast.
I said, I'll ask. I don't know if it's going to
happen. I said it completely.
I actually looked, I actually looked at your YouTube videos.
Great, you have you have music. I said.
I told my mum because she's currently overseas.
I I said you have to listen to this woman because when I was
(56:42):
younger and she used to take me to school.
It's like these your type of music is the stuff that my mum
would love to listen to. I sent to some of your stuff and
she was like so sweet. And then just she just has
broken English. So yeah, it got approved by my
mum. So thank God that's.
Sweet. So I think we're going to we're
going to ask you kindly to sing for the viewers and George, so
(57:06):
if that's OK. Sure.
Is there anything in mind that you have?
In English or Arabic I can sing both.
Why not? Why not both?
Which Whichever, 1 Whichever. One, let's start with English.
Beautiful. I'm just going to close my eyes.
Let's. Go why are you crazy, guys?
That's weird. I think it makes it weird.
(57:26):
It's weird if you open your eyesand just looking at.
It should I close my eyes? No.
If we both close your eyes, it's.
Going to be weird all right, I'mjust.
Look and you you look at and then we can swap when she
changes languages. All right, done.
I'm going to sing my favorite one in English.
For you, but now I'll. Open my eyes.
Spirit leads me where my trust is Without Borders.
(57:50):
Let me walk upon the waters wherever you would call me.
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith
will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour.
(58:14):
And I will call upon your name, Jesus, and keep my head above
the waves. When oceans rise, my soul will
rest in your embrace, for I am yours and you are my.
(58:40):
Wow, that's beautiful. I feel.
Like you, I feel like that's exactly.
How I say it. There's one in Arabic, by the
way, there's there's one in Arabic that mentions the the
title of your podcast. Oh, wow, OK, we definitely got
to hear that. But I'm going to ask Pavli while
our person in our in our group, please take me and Simon off the
(59:02):
screen and just leave it on Rimabecause it's I just we want to
focus on Rima. So if you can do that, I don't
know if technically. Yeah.
All right, probably just do it. Do it for this next part.
Just take us off the screen and just leave.
Rima, please. Because otherwise Simon's just
being too weird. He's going to make me laugh.
(59:23):
So this one in Arabic says let nasin El kilmil iltan into
milhel, ardu into noora. The translation.
(59:52):
What did that mean? Into Mel Hellardo, into New
Right? Means you are the soul.
And the light of this well. Yes, we sold and the light.
We should have we should have asked Rima to make because we
have a theme song during our podcast.
We should have done it. We could Rima.
We might hire you to to do our theme song.
For us, we've got a job, but we do the jobs out of life.
We don't we. Don't I think our one is like
(01:00:13):
just AI? Yeah, this is the sole podcast.
It's catchy. We need to do it.
Rima, it's been lovely chatting with you.
Thank you so much and thank you for singing for us.
I feel like we got our own private show and our, our, our.
I'm sure our viewers are going to love it too.
I really, really appreciate you.Thank you so much for having me.
Really love your perspective andyour point of view.
(01:00:36):
Thank you so much and I hope to see you soon in Sydney.
That will be amazing either thatalways we.
All go Bosn I'm. Going to go to Saudi Arabia
we're. Going to go to Bosnia, we're
going to go visit that place. We'll all go together.
Yeah, we should. We should.
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