Jean-Marie Riachi

Jean-Marie Riachi (born on May 24, 1970 in Ras Baalbek, Bekaa) is a Lebanese arranger, composer, and record producer.

After completing his degree in musicology at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) and participating in the iconic Lebanese talent program “Studio Al Fann”, he produced his first record, “Baddi Doub”. Performed by Elissa, this hit propelled both Jean-Marie Riachi’s and Elissa’s names to fame in the music sphere.

In 2001, he founded the JMR Studios in Rabieh, which have since become one of the most prominent audio production houses in the MENA region. In 2002, he created his own label, Oriental Music Publishing (OMP), the first music publishing house in the Middle East, attracting many international music companies, including BMG Music.
In the early days of his musical career, Riachi produced the soundtrack of the documentary movie Les Cendres du Phoenix, as well as the theme song “Nour El Shams” for the Hollywood movie Spy Game. He continues to produce TV ad soundtracks for major corporations, including Pepsi.

In 2006, he arranged and mixed “Light the Way”, performed by José Carreras and Majida El Roumi at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, and composed “La Ma Kholssit Lehkayi”, the all-star tribute to former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik El Hariri, which has since become a local political anthem.

In 2009, Riachi teamed up with prominent Lebanese pop singers, including Ramy Ayach and Yara, to produce the multilingual album “Belaaks”, which presented a unique fusion between ethnic oriental instruments and an acoustic jazz band.

Evian, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Virgin Megastores joined forces to pay tribute to the Lebanese composer’s talent at the Dubai Fashion Week, by releasing a limited- edition series of haute-couture water bottles, inspired by “Belaaks” themes.

The platinum-certified album was followed by an equally successful sequel, “Belaaks 2”, in 2015, which showcased unique collaborations with John Legend’s “All of Me” and Julio Iglesias’ “Je n’ai pas changé”.

Both “Belaaks” albums received multiple awards, including the Akademia Music Award, the Murex D’or, and Virgin’s Platinum Disc Award.

In 2015, Jean-Marie Riachi teamed up with Saudi producer Omar Basaad to create one of the most ambitious pieces of his whole career, which took him on a journey across the deserts, souks, seas, and villages of the Arab World, capturing the sounds and instruments of each location in a portable studio, and constructing the timeless melody and eclectic arrangement of the pan-Arab hit “Sahara Al-Arab”.

He continues to produce dozens of best-selling albums, including Majida El Roumi’s “Ghazal” and the Christmas album “Castana”, as well as countless hits for the most renowned of Arabic singers, such as Nawal El Zoghbi, Latifa, Rami Ayach, Haifa Wehbe, Yara, etc. He currently serves as the music producer for the Arabic edition of talent franchise The Voice, the highest-rating TV show for three consecutive years (and on-going) in the Arab World.

Riachi has won multiple World Music Awards and Murex D’or awards, for his work as producer, composer, and arranger.