Born in Jezzine, South of Lebanon, she showed a passion for music and singing from an early age, inspired by local religious songs and village celebrations. She later studied philosophy at the Lebanese University in Beirut, where she sang Mouachahat and traditional heritage melodies with a youth group. In 1977, she co-founded the musical group Al Mayadine in Beirut alongside composer and musician Marcel Khalife, with whom she married and had two children, Rami and Bachar.