Loading ...ALO Hayati Magazine Features Middle Eastern Culture and Cross-Cultural Awareness
Greek superstar Anna Vissi graces the Spring 2010 issue of ALO Hayati, the world’s premier, English language Middle Eastern culture and lifestyle magazine. The singer details her climb to best-selling female artist and wide appeal – from pre-teens to those over 50.
Never a stranger to dissecting controversial issues, the 1.2 million circulation ALO presents dueling views on the 2010 U.S. Census. The Spring, 2010 issue is on newsstands March 15, 2010.
“Should you give a damn about the 2010 U.S. Census, or should you just damn it?” explores the three decade road the Arab-American population has traveled to be counted in the census.
Northridge, CA-based Unique Image Inc. has published ALO Hayati for five years, despite a failing economy that has rocked the publishing industry. In an effort to save production costs, the Spring 2010 issue will switch from sheet-fed to web-fed press. Readers should experience no change in the quarterly’s quality. Distribution will increase, through new outlets in Europe and the Middle East and via an agreement with Kable Distribution Services.
“ALO’s mission – to promote cross-cultural awareness especially between the West and Middle East – has never been more crucial,” says Michael Lloyd, Editor-in-Chief. “Companies are increasingly looking to us as a valued international media consultant that brings stellar connections to the table.”
The magazine continues to increase visibility, readership and subscriptions. Publisher Wafa Kanan cites the vision that corporations, advertisers and community leaders have in “risking investment in an ethnic, breakthrough publication, the portal for the fastest growing community in the U.S. We look forward to greater interest from Fortune 500 companies as well.”
The rich culture and positive influence of the Middle East is becoming more known. Such awareness requires open communication, which ALO Hayati represents.
Each ALO Hayati issue showcases the most elegant and daring fashion from international designers – from Parisian catwalks, Hollywood red carpets and New York sidewalk haute couture. This month: Elie Saab unveils nine sexy bridal looks.
Other Spring 2010 features include examination of the growing trend of Middle Eastern single women over 40; “The Man with Four Wives,”; “Best of the Middle East,” which details power brokers, destinations, music and food that demand notice in the Middle Eastern region; how an Arab-American dealt with an arranged marriage, forcing her to navigate a labyrinth of cross cultural mores; and “Never Judge a Country by a State Department Warning,” which takes readers deep inside Syria, a fascinating country packed with antiquities and dichotomy that is surprisingly safe.
ALO Hayati Founder Wafa Kanan recently led the first North American delegation to visit the Syrian Arab Republic. As Founder and President of Northridge, CA-based Unique Image, a branding and marketing firm, Kanan assembled a select group of influential media “to connect cultures through lifestyles and commonalities we all share,” she said. Kanan’s non-profit ALO Cultural Foundation shares a similar mission to heal rifts in cross cultural understanding.
Kanan, a Lebanese entrepreneur and humanitarian, moved to the United States in 1990 after coming of age amid Lebanon’s destructive civil war. ALO magazine was launched in April 2005, with a current worldwide distribution that includes retail giants Barnes & Noble and Borders franchises, international hotels and airlines, VIP lounges, travel agencies and tourist bureaus.
Fashion, film, television, destination travel, cuisine, health and fitness tips—all topics one expects to read about in a lifestyle magazine—also fill the pages of ALO Hayati. The focus remains on the Middle East, North Africa and the Mediterranean, but the target audience extends to people of all cultural backgrounds.
“Alo, hayati” is a common Arabic expression of affection. Literally “Hello, my darling.” The phrase is shared between parents and children, spouses, lovers and friends alike. It expresses the open-ended, positive mission of the magazine. ALO Hayati is not beholden to any religious or political viewpoint, and so has the freedom to address fascinating and sometimes controversial topics with candor and openness.