Excerpts from an interview with the Kwaiti singer Shams, who has become a household name.

Q: People ask why Shams disappeared but she insists that hasn't. "I am still here."

A: My latest album, 'Seven Times,' has sold very well. Currently I am doing a video of a song, "Your Big Head."

Q: After three years, do you still see yourself as a beginner?

A: Yes and it will be true even after 30 years. I want to learn and get experience because I respect singing. I always consider myself a beginner. I do not care about one or two songs reaching the top as much as I care about producing quality work and gaining experience. I have a specific line that I follow. I do not want instant fame that disappears faster than it came.

Q: What does fame mean to you? Are you satisfied with your career so far?

A: I have to say that I am a little lazy. I do not socialize and I am not good at public relations. Also I am not in a hurry to get fame or be recognized. I am famous in a good way because there are no rumors about me and I think that I have achieved something that puts me up front.

Q: Do you think that musical parties and festivals favor some singers over others?

A: Everyone knows what happens at these festivals. One festival is limited to a group of singers and another festival to another group. If the director of the festival is from Lebanon, then most of the singers are Lebanese and you don't find an Egyptian or anyone from the Gulf. I do not belong to any group which is why I am not favored.

Q: But you have not been part of any summer music festivals?

A: I do not want to participate in them and I refuse all offers that come from them to me. They do not suit me as a singer. I do not like the way the festivals are organized and frankly, I do not know how I could sing at 2 in the morning or at 5 in the morning. That is more like a nightclub.

Q: Do you choose your songs aiming at the Saudi audience?

A: When I choose my songs, they are not aimed at a specific group. In my last album, there were songs aimed at UAE, Saudi and Kuwaiti tastes.

Q: What about Lebanese and Egyptian songs?

A: I am from the Gulf and I can only sing in a Gulf accent. When Gulf singers sing with an Egyptian or Lebanese accent, their success is short-lived. My style is Gulf and I reach my audience with Gulf songs and music.

Q: Do you think that music channels help Arab songs?

A: I think there are both positive and negative aspects to them. Because the song is played so much, some people get sick of it. The music channels also pressure singers to come up with something new because the audience is already tired of the one sung last week. It is like bungee, way up one minute and way down the next.