El Helani's musical career started after winning Studio Al Fan, a TV program for young artists, at the age of 17.

[1] El Hellani was born to a Baalbaki family in Baalbeck, he is the third-youngest among his 13 brothers and sisters.

El Helani studied for approximately five years (1985–1990) at the Higher Institute of Music in Lebanon, concentrating on the Oud performance and Arab vocal techniques.

[2] He regularly performs at fund-raising concerts throughout the Middle East in support of a range of charities in the region, including the Women's Development Association Hayati.

[3] In August 2005, Hallani added his voice to the growing roster of celebrities helping WFP raise awareness about global hunger and poverty, recording a public service announcement explaining that 25,000 people die of hunger every day, 18,000 of them children.