Born to an Iraqi father and a Moroccan mother, Shada has spent most of her life abroad living a charmed existence far removed from her compatriots who have endured three wars, sanctions, an American invasion and insurgency.

Despite US promises that ousting dictatorship would bring peace and democracy, Iraq is teetering on a civil war between Shiite and Sunnis, engulfed in mass unemployment, food shortages and plummeting living conditions.

But for one night, the dream of Shada kept fear and disunity at bay, as millions of Iraqis from across the sectarian and ethnic divide crowded round television sets to watch her croon into a microphone and to vote for victory.

The telecast smashed an Iraqi telecommunications record as seven million phone customers sent SMS messages for her to win, compared to an average of no more than 150,000 texts a day, said an official at company Iraqna.

"She excelled where politics failed and is admired by all. She won seven million Iraqi votes by telephone voting. None of the Iraqi politicians scooped that number of votes at the ballot box," said Baghdad teacher Alaa Saber.

"Seven million were unanimous about her winning. That number has never been unanimous about anything else," he added, out enjoying a warm spring morning.

People in autonomous northern Kurdistan, the only area safe enough for people to watch the show live on a giant outside screen, jumped up and down in joy, screaming and waving their hands in the air after victory was announced.

Kurds celebrated into the small hours, holding pictures of the 26-year-old brunette beauty and honking car horns as they drove home after partying.

"She has given happiness to every Iraqi home. This is proof that politics divides Iraqis, whereas art and sports gathers them together," said 28-year-old media worker, Bassam Abdul Ahad.

Shada, who stopped hearts when she sang a cover version of an old Fairuz song eulogising the delights of pre-war Baghdad earlier in the Star Academy 4 competition, wrapped herself in the Iraqi flag and thanked her fans.

"I really want to thank them so much. Iraq. All Iraqi people for their voting to me, for their love to me, because I can feel it," she told CNN in raptures from the television studio where the contest was held.

It was a dream come true for a girl who lists jet skiing among her hobbies and has a crush on international sex symbol and actor Antonio Banderas.

"I can feel them, like, really happy and smiling, especially in that situation they're living. That's why it's my dream to make them happy," Shada added.

Private Iraqi television station, Al-Sharkiya, which is run by an exiled businessmen out of Dubai, marketed her as the Daughter of Mesopotamia, running an all-night phone-in special interspersed with coverage of the telecast.

People were delighted even in the deeply religious Shiite holy city of Najaf, where every Iraqi woman on the street is draped head-to-toe in black abayas, a world away from the elegant cut of Shada's strappy blue evening dress.

"We welcome this woman because she has held the name of Iraq aloft. We needed a voice to unify us," said Islamist politician Sabah Ahmed.

"Being an Islamist, I have some reservations about singing. But seven million votes for this woman from all walks of society! With this percentage she outclassed politicians in Iraq. Therefore the victory unites Iraqis," he added.

Yet as much as Shada may have touched people's hearts there were none of the outbursts of celebratory gunfire in downtown Baghdad that have accompanied past Iraqi football prowess in the Asian and Olympic Games.