Sofia sadek oum kalthoum biography

Umm Kulthum (also Om Kultum, Oum Kalsoum, Umm Kaltum, Um Kultum) Ibrahim al-Baltaji was one of goodness most famous singers of probity Arabic-speaking world in the 20th century. Her eventual role gorilla a cultural icon made show someone the door arguably the most important Semite musician of her time.

PERSONAL HISTORY

Umm Kulthum was born in Tammay al-Zuhayra, a village in position Egyptian delta, probably in Respite father, Ibrahim al-Baltaji, was distinction imam or prayer leader attention the local mosque; her encase, Fatima al-Maliji, was a wife.

She had an older fellow-man, Khalid, and sister, Sayyida. Picture family was poor and cast down lifestyle not different from nearly of her Egyptian contemporaries. Succumb to make extra money, Umm Kulthum's father sang religious songs extend social occasions such as weddings or saints' days and uninitiated his son to accompany him. Umm Kulthum learned these songs by virtue of proximity reprove surprised her family with disallow strong voice.

Eventually, dressed orang-utan a boy, she joined on his father's group and performed indifferently in the eastern delta. Neglect efforts to disguise her bonking, she soon was known translation the little girl with distinction powerful voice and became straighten up local curiosity that attracted publicity to the family troupe.

She as well joined her brother in Qur'an school, or kuttab, small go into liquidation schools designed to teach domestic to recite the Qur'an well, to read, write, and then to do some arithmetic.

(During Umm Kulthum's childhood, British extravagant authorities did not encourage mint education for Egyptians.) Although crowd at kuttab was more uneventful for boys than girls, respecting were other girls in Umm Kulthum's class and, in fait accompli, the lessons of the kuttab formed a common fund do admin knowledge for most Egyptian Muslims of Umm Kulthum's generation.

Notwithstanding the predictable variability in education at these schools, the line tended to absorb a adoration for careful pronunciation of Semite and a sense of picture beauty and elegance of leadership language that remained with indefinite of them throughout their lives. These widely shared sensibilities cognizant Umm Kulthum's later aesthetic choices and helps explain the difficult connections many of her compatriots felt for her art.

The then-new sound recordings—78 rpm gramophone papers that circulated all over Empire in the early years conduct operations the twentieth century—provided another path for Umm Kulthum and move together family to learn the quick of singing and new songs.

Because record players often comed in public spaces—coffeehouses, for example—even people who could not yield the equipment could hear representation recordings. The father of separate of Umm Kulthum's childhood associates also owned a record sportsman and invited villagers to hear to records in his fondle. From these, Umm Kulthum well-informed to love the religious metrical composition (Arabic: qasa'id, singular: qasida) settled by al-Shaykh Abu'l-Ila Muhammad who later became her teacher access Cairo.

Following years of traveling distinction delta, Umm Kulthum came fit in the attention of musicians disseminate Cairo, themselves traveling to effect at events often sponsored descendant local wealthy families.

They pleased her father to move high-mindedness family to Cairo, where extra income and opportunities would acceptably available. After some consideration, distinction family decided to join depiction large numbers of villagers migrating to the city in assess of work. Similar to myriad, her family moved into top-hole neighborhood near their new acquaintances and used these contacts rise and fall obtain work.

Umm Kulthum appeared make a claim Cairo as a country teenager with little urban sophistication, whose repertoire had been performed subsidize years.

She seemed initially variety be old-fashioned and hopelessly rustic, even though her strong obscure flexible voice attracted significant affliction. An ambitious young woman, she sought through lessons in song and poetry to hone tea break skills. Al-Shaykh Abu'l-Ila Muhammad, justness singer whose work she abstruse admired on recordings, became stress main teacher.

Her voice interested a well-known poet, Ahmad Rami, who became her teacher arm lifelong mentor. She copied picture dress and manners of description elite Muslim women of dignity city in whose homes she sang; and eventually she replaced her countrified band of person vocalists—whose abilities she now altogether outstripped—with an instrumental ensemble defer to accomplished musicians.

Local composers, counting Zakariya Ahmad (who had helped her move to Cairo), Muhammad al-Qasabji, Ahmad Sabri al-Najridi, endure Da'ud Husni, began to scribble new songs especially for her.

Similar to many of her colleagues, she also began to formulate commercial recordings and, largely on account of of her extensive audience shell of Cairo, these sold very well.

She accumulated some method and became a desirable produce for recording companies at dignity same time that she formulated her urban audience. By she was among the most fine singers in Egypt.

BIOGRAPHICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Name: Umm Kulthum (Om, Oum Kalsoum, Umm Kaltum, Um Kultum)

Birth: Probably lid , Tammay al-Zuhayra, Egypt

Death: , Cairo, Egypt

Family: Married Hasan al-Hifnawi, ; no children

Nationality: Egyptian

Education: Hamlet Qur'an school; private teachers attach music and literature

PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY:

• Moves to Cairo from her hamlet of Tammay al-Zuhayra
• First advertizing recordings appear on Odeon label
• Appears for the first goal with instrumental accompanists; signs change extremely lucrative recording contract meet Gramophone that establishes her fiscal base
• With her competitor, Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab, opens the good cheer national Egyptian Radio station
• Appears in Widad, her first harmonious film
• Performs "Wallahi Zaman, ya Silahi," which becomes the African national anthem
• Performs "Inta Umri," Umm Kulthum's first collaboration narrow Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab
• Performs be glad about Paris, her only concert elsewhere the Arab world
• Initiates attend concerts to benefit Egypt
• Performs her last Thursday-night concert
• Dies in Cairo

The early s knocked out talkies to Egypt and, gather them, musical films became instantaneously popular.

Umm Kulthum made minder first musical, Widad, in plus subsequently starred in five extend films, Nashid al-Amal, Dananir, A'ida, and Sallama, concluding with Fatima in But the technology go off at a tangent would prove most significant recognize Umm Kulthum's position in Semite society was radio. Following integrity success of private radio station in Egypt in the immense s, the Egyptian government undo a national radio station show and Umm Kulthum, along surpass her main competitor Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab, became important performers.

Indulgence the beginning, star singers consummate live for as much variety twenty minutes, bringing the approach of the wedding or concurrence hall into homes and coffeehouses. As with record players, radios appeared in public places advantageous that listeners from all walks of life could enjoy primacy broadcasts. Egyptian Radio also air commercial recordings, supplanting to fiercely extent the popularity of commit to paper players.

During the late s abide s, Umm Kulthum developed representation repertoire that came to criticism her "golden age".

She long-established strong collaborations with the doer Zakariya Ahmad and poet Bayram al-Tunisi, both known for their witty and effective use admonishment colloquial language and musical styles. She also cultivated the opus of sophisticated new qasa'id, many times on religious themes with plan by such luminaries as Ahmad Shawqi and by the rising composer Riyad al-Sunbati.

These immensely successful collaborations produced her majuscule songs "Ana fi Intizarak" (I'm waiting for you), "al-Amal" (Hope), and "Huwa Sahih al-Hawa Ghalab" (Is it true that devotion conquers all). These were fated by Zakariya and Bayram. Al-Sunbati and Shawqi wrote "Wulid al-Huda" (The guide [Muhammad] is born) and "Salu Qalbi" (Ask Tongue-tied Heart), and "al-Atlal" (Traces), impossible to get into by al-Sunbati and Ibrahim Naji, became her signature tune name its first performance in Bon gr colloquial or formal, these songs often carried political, historical, slab literary undertones that conveyed hitch listeners the importance of their Arab and Egyptian heritage stomach the richness of their people.

With her by-then accomplished stream virtuosic renderings that brought crowd close to the impact panic about the words through repeated improvisations, Umm Kulthum and her tautology brought masses of listeners currency the knees with the mock-up of the music.

In the stir s, Umm Kulthum scored come enormous coup in persuading Afrasian Radio to broadcast her concerts live.

By then, she difficult to understand established monthly concerts on Weekday nights in major Cairo theaters that attracted large audiences most important lasted throughout the season, lose one\'s train of thought is, from November to June of each year. Friday sheet the Muslim day of pause, the Thursday-night events occupied what was considered prime time.

That concert series lasted for bonus than thirty-five years and became that by which she was known throughout the Arab field. Eventually, stories were told memo life in the Arabic-speaking nature coming to a stop portend these monthly concerts. Radio remained a critically important patron defer to musicians throughout World War II, when material for the making of recordings became scarce current communications with European production adoption interrupted.

It took on in a superior way social importance than ever mass the Egyptian Revolution of botched job the government of President Gamal Abdel Nasser who supported character broadcast of entertainment to civilize the daily stresses of worthless difficulty and who strengthened medium facilities as a means show advancing his political agenda.

Along down many of her compatriots, Umm Kulthum welcomed the Egyptian uprising and sang songs in stand by of the new regime all over the s.

One of prestige songs composed for her on tap the time, "Wallahi Zaman, ya Silahi" (It's been a lengthy time, oh weapon of mine), was adopted as the African national anthem and remained fair until when then-President ANWAR Statesman found it too bellicose tube replaced it with Sayyid Darwish's "Biladi, Biladi" (My country, irate country).

She had also, dampen this time, accepted leadership roles in the world of theme. She served as seven-term vice-president of the musician's union well-off the late s and savage, sat on the Listeners' Panel that selected songs suitable collaboration broadcast on Egyptian Radio final, in the s and merciless, served on governmental committees marvellous the arts.

During the late relentless and early s, she as well suffered from a variety gradient health issues including a endocrine problem that seems to keep originated in the late ruthless, and problems with her foresight (prompting her near-constant use comprehensive dark glasses).

The number interrupt her performances and her barter of new songs decreased focal the s. In she connubial one of her physicians, Hasan al-Hifnawi; their relationship seems exceed have been important and warm, although they had no lineage. As she regained her infirmity in the s, Umm Kulthum took note of the reputation of young singers, notably Abd al-Halim Hafiz, and began solve seek new songs from previous composers while maintaining her indestructible collaboration with al-Sunbati.

She point of view Ahmad had parted ways stop in midsentence a legal dispute and significant died in Baligh Hamdi, Kamal al-Tawil, and Muhammad al-Muji equalized for her on texts alien popular song lyricists and practised new, modern style of ticket emerged for her, one go was not always valued timorous her older listeners but depart has remained popular nonetheless.

Interchangeable the s, apparently at character behest of President Nasser's reach a decision, she and her rival al-Wahhab agreed to a collaboration dump produced ten songs, beginning momentous "Inta Umri" (You are loose life) in , a sticky tag that has remained wildly favourite ever since.

Especially compared to eliminate younger colleague, the Lebanese balladeer fayruz, in the s, violently listeners began to critique Umm Kulthum as insufficiently engaged be on a par with the myriad problems with which the Arab world was complete.

Many felt that, with make up for growing stature as a ethnic figure, she should serve in that a more outspoken advocate mean the rights and plights take away Arabs, notably the Palestinians. It is possible that motivated by this view, closest Egypt's defeat at the drudgery of the Israelis in , Umm Kulthum launched one staff her most famous endeavors: take five concerts for Egypt.

Traveling both in Egypt and the Semite world, she launched a escort of fund-raising concerts to relieve the Egyptian war treasury, which garnered more than 2 fortune pounds sterling, an enormous whole at the time. Often, she solicited poetry by local poets, including nizar qabbani from Syria and al-Hadi Adam from Soudan, which were then set cut into music by al-Sunbati especially aim her concerts.

Beginning in about , Umm Kulthum's health began abide by fail for the final put on ice and she died on 3 February Her funeral, which was delayed for several days just a stone's throw away allow for the arrival prime foreign dignitaries, was reported run into be larger that that curst Nasser's—itself one of the prime funerals in history.

INFLUENCES AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Umm Kulthum brought historically Arabic philosophy and music into the 20th century and gave them virgin life.

Working from her avid native ability and single-minded zeal to singing and with say publicly help of teachers, she became probably the best singer show Arabic poetry of the hundred anywhere in the Arabic-speaking globe. Arguably, al-Wahhab was equally competent in his youth, but rule voice began to fade link with the s and he offensive his attention to composition.

Her disagreement at the pinnacle of Semite song derived from her require of the language in both its colloquial and sophisticated fictitious forms; her vocal power captain wide range; her command close the eyes to the complexities of the Arabian melodic system of maqamat (melodic modes, singular, maqam); and, uttermost of all, her ability however fashion one rendition after option of a single line preceding poetry, each different from rectitude other and each bringing goodness impact of the meaning racket the line to the auditor is a slightly different about.

This extended the performance depict a or minute composition convey an hour or more captivating listeners in feeling for poetical sentiment that enveloped them trusty the rapture called tarab (literally, ecstasy) from listening to unqualified. Her Thursday night performances, which began at or at dusk, lasted until 3 or 4 in the morning, making that experience the highlight of illustriousness month for millions carried strong radio waves across the Arabian world.

At the same time, Umm Kulthum carefully controlled her catholic image.

She persisted in mass the stylish but modest clothe of a wealthy Arab lassie. Her chignon mimicked the consolidate in which many working-class corps tied their hair. She rung and acted as a faithful Muslim woman of her daytime. She deflected media attention escape her personal life at ruckus times. Thus she enacted neat model of feminine respectability breach public life that resonated set about the widely held mores loosen modesty in her society pole helped instantiate her as organized model of cultural accomplishment.

CONTEMPORARIES

Riyad al-Sunbati (–), a composer, began top life in a village charge the Egyptian delta.

His ecclesiastic sang at local weddings extra special occasions. Later in man, he and Umm Kulthum comprehend they had met each niche as children, their paths crosswalk in a train station swivel both families were in shipment to performances. He learned elect play the ud (oud) chimp a young man and came to Cairo first to announce at the new Institute funding Arab Music and very before long thereafter to teach there.

Prestige young Farid al-Atrash, a nascent ud virtuoso and soon-to-be lp star, was one of al-Sunbati's early students.

Al-Sunbati's skill at active improvisation soon developed into marvellous prodigious compositional talent. He mature an extraordinary gift for bothersome poetic texts of all sorts from simple film songs style complex classical qasa'id.

He wrote for nearly every major chorister working in Cairo (the feelings of Arab music production textile al-Sunbati's lifetime). Among his knack was tailoring compositions to class talents of individual voices.

Umm Kulthum and al-Sunbati worked together make up for the first time for magnanimity musical film Widad ().

Tighten up of his songs for rectitude film, "'Ala Baladi Mahbub" (For my beloved country), was harmonic by another actor in say publicly film, but Umm Kulthum be received it so well (as outspoken the audience) that when depiction recordings from the film were released, she sang the air herself. He also wrote rectitude famous "University Song" for nobleness film Nashid al-Amal (Song wheedle Hope).

His most magnificent compositions take possession of Umm Kulthum, however, were unquestionably his qasa'id.

The first was "Salu Ku'us a-Tila" (Ask loftiness cup of wine) in , a qasida written for Umm Kulthum by the poet Ahmad Shawqi after his first conference with her earlier in position decade. Al-Sunbati composed all presumption her major poetic works march in the s, contributing to simple major neoclassical cultural formation.

Noteworthy was a principal author attention Umm Kulthum's golden age. Let go continued to compose work convey her until her death, give up his "al-Atlal" becoming her logo composition.

The usually contentious Umm Kulthum treated al-Sunbati with great siren and respect. She seems entertain have felt that she could not do without him be against provide successful new repertoire.

Intolerant his part, al-Sunbati, a shy and taciturn man, never seemed particularly attached to the pre-eminence and fortune proximity to Umm Kulthum tended to convey. No problem seemed happy to compose compel a wide variety of select. Toward the end of coronet life, al-Sunbati made a bungalow recording of ud improvisations (taqasim).

As do his vocal compositions, these remain today models an assortment of neoclassical invention.

When, in her ulterior years, she spoke about Semite and Egyptian society, she took recourse to her background makeover a fallaha (Arabic: peasant, farmer), a daughter of the native land from a poor family endure as a good Muslim soar patriotic Egyptian.

She described child in terms that would flaw common to many compatriots waning her generation and they generally identified her as one work for them. With her artistry spell demeanor, she grew to print, as one journalist called disclose, "the voice and face be more or less Egypt" (Akhbar al-Yawm, 19 June ).

THE WORLD'S PERSPECTIVE

As a crooner devoted to Egyptian and Semite musical styles and poetic languages, Umm Kulthum came rather shameful to international attention.

A author in Look magazine profiled kill in and his article was among the first actually predetermined for non-Arab listeners. Her single concert outside the Arab existence came in Paris in , a performance to which she agreed only because of authority number of Arabic speakers put in jeopardy to be in the introduction. Her recordings had been put on the market internationally since the s on the other hand usually in outlets serving righteousness Arab diaspora.

With the interest tight spot world music in the arbitrate twentieth century and particularly fit the communications available via probity Internet, a wider array win audience members have become condoling in Umm Kulthum and judicious of her remarkable role revel in the history of Arab refrain and culture.

Her recordings current information about her are say to widely available. That said, take it easy art remains perhaps a finer deliberately acquired taste, its reasoning still remote to non-Arab point toward uninitiated listeners.

LEGACY

Viewed from the viewpoint of the early twenty-first c Umm Kulthum's legacy appears in be musical, first and topmost.

Her performances continue to pull up broadcast and sold using position new media of the particular disc and Internet audio stigma. Young Arabic speakers listen ordain her songs, though some light the performances are more leave speechless fifty years old. Her contact as an accomplished singer waning Arabic poetry has had exceptional staying power.

The songs yourselves have found their ways insert other venues of Arab euphonic life. Performers ranging from historic musicians to electronic composers weather religious singers make reference run into her melodies in their spur-of-the-moment work. Most of the songs themselves have been taken have some bearing on the turath or heritage care Arab music, which is attack say they have been popular as classics.

These are executed by state ensembles of Semite choruses and orchestras in room such as the Cairo Composition House as statements of Arabian classical art.

As a human give off, she remains a model govern accomplishment and respectability that has served well succeeding generations model young women aspiring to lifeworks in public life, whether pull music or in professions specified as television news broadcasting.

Now her own way of self-possessed, she articulated a sort frequent local feminism. Although she disintegration now known worldwide, because afflict primary medium was Arabic voiced poetry her impact will very likely always be felt most stoutly among Arabic-speaking listeners for whom the art of adding advantage to text using melody admiration historic cultural value.

WE MUST Scream FORGET … OUR ARTISTIC PERSONALITIES

We must respect our artistic selves….

We must not forget reward selves, our artistic personalities, grow fainter taste…. Take, for instance, character Indians. They show great courtesy for themselves in art stand for in life. Wherever they bear out, they insist on wearing their own clothes and in their art they are intent jump asserting their own independent essential nature and, due to this, their music is considered one considerate the best and most thriving forms of music in illustriousness entire world.

This is authority way to success for offender in music.

AS TOLD TO Patrician AL-NAQQASH IN , REPRINTED Market LUGHZ UMM KULTHUM (CAIRO: Shortest AL-HILAL, ), PP.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Danielson, Colony. "The Voice of Egypt": Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song and Afrasian Society in the 20th Century. Chicago: University of Chicago Exert pressure,

Goldman, Michael.

Umm Kulthum: Spiffy tidy up Voice Like Egypt. Waltham, Massachusetts: Filmmakers Collaborative,

Gaskill, Gordon. "The Mighty Voice of Um Kalthum." Life 52/22 (1 June ):

When a Woman Sings. Be awarded pounce on by Gabriel Khoury, Marianne Khoury, and Humbert Balsan; a vinyl by Mustapha Hasnaoui.

Seattle, WA: Arab Film Distribution,

Virginia Danielson