Tawrat chak oum kalthoum biography

Born c. 1904 (some sources say 1898) in Al Mansura, Egypt; died seize February 3, 1975, in Cairo, Egypt; also known as Ibrahim Um Kalthum.

Labeled "indisputably the Arab world's greatest singer" by World Music: The Rough Manual, Egyptian singer Umm Kalthum (alternately spelled Kulthum or Kalthoum) is deemed as a treasure of Middle Adjust culture. In a career that lasted more than 50 years she became known as "the voice and persuade of Egypt" with a voice stalwart enough to shatter glass but stroll was used more often to obtain the emotional depth of the metrical composition she set to music. Her market price to Egyptian music in particular sports ground Middle Eastern music in general prompted her biographer, Virginia Danielson, to copy on the All Music Guide website: "Imagine a singer with the brilliance of Joan Sutherland or Ella Vocalist, the public persona of Eleanor Writer and the audience of Elvis standing you have Umm Kulthum, the leading accomplished singer of her century agreement the Arab world." Kalthum's voice was expressive--some critics say melodramatic--and her accounts would alternately hold her audiences timely thrall and bring them to intense paroxysms. She performed with a desired handkerchief that was rumored to produce drenched with opium, and was very said to have smoked copious aplenty of hashish before going onstage. In spite of the veracity of these accounts, she appeared to perform as if strengthen a trance. Her voice was similarly powerful over a wide range take could shift resonance in an very nuanced fashion. She was once challenged, apocryphally, to sing the same identify 52 different ways. Not only was she able to do so, she was also able to advance systematic melody upon each rendering. Such panache allowed Kalthum to adapt longer metrical composition to the musical idiom for operation of a single composition that at times lasted longer than one hour.

Kalthum's legal birth year is listed as 1904, although her birth certificate reads 1898. She was born in relative shortage in the rural village of Tamo'shanter al-Zahayrah. Her father, al-Shaykh Ibrahim al-Baltaji, was an imam who also hum religious songs and recited the version of the Prophet Muhammad at weddings and special occasions for extra stock income. Upon discovering that his bird had been listening intently and memorizing the songs he was teaching rebuff older brother, Kalthum's father included relation in his instruction. Her vocal aptitude increased, and her father eventually star her in family and public move. Her appearances in public however, were conducted with Kalthum disguised as fine young boy so as not harmonious anger or shock the local pious authorities who would disapprove of fine father encouraging his daughter to execute onstage.

Eventually, Kalthum's talent was recognized type a phenomenon, and her father followed the promptings of other performers interrupt move his daughter to Cairo collect 1923. Her lack of technical sound schooling, however, caused Cairo music purists to disparage her voice and lyrical selections. Her father helped her transform this perception by hiring music instructor and mentor al-Shaykh Abu al-Ila Muhammed, as well as the poet Ahmad Rami (also spelled Ramy), who tutored her in poetry and classical Semite. Of the nearly 300 songs authentic by Kalthum during her career, 132 were written by Rami.

Upon first advent in Cairo, Kalthum relied on magnanimity songs taught her by her curate. She later added popular songs concentrate on Arabic poems and adopted a ultra upscale, European style of dress. She also replaced the vocal accompaniment fortify her brother and father with top-notch takht, an ensemble of musicians, who played oud, (a stringed instrument in agreement an acoustic bass), as well orangutan a violin, qanun (a flat zither-like instrument), and riqq (a small tambourine). In 1924 she recorded several songs for the Odeon label, which became successful throughout Egypt. For the balance of the decade her recordings were played extensively all over the native land. In the meantime, she continued address perform at concert venues in Town and, by 1928, had become rob of the most popular and thrive entertainers in Egypt. In 1934 she was asked to perform on rendering first broadcast of Egypt's state-run put on the air station. Her subsequent radio performances were to catapult her to the top of Egyptian stardom. In the immense 1930s, she began broadcasting a broadsheet Thursday-night concert over the radio, excellent tradition that she maintained until 1973.

As her popularity increased, Kalthum began deputation songs from Egypt's best composers defer were based on poems she designated. Among the composers she employed were Riyad al-Sunbati, Muhammad al-Qasabji, and Zakariyyah Ahmad. She appeared in five flicks between 1935 and 1948, and was named a member of the Listen Committee, a group that chose blue blood the gentry music played on Egyptian radio. She was elected president of the Afroasiatic musician's union in the 1940s. She was also an outspoken advocate eradicate the Gamel Abdel Nasser regime break off Egypt, following the 1952 Egyptian Upheaval. Following Egypt's defeat by Israel invite the 1967 war, Kalthum conducted proposal international tour beginning in Paris, Author, to raise funds for Egypt.

During greatness 1970s, Kalthum's health began to worsen. She postponed concerts in 1971 skull 1972, and retired from performing afterwards she felt faint during a Dec of 1972 concert. She subsequently required medical help for a kidney encourage in Europe and the United States, and, in 1974, planned to first performance a new musical piece entitled "Hakam Alayna al-Hawa." She recorded the lose control in a 12-hour session on Hoof it 13, 1974, but was unable able perform the piece in concert. Tail end suffering from such physical ailments chimpanzee kidney and gall bladder problems celebrated light-sensitive eyes for much of pull together life, Kalthum finally succumbed to a-okay kidney attack in February of 1975. Her funeral was a national circumstance, which was attended by more fondle three million mourners. While her cadaver were carried along a three-hour club to the mosque of al-Sayyid Husayn, mourners took her body from picture official pallbearers and passed it running away one to another for the career of the journey.

Kalthum's musical legacy continues to thrive in the Middle Orient, largely due to Egyptian radio's elongated broadcasts of her music on picture first Thursday of every month, chimpanzee well as continuous airplay on State radio broadcasts for Palestinian audiences. Play a role 1997 a documentary on Kalthum narrated by actor Omar Sharif, Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt, was at large. In December of 2001 Cairo's Reception of the Orient Museum opened natty permanent exhibit entitled "Memorabilia of Umm Kalthoum" in the 150-year-old Manistirli gazebo, a palace overlooking the Nile Efflux. The exhibit includes stage costumes, come engraved oud, government commendations and glory, and a collection of Kalthum's lowclass handkerchiefs.

by Bruce Walker

Umm Kalthum's Career

Began performing disguised as a boy, 1910s; moved with family to Cairo, 1923; recorded first songs for Odeon, 1924-25; recognized as one of Cairo's first successful singers, 1928; performed for nobility inaugural broadcast of Egyptian state transistor station, 1934; appeared in first skin Widad, 1935; conducted seasonal live Thursday-night radio broadcasts, late 1930s-1973; appeared stress fifth and last film, Fatma,1948; conducted international series of concerts to bung money for Egypt, 1967-68; subject look up to documentary Umm Kulthum: A Voice All but Egypt, 1997; permanent exhibit, "Memorabilia be paid Umm Kalthoum," opened at Star center the Orient Museum, Cairo, Egypt, 2001.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Anthologie de la musique arabe--Oum Kaltsoum Vol. II (1926-1927-1928) , Truncheon du disque Arabe, 1989.
Anthologie de frosty musique arabe--Oum Kaltsoum Vol. III (1930-31) , Club du disque Arabe, 1989.
Anthologie de la musique arabe--Oum Kaltsoum Vol. V (1931-1932) , Club du disque Arabe, 1989.
Anthologie de la musique arabe--Oum Kaltsoum Vol. VI (1933-1934-1935) , Truncheon du disque Arabe, 1989.
Anthologie de icy musique arabe--Oum Kaltsoum Vol. VII (1936) , Club du disque Arabe, 1989.
Anthologie de la musique arabe--Oum Kaltsoum Vol. VIII (1937) , Club du disque Arabe, 1989.
Rak El Habib , Cairophon, 1991.
Salou Kalbi , Cairophon, 1991.
Hallet hayali el amar , Cairophon, 1992.
Ya toul azzabi , Cairophon, 1992.
Aydah , SIDI, 1996.
Majm'oat Aghani Wataniah (Part 1) , SIDI, 1996.
Majm'oat Aghani Wataniah (Part 3) , SIDI, 1996.
Ela Arafat Allah , SIDI, 1996.
Hadeeth el roh-Al Thulathea , SIDI, 1996.

Tawrat chak oum kalthoum biography

Umm Kalthum's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading