Om Kalthoum has a unique place in the hearts of Egyptian people. Get into a taxi in Cairo and you are just as likely to hear an Om Kalthoum song as you are to hear the latest pop. Dancers since Souheir Zaki have included a either a sung or an instrumental dancers version of Om Kalthoum song in their repertoire. It used to be at the end –nobody could top Om Kalthoum. Now it is in there somewhere. You just know when it is going to happen. The dancer takes on a soulful intense expression.

Dina having an Om Kalthoum song moment.(photo Kay Taylor)

But who was Om Kalthoum and why was she so special?

Obviously she was an incredible singer. The best composers of the day wrote for her. Her songs were very long- 25 minutes and sometimes up to an hour or two!. Her concerts held on the first Thursday of every month and broadcast live on radio brought the nation to a halt as everybody listened. When she died in 1975 she was honoured with a state funeral with people vying to bear her casket through the streets of mourners.

She was born in 1904 (?) to a poor family. Their house was made of mud brick. Her father supplemented his income by singing religious song for weddings. He taught the songs to her brother. Om kalthoum joined with these lessons and the talent she showed impressed her father very much. She began her performing career when her brother was ill and dressed as a boy she sang instead of him. Her voice was so remarkable she attracted much attention and soon became a regular performer and favourite.

With help the family relocated to Cairo so she could take up a singing career. Her religious schooling, her insistence on using traditional Arabic musical and emotional interpretation of the lyrics set her apart from other singers of the day. This was at a time of when to sing this way was a statement against British colonial forces. Egyptian people looked to her as a symbol of patriotism. She sang for them and was special to them.

Her career was helped by the development-radio, films, records and television and she used them all and increased her fans.

Sadly her personal life was not as great as her professional one. Her first engagement to King Farouks uncle was forbidden by the Royal family and she married a musician but the marriage was annulled within days. Her second husband was one of her doctors who looked after her during her ill health during her 50s. She was plagued by ill health throughout her life and developed an increasing sensitivity to light and wore dark glasses for much of her later life. She never had any children.

To find out more about this fascinating lady and her remarkable life and talent watch this brilliant DVD Umm Kulthum A Voice Like Egypt.It covers her life story and clearly shows the political changes in Cairo throughout her lifetime and the important role she played in Egypts History. available from www.aladdinscave.com

1904-Born

1911-first public performance

1919-first performance in Cairo. Moved to Cairo the following year.

1923-first recording contract

1926-Changed her style-her dress from Bedouin coat to elegant dresses, changed record companies and began to sing more popular type songs.

1934-began singing on the radio

1935-first film "Widad"

1937-her famous first Thursday concerts were broadcast live on the radio and Egypt came to a halt

1942-52-During these years she was plagued by ill health, her engagement forbidden, her marriage annulled and her mother and brother both died.

!956-her health improves and she searches out new composers to write for her in this new age for Egypt (1952 revolution –British came out of Egypt)

1964-released the first song written for her Mohamed Abdul Waheb-Ente Omri

1967-concert in Paris-the only one out of the Arab World

1971-75 her health declines. She died on 3rd February 1975 age 70.

Her songs were long often over half an hour to an hour and this makes hard listening but a fabulous project by Sara Farouk (respected UK dancer and performer now living in Cairo) working with Emad El Rashid a master Oud player, has resulted in this CD Prime Cuts-Om Kalsoum for dancers. This is such a great idea.They have taken some of the most well known songs and cut them down seamlessly to around 5-8 minutes.So you get to hear Om Kalthoum singing the songs that made her so famous.Included in the CD notes are translations of the songs. The songs are Lessa faker, Ansak, Fat el M'aad, Sert el Hob,Amal Hyaty,El Hob Koolu, Enta Omri.

The CD is £12 email me via the contact page if you wish to buy a copy. I have about half a dozen left. I'm sorry but I no longer post out of the UK.

It is not thought the done thing to dance to an actual Om Kalthoum song with her singing. These are meant for listening to, also they are very long. They also lack the percussive drive that most dancers today are used to. What has happened over the years is that famous dancers have had their orchestras play their favourite and more danceable bits of a song this has resulted in established dancers versions of her more popular songs appearing on dancers CDs. Sometimes these are instrumental, sometimes some of the words are still sung. All the following versions are made for dancers.

Here are some of her best known songs. Some are instrumental versions.

I have included several links to youtube for each tune so that you can hear the song  it does not necessarily include the same version as on the CD.

1.Alf leyla Wa leyla –1001 nights.On the CD Tribute to Om Kalthoum same version on CD Raks Aziza. Instrumental. Download from www.emusic.com
translation

Nancy Ajram singing the well known part of Alf leyla wa leyla with English subtitles

Om Kalthoum singing the same bit of Alf  leyla wa leyla

Instrumental version of Alf leyla wa leyla-this is the same version as the the CD above

2.Leylet hob-love nights. Instrumental.CD Very cairo Vol 1.A good short version about 3.30m Contact me for translation its in my collection

Souheir Zaki dancing to Leylet Hob

3.Ente Omri-You are my life. Instrumental. CD Amar 14. Download from www.emusic.com
translation  

A section of the song Ente Omri sung by Om kalthoum at a concert in Paris with English subtitles

Ente Omri instrumental version by Hossam Ramzy

4.Lesse faker-Do you still remember? This is the song Dina is dancing to with the "Om Kalthoum song" face!! Nice version on CD Best of Saiidi with Fatme Serhan 5.26m.Song sung by Fatme Serhan.Translation

This is Lucy, a dancer from the US dancing to the same version as on the CD above

Egyptian Lucy dancing to Lesse Faker

5.Darit il ayam (the days went by)-CD Helwa Leila- Song is sung by Safaa Farid. Buy from www.faridadance.com.

Translation

Short version of Darit il ayam on CD Raqs Sharki Vol 3 (3 minutes) produced by Nourhan Sharif

Nancy Ajram singing Darit il Ayam with English subtitles

Usual dancers version (this one is live in Cairo)

6.Ana Fi Intizarak-I’m waiting for you  CD Oriental fantasy Vol 6 or 10 4.45m. Instrumental
translation www.shira.net.

Very short version 2.30m on Tribute to Om Kalthoum

Dancers version of Ana Fi Intizarak

7.Ghanilli shwaye shwaye-sing a little for me Folky style version on CD Journey of the Gypsy Dancer.Song sung by unknown singer.Translation www.arabicmusictranslation.com 

8.Ansak,Ya Salam (Forget you, how could I?)CD Sukarra By Leila.Song sung by Safaa Farid. Translation Courtesy of Yasmina of Cairo

Forget you? How could I?

Thats impossible and I never even consider it.

It's impossible that my heart will ever love anyone else except you

This is what is impossible

The best times of my life I spent with you

Years have passed full of love,the like of which I never saw.

years passed like seconds in your love

If I could love again I'd love only you.

all the sweetness and passion has been there between us,even in the bad times

So how can you say forget me,when I love you more than ever?

Why would I love again,what would I do without your love

That's impossible,that my heart would ever love anyone else

Om Kalthoum singing Ansak

Joanna of Cairo dancing to Ansak on the Nile Maxim

 

9.Ya Msaharni-you keep me awake all night on CD Al Amoura-summary translation in the notes. Song sung by Safaa Farid Translation