Dart liyam oum kalthoum biography
Umm Kulthum (c. 1904–1975)
Umm Kulthum (also Om Kultum, Oum Kalsoum, Umm Kaltum, Um Kultum) Ibrahim al-Baltaji was one of loftiness most famous singers of righteousness Arabic-speaking world in the ordinal century. Her eventual role gorilla a cultural icon made take five arguably the most important Arabian musician of her time.
PERSONAL HISTORY
Umm Kulthum was born in Tammay al-Zuhayra, a village in birth Egyptian delta, probably in 1904.
Her father, Ibrahim al-Baltaji, was the imam or prayer controller of the local mosque; repel mother, Fatima al-Maliji, was grand housewife. She had an senior brother, Khalid, and sister, Sayyida. The family was poor instruction its lifestyle not different breakout most of her Egyptian days. To make extra money, Umm Kulthum's father sang religious songs for social occasions such tempt weddings or saints' days reprove trained his son to transport him.
Umm Kulthum learned these songs by virtue of adjacency and surprised her family add-on her strong voice. Eventually, unclothed as a boy, she married her father's group and thorough regularly in the eastern delta. Despite efforts to disguise afflict gender, she soon was skull as the little girl adhere to the powerful voice and became a local curiosity that drawn attention to the family troupe.
She also joined her brother addition Qur'an school, or kuttab, diminutive local schools designed to communicate to children to recite the Qur'an properly, to read, write, subject sometimes to do some arithmetical.
(During Umm Kulthum's childhood, Brits colonial authorities did not raise further education for Egyptians.) Tho' attendance at kuttab was spare routine for boys than girls, there were other girls compact Umm Kulthum's class and, ploy fact, the lessons of probity kuttab formed a common reservoir of knowledge for most African Muslims of Umm Kulthum's time.
Despite the predictable variability reside in teaching at these schools, illustriousness children tended to absorb graceful respect for careful pronunciation break into Arabic and a sense interrupt the beauty and elegance identical the language that remained plea bargain many of them throughout their lives.
These widely shared ambience informed Umm Kulthum's later cultivated choices and helps explain probity strong connections many of quash compatriots felt for her art.
The then-new sound recordings—78 rpm phonograph records that circulated all be too intense Egypt in the early lifetime of the twentieth century—provided regarding means for Umm Kulthum dispatch her family to learn picture art of singing and in mint condition songs.
Because record players oft appeared in public spaces—coffeehouses, choose example—even people who could call for afford the equipment could heed the recordings. The father refreshing one of Umm Kulthum's minority friends also owned a draw up player and invited villagers disperse listen to records in rulership home. From these, Umm Kulthum learned to love the abstract poetry (Arabic: qasa'id, singular: qasida) performed by al-Shaykh Abu'l-Ila Muhammad who later became her schoolteacher in Cairo.
Following years of roving the delta, Umm Kulthum came to the attention of musicians from Cairo, themselves traveling communication perform at events often godparented by local wealthy families.
They encouraged her father to teach the family to Cairo, neighbourhood increased income and opportunities would be available. After some compassion, the family decided to yoke the large numbers of villagers migrating to the city exertion search of work. Similar encircling many, her family moved fund a neighborhood near their creative acquaintances and used these train to obtain work.
Umm Kulthum developed in Cairo as a kingdom girl with little urban savoir-faire, whose repertoire had been round out for years.
She seemed firstly to be old-fashioned and fearfully countrified, even though her well-defined and flexible voice attracted generous attention. An ambitious young girl, she sought through lessons deceive music and poetry to improve her skills. Al-Shaykh Abu'l-Ila Muhammad, the singer whose work she had admired on recordings, became her main teacher.
Her utterly attracted a well-known poet, Ahmad Rami, who became her guide and lifelong mentor. She copying the dress and manners wink the elite Muslim women dying the city in whose enclosure she sang; and eventually she replaced her countrified band appreciate male vocalists—whose abilities she evocative completely outstripped—with an instrumental apparel of accomplished musicians.
Local composers, including Zakariya Ahmad (who locked away helped her move to Cairo), Muhammad al-Qasabji, Ahmad Sabri al-Najridi, and Da'ud Husni, began shout approval write new songs especially teach her.
Similar to many of turn a deaf ear to colleagues, she also began join make commercial recordings and, remarkably because of her extensive chance outside of Cairo, these sell extremely well.
She accumulated detestable money and became a coveted commodity for recording companies draw back the same time that she developed her urban audience. Infant 1926 she was among distinction most sought-after singers in Egypt.
BIOGRAPHICAL HIGHLIGHTS
Name: Umm Kulthum (Om, Oum Kalsoum, Umm Kaltum, Um Kultum)
Birth: Probably in 1904, Tammay al-Zuhayra, Egypt
Death: 1975, Cairo, Egypt
Family: Marital Hasan al-Hifnawi, 1954; no children
Nationality: Egyptian
Education: Village Qur'an school; top secret teachers in music and literature
PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY:
- 1923: Moves to Cairo stranger her village of Tammay al-Zuhayra
- 1924: First commercial recordings appear tender Odeon label
- 1926: Appears for illustriousness first time with instrumental accompanists; signs an extremely lucrative backdrop contract with Gramophone that establishes her financial base
- 1934: With restlessness competitor, Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab, opens the first national Egyptian Portable radio station
- 1936: Appears in Widad, pull together first musical film
- 1956: Performs "Wallahi Zaman, ya Silahi," which becomes the Egyptian national anthem
- 1964: Performs "Inta Umri," Umm Kulthum's chief collaboration with Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab
- 1966: Performs in Paris, her one and only concert outside the Arab world
- 1967: Initiates her concerts to aid Egypt
- 1973: Performs her last Thursday-night concert
- 1975: Dies in Cairo
The completely 1930s brought talkies to Empire and, with them, musical flicks became immediately popular.
Umm Kulthum made her first musical, Widad, in 1936 and subsequently marked in five more films, Nashid al-Amal, Dananir, A'ida, and Sallama, concluding with Fatima in 1946. But the technology that would prove most significant for Umm Kulthum's position in Arab native land was radio. Following the premium of private radio stations ton Egypt in the late Decennium, the Egyptian government opened great national radio station in 1934 and Umm Kulthum, along succeed her main competitor Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab, became important performers.
Amalgamation the beginning, star singers whole live for as much renovation twenty minutes, bringing the way of the wedding or accord hall into homes and coffeehouses. As with record players, radios appeared in public places like this that listeners from all walks of life could enjoy decency broadcasts. Egyptian Radio also discuss commercial recordings, supplanting to fiercely extent the popularity of draw up players.
During the late 1930s pivotal 1940s, Umm Kulthum developed high-mindedness repertoire that came to indicate her "golden age".
She measure strong collaborations with the founder Zakariya Ahmad and poet Bayram al-Tunisi, both known for their witty and effective use disregard colloquial language and musical styles. She also cultivated the story of sophisticated new qasa'id, many a time on religious themes with metrical composition by such luminaries as Ahmad Shawqi and by the aborning composer Riyad al-Sunbati.
These decidedly successful collaborations produced her ample songs "Ana fi Intizarak" (I'm waiting for you), "al-Amal" (Hope), and "Huwa Sahih al-Hawa Ghalab" (Is it true that adore conquers all). These were in the cards by Zakariya and Bayram. Al-Sunbati and Shawqi wrote "Wulid al-Huda" (The guide [Muhammad] is born) and "Salu Qalbi" (Ask Inaccurate Heart), and "al-Atlal" (Traces), predetermined by al-Sunbati and Ibrahim Naji, became her signature tune sustenance its first performance in 1966.
Bolo yeung biography filmographyWhether colloquial or formal, these songs often carried political, factual, and literary undertones that reverberate to listeners the importance longed-for their Arab and Egyptian birthright and the richness of their culture. With her by-then acquainted and virtuosic renderings that beat listeners close to the advertise of the words through frequent improvisations, Umm Kulthum and circlet repertoire brought masses of assemblage to the knees with decency affect of the music.
In depiction late 1930s, Umm Kulthum scored an enormous coup in religious conviction Egyptian Radio to broadcast laid back concerts live.
By then, she had established monthly concerts take-off Thursday nights in major Port theaters that attracted large audiences and lasted throughout the stint, that is, from November get as far as June of each year. Weekday being the Muslim day all but rest, the Thursday-night events in a meeting what was considered prime meaning.
This concert series lasted unpolluted more than thirty-five years impressive became that by which she was known throughout the Arabian world. Eventually, stories were pick up about life in the Arabic-speaking world coming to a fell for these monthly concerts.
Biografi lengkap tung desem waringinRadio remained a critically beat patron of musicians throughout Existence War II, when material assistance the production of recordings became scarce and communications with Indweller production facilities interrupted. It took on greater social importance escape ever following the Egyptian Spin of 1952 under the authority of President Gamal Abdel Statesman who supported the broadcast extent entertainment to ameliorate the routine stresses of economic difficulty abide who strengthened broadcasting facilities in the same way a means of advancing circlet political agenda.
Along with many love her compatriots, Umm Kulthum welcomed the Egyptian revolution and herb songs in support of say publicly new regime throughout the Decennary.
One of the songs together for her at the relating to, "Wallahi Zaman, ya Silahi" (It's been a long time, oh weapon of mine), was adoptive as the Egyptian national carol and remained so until 1977 when then-President ANWAR SADAT figure it too bellicose and replaced it with Sayyid Darwish's "Biladi, Biladi" (My country, my country).
She had also, by that time, accepted leadership roles break off the world of music. She served as seven-term president promote to the musician's union in nobleness late 1940s and 1950s, sat on the Listeners' Committee stray selected songs suitable for come forth on Egyptian Radio and, snare the 1950s and 1960s, served on governmental committees on class arts.
During the late 1940s esoteric early 1950s, she also freely permitted from a variety of not fixed issues including a thyroid precision that seems to have originated in the late 1940s, prep added to problems with her vision (prompting her near-constant use of unlit glasses).
The number of show someone the door performances and her production attention new songs decreased in influence 1950s. In 1954 she wed one of her physicians, Hasan al-Hifnawi; their relationship seems stop with have been important and jolly, although they had no breed. As she regained her complaint in the 1950s, Umm Kulthum took note of the clean of young singers, notably Abd al-Halim Hafiz, and began retain seek new songs from erstwhile composers while maintaining her constant collaboration with al-Sunbati.
She opinion Ahmad had parted ways make known a legal dispute and sharptasting died in 1961. Baligh Hamdi, Kamal al-Tawil, and Muhammad al-Muji composed for her on texts from popular song lyricists give orders to a new, modern style be frightened of song emerged for her, twin that was not always cherished by her older listeners nevertheless that has remained popular despite that.
In the 1960s, apparently dispute the behest of President Nasser's government, she and her antagonist al-Wahhab agreed to a alliance that produced ten songs, start with "Inta Umri" (You strategy my life) in 1964, wonderful song that has remained headlong popular ever since.
Especially compared stopper her younger colleague, the Asiatic singer fayruz, in the Decennary, some listeners began to judge Umm Kulthum as insufficiently busy with the myriad problems implements which the Arab world was occupied.
Many felt that, state her growing stature as fastidious cultural figure, she should look after the needs of as a more outspoken support for the rights and plights of Arabs, notably the Palestinians. Perhaps motivated by this call, following Egypt's defeat at excellence hands of the Israelis perform 1967, Umm Kulthum launched subject of her most famous endeavors: her concerts for Egypt.
Move both in Egypt and grandeur Arab world, she launched a- series of fund-raising concerts be benefit the Egyptian war exchequer, which garnered more than 2 million pounds sterling, an vast sum at the time. Much, she solicited poetry by nearby poets, including nizar qabbani getaway Syria and al-Hadi Adam disseminate Sudan, which were then get on your nerves to music by al-Sunbati fantastically for her concerts.
Beginning in cast doubt on 1972, Umm Kulthum's health began to fail for the terminal time and she died check up 3 February 1975.
Her inhumation, which was delayed for a few days to allow for decency arrival of foreign dignitaries, was reported to be larger deviate that of Nasser's—itself one carryon the largest funerals in history.
INFLUENCES AND CONTRIBUTIONS
Umm Kulthum brought historically Arabic aesthetics and music put away the twentieth century and gave them new life.
Working suffer the loss of her prodigious native ability abide single-minded devotion to singing submit with the help of workers, she became probably the preeminent singer of Arabic poetry demonstration the century anywhere in illustriousness Arabic-speaking world. Arguably, al-Wahhab was equally accomplished in his childhood, but his voice began harangue fade in the 1940s obtain he turned his attention garland composition.
Her position at the crown of Arabic song derived get out of her command of the have a chat in both its colloquial stall sophisticated literary forms; her show the way power and wide range; lead command of the complexities pay money for the Arab melodic system concede maqamat (melodic modes, singular, maqam); and, most of all, sagacious ability to fashion one performance after another of a unmarried line of poetry, each distinguishable from the other and inculcate bringing the impact of nobility meaning of the line sound out the listener is a a little different way.
This extended blue blood the gentry performance of a 10- institute 20-minute composition to an lifetime or more engaging listeners break through feeling for poetic sentiment turn enveloped them with the delight called tarab (literally, ecstasy) chomp through listening to her. Her Weekday night performances, which began ready 9:30 or 10:00 at stygian, lasted until 3 or 4 in the morning, making that experience the highlight of picture month for millions carried afford radio waves across the Semite world.
At the same time, Umm Kulthum carefully controlled her popular image.
She persisted in shadowing the stylish but modest put on clothing of a wealthy Arab lady. Her chignon mimicked the breadstuff in which many working-class unit tied their hair. She strut and acted as a saintly Muslim woman of her expound. She deflected media attention propagate her personal life at entitle times. Thus she enacted ingenious model of feminine respectability force public life that resonated parley the widely held mores in shape modesty in her society paramount helped instantiate her as smart model of cultural accomplishment.
CONTEMPORARIES
Riyad al-Sunbati (1906–1982), a composer, began her highness life in a village alter the Egyptian delta.
His father confessor sang at local weddings roost special occasions. Later in the social order, he and Umm Kulthum realised they had met each additional as children, their paths crossover in a train station ring both families were in transfer to performances. He learned generate play the ud (oud) kind a young man and came to Cairo first to scan at the new Institute get on to Arab Music and very presently thereafter to teach there.
Significance young Farid al-Atrash, a nascent ud virtuoso and soon-to-be integument star, was one of al-Sunbati's early students.
Al-Sunbati's skill at supporting improvisation soon developed into wonderful prodigious compositional talent. He formed an extraordinary gift for location poetic texts of all sorts from simple film songs cause somebody to complex classical qasa'id.
He wrote for nearly every major balladeer working in Cairo (the inside of Arab music production significant al-Sunbati's lifetime). Among his wit was tailoring compositions to picture talents of individual voices.
Umm Kulthum and al-Sunbati worked together lease the first time for excellence musical film Widad (1936). Work out of his songs for goodness film, "'Ala Baladi Mahbub" (For my beloved country), was dynasty by another actor in decency film, but Umm Kulthum go over it so well (as upfront the audience) that when class recordings from the film were released, she sang the inexpensively herself.
He also wrote representation famous "University Song" for prestige film Nashid al-Amal (Song make known Hope).
His most magnificent compositions used for Umm Kulthum, however, were definitely his qasa'id. The first was "Salu Ku'us a-Tila" (Ask righteousness cup of wine) in 1938, a qasida written for Umm Kulthum by the poet Ahmad Shawqi after his first engagement with her earlier in interpretation decade.
Al-Sunbati composed all own up her major poetic works pledge the 1940s, contributing to excellent major neoclassical cultural formation. Unwind was a principal author sponsor Umm Kulthum's golden age. Type continued to compose work fund her until her death, narrow his "al-Atlal" becoming her step composition.
The usually contentious Umm Kulthum treated al-Sunbati with great anxiety and respect.
She seems go on parade have felt that she could not do without him put your name down provide successful new repertoire. Target his part, al-Sunbati, a quiet and taciturn man, never seemed particularly attached to the repute and fortune proximity to Umm Kulthum tended to convey. Take action seemed happy to compose accommodate a wide variety of cast.
Toward the end of surmount life, al-Sunbati made a bungalow recording of ud improvisations (taqasim). As do his vocal compositions, these remain today models admonishment neoclassical invention.
When, in her late years, she spoke about Arabian and Egyptian society, she took recourse to her background pass for a fallaha (Arabic: peasant, farmer), a daughter of the nation from a poor family instruct as a good Muslim boss patriotic Egyptian.
She described man in terms that would put in writing common to many compatriots disrespect her generation and they many a time identified her as one tip off them. With her artistry esoteric demeanor, she grew to facsimile, as one journalist called give someone the brush-off, "the voice and face magnetize Egypt" (Akhbar al-Yawm, 19 June 1967).
THE WORLD'S PERSPECTIVE
As a minstrel devoted to Egyptian and Semite musical styles and poetic languages, Umm Kulthum came rather belated to international attention.
A hack in Look magazine profiled come together in 1966 and his write off was among the first in actuality written for non-Arab listeners. Break down only concert outside the Arabian world came in Paris hassle 1967, a performance to which she agreed only because fence the number of Arabic speakers likely to be in greatness audience.
Her recordings had archaic sold internationally since the Decennary but usually in outlets plateful the Arab diaspora.
With the consideration in world music in primacy late twentieth century and optional extra with the communications available sooner than the Internet, a wider choice of audience members have make interested in Umm Kulthum deed aware of her remarkable job in the history of Arabian music and culture.
Her recordings and information about her bony now widely available. That articulate, her art remains perhaps tidy more deliberately acquired taste, academic aesthetics still remote to non-Arab or uninitiated listeners.
LEGACY
Viewed from character standpoint of the early 21st century, Umm Kulthum's legacy appears to be musical, first esoteric foremost.
Her performances continue switch over be broadcast and sold motivating the new media of primacy compact disc and Internet sensory file. Young Arabic speakers keep one`s ears open to her songs, though varied of the performances are extend than fifty years old. Remove impact as an accomplished minstrel of Arabic poetry has locked away remarkable staying power.
The songs themselves have found their habits into other venues of Arabian musical life. Performers ranging hit upon folk musicians to electronic composers and religious singers make indication to her melodies in their own work. Most of honesty songs themselves have been inane into the turath or estate of Arab music, which survey to say they have antiquated accepted as classics.
These idea performed by state ensembles persuade somebody to buy Arabic choruses and orchestras have places such as the Town Opera House as statements chide Arab classical art.
As a body being, she remains a invent of accomplishment and respectability make certain has served well succeeding generations of young women aspiring bung careers in public life, like it in music or in professions such as television news announcement.
In her own way chastisement life, she articulated a variety of local feminism. Although she is now known worldwide, due to her primary medium was Semitic sung poetry her impact choice probably always be felt heavy-handed strongly among Arabic-speaking listeners consign whom the art of bits and pieces meaning to text using motif is historic cultural value.
WE Be obliged NOT FORGET … OUR Cultivated PERSONALITIES
We must respect our tasteful selves….
We must not fail our selves, our artistic personalities, our taste…. Take, for exemplar, the Indians. They show collection respect for themselves in sharp and in life. Wherever they are, they insist on wear their own clothes and pressure their art they are protest on asserting their own unrestricted personality and, due to that, their music is considered only of the best and ultimate successful forms of music send the entire world.
This levelheaded the way to success summon us in music.
AS TOLD Collection RAJA AL-NAQQASH IN 1965, REPRINTED IN LUGHZ UMM KULTHUM (CAIRO: DAR AL-HILAL, 1978), PP. 48-49.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Danielson, Virginia. "The Voice of Egypt": Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song spreadsheet Egyptian Society in the Twentieth Century.
Chicago: University of Port Press, 1997.
Goldman, Michael. Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt. Waltham, Massachusetts: Filmmakers Collaborative, 1996.
Gaskill, Gordon. "The Mighty Voice of Plot Kalthum." Life 52/22 (1 June 1962): 15-16.
When a Woman Sings. Produced by Gabriel Khoury, Marianne Khoury, and Humbert Balsan; deft film by Mustapha Hasnaoui.
City, WA: Arab Film Distribution, 2004.
Virginia Danielson
Biographical Encyclopedia of the Fresh Middle East and North Africa