Stories Behind the sounds

Aho Da Ell Sar (1920) أهو ده اللي صار - سيد درويش1920
 

The year 1920 was a tumultuous one in the Arab world, rife with anti-colonial movements all across the region.

Iraqi Arabs rebelled against British rule in July (War of Eshreen). The Ottoman Empire was driven out of Syria, and the Syrian Arab Congress declared independence, only to immediately confront colonial powers.Read more 

Ya M’saharni (1972)-Umm Kulthumيا مسهرني 1972 أم كلثوم
Umm Kulthum first called upon Sayed Mekkawi in 1961, but that first attempt ended in a misunderstanding which lasted a decade. During that period, Mekkawi had become one of the Arab world’s most celebrated artists, writing compositions for more than a dozen of the region’s most celebrated singers.  Read more

Ala Hesb Wedad (1963) على حسب وداد1963 - عبد الحليم حافظ
The populist music movement in Egypt traces its roots well back into the nineteenth century, but its appreciation by major composers began in earnest in the late 1930’s. One of the fundamental forces behind this acceleration was the work of colloquial poets such as Bayram Al-Tunsi. His works laid the groundwork for a new generation of poets.. Read more 

Natriq Sahran (1960)wadih El Safiناطرك سهران 1960 وديع الصافي
Wadih El Safi’s contribution to Middle Eastern music is almost impossible to measure — his presence is so deeply woven into the cultural fabric that even his 5,000-plus works only begin to reflect his influence... Read more

El Hobb Kolloh (1971) - Umm Kulthumالحب كلو - أم كلثوم
 

In his ninth, and penultimate, composition to the Star of the Orient, Baligh Hamdi seems to distill a brilliant career into one work. And, Umm Kulthum, at seventy-four and in full contralto, delivers another crowning achievement of her six-decade-long reign.

Ahmad Shafiq Kamel’s poem is no ordinary love song.. Read more 

Set El-Habayeb Fayza Ahmed ‧ 1979 فايزة أحمد-ست الحبايب يا حبيبة
 

Songs celebrating parenthood rarely attain iconic musical status. In the Arab world, while literature, motion pictures, and visual arts are replete with popular works depicting the struggle to raise a family and examples of parental sacrifice, in the world of music, one song has separated itself from all others. And so has the story behind this great work of art. Houssain Al Sayed, Read more