History & Heritage
1.11.2023
Music: Top 5 tracks to discover Umm Kulthum
Umm Kulthum was a very popular singer in Egypt and in the Arab world. Rolling Stone magazine’s American editors have just named her one of the 200 greatest singers of all time. To celebrate her immense career, here are 5 of her most memorable performances!
1 – “Enta Omri”
Arguably the most iconic song, and the biggest hit of the one nicknamed “The Fourth Pyramid”. Its title translates as “You are my life”. Several interpretations of the song can be found at concerts and are freely available on YouTube.
2 – “El Awela fel Gharam
Composed by Zakaria Ahmad, and written by poet Bayram al-Tunisi, this heady song is about one of the most common themes in the art world: love!
3 – “El Atlal”
Literally translated as “The Ruins”, this song, speaks of loss and longing. Written by the Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani, it is considered one of Umm Kulthum’s most emblematic songs.
4 – “Alf Leila Wa Leila”
This song based on the story of the Arabian Nights (which is actually what the title translates to), has become one of the singer’s biggest hits, as evidenced by the 66 million views on the YouTube video alone posted on the singer’s account with 2.35 million subscribers.
5 – “Baeed Anak”
“Far away from you” deals, as one might have expected, with the themes of being torn apart from a loved one.
What a great way to take your first steps in the footsteps of the one who was also called the Star of the East!
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