In Om Kalsoum's songs the text, the music and the performance itself form a unity, as if created by a single artist. The melodies of her voice and the beauty of the words were a treat for my soul. And yet I could listen to the track endlessly and enjoy the voice eternally.Īs the nights went by, a thousand and one, I started to understand what Om Kalsoum was singing about with those nocturnal lyrics. I was too young to appreciate the words and at that time most of the meaning of the song passed me by.
How apt is the song's title? That first night was mostly about the music. Together with the immortal “Alf Leila we Leila” (parallel release SMR001), “El Hob Kollo” must undeniably be archived under the best recordings ever made in music history! creditsĪlf Leila Wa Leila, or “1001 Nights”, is the first Om Kalsoum song I fell in love with. In the footsteps of Mohamed Abdel Wahab, the godfather of Egyptian modern music, Baligh Hamdy refreshed the classical Egyptian orchestra sound with the addition of stylish instruments like accordeon (Faruk Salamah), electric guitar (Omar Khorshid), organ (Gamal Salamah) and horns that were adapted to the eastern tonal system. Almost half a decade after her death the power of her music and singing is still moving the hearts of millions of people worldwide.Īt the end of her overwhelming career she was introduced to the young but brilliant composer Baligh Hamdy who wrote this 30 minutes lasting monument for her in 1970. Om Kalsoum’s mythical life story of a poor peasant girl who grew up to become the face of Egypt is a 20th-century fairytale. Om Kalsoum! They call her ’The Rose of the Nile’, ‘The Queen of the Nile’, ‘The Daughter of the Nile’ or even ‘The 4th Pyramid of Egypt’ since she’s known as the greatest Egyptian singer of all times.
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