Umm Kulthuum

Early Stage and in Cinema

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Who we are? Who is Umm Kulthuum? Biography - Childhood

Early Life Road to Fame and the Rise Awards and Umm Kultuum in Cinema
of Umm Kulthuum Rrecognitions
 HELLO! I’m Katia

I used to bake a lot!

Favourite Destination: Gouna

Participated in Battle of the My own business -
Bands Control_byk
 HELLO! I’m
Kareem

I love to cook (Steak Coached tennis

especially)

I love traveling and

would love to go to
iceland one day
Who is Umm
Kulthuum?
 Umm Kulthuum Ibrahim El-Sayed El-
Beltagi
● An iconic Egyptian Singer and Actress

● Recognized to be one of the 200 greatest singers

of all times

● Known as “Kawkab-Al Shark and Egypt’s 4th

pyramid
Biography
Born 31st December 1898 and passed
away 3rd February 1975, aged 76

Tammay al-Zuhayra, a village in the

Egyptian delta

Her Father, Ibrahim El-Beltagi, was an

Imam

Her Mother, Fatima El-Maliji, was a

housewife

She had two siblings, Khaled and Sayyieda

Early Life
● Showed exceptional talent in singing at a
young age

● Memorized the entire Quran

● 12 years - joined her family ensemble

(weddings, festivals

● Dressed up as a boy while performing (social

norms)
Road to Fame
● Mohammed Abu Al-Ela - taught her the old classical Arabic
repertoire

● Zakaria Ahmed, famous composer and oud player took her to

Cairo (1923) -
She was not welcomed due to her old-fashioned and countrified
look

● Ahmed Rami, the famous poet - taught her literal arabic

● Mohammed El-Qasabgi, the renowned composer & oud player -

introduced her to the arabic theater palace
“Umm Kulthum confronted this international array
with a cultivated Egyptian-Arab style of song,
informed by new sounds and instruments from the
West, but essentially local.”
~ Virginia Danielson
 The Rise of Umm Kulthuum
For the next 40
1932 years

She had a tour She performed her

1930 singing in 1934 monthly concert,
Middle East broadcasted live on
She was well Establishment of the
and North the Egyptian Radio
known to the Egyptian Radio (Radio
Africa
public Cairo)
-
led to her skyrocketing
fame
 Umm Kulthuum’s monthly performance
Songs:
- Mostly dealing with love, longing and loss (3-4
hours)
- Sang works created by the poets Ahmad Shawqī
and Bayrām al-Tūnisī.
- Collaborated with all the well known composers
i.e. Zakaria Ahmed and Mohammed El-Qasabgi
- Sang compositions by Riyad al-Sunbati – that
had political overtones, hinting at social justice
and Egypt’s independence
- “Nashīd al-Gāmi’ah” and “Sa’alu Qalbī”
- “Walah Zaman Ya Selahi” (National Anthem
1960-1979)
 Umm Kulthuum’s monthly performance
Ferqa:
Consisted of 26 members playing :
- Kammangah (Ahmed El-Hefnawy
- Nayy (Sayed Salem)
- Oud (Mohammed El- Qasabgi)
- Qanoun (Mohamed Abdu Saleh)
- Accordion (Medhat Taha)
- Riq (Huseein Moawad)
- Cello (Mahmoud El-Hefnawy)
- Guitar (Omar Khorshed)
- Keyboard (Magdy El- Hosini, Hany Mehanna)
- Saxophone (Samir Sorour)
- Contrabass (Abas Fouad)
Umm Kulthuum’s film appearances
- Made her first appearance in Wedad
(1935)
- Fatma (1947)
- Yahya al-hubb (1951)
- Sallama (1955)
- Gharam w intiqam (1960)
- Among others
Her role in the films:
- Her voice was used to set emotions or
certain moods, which became an
integral part of the film industry
- She often played herself or similar
characters
The Movie Fatma (1947)

- One of her most famous movies

- She played a singer who overcomes
adversity to achieve success
- The film was a huge success and
helped to cement Umm Kulthum's
status as a beloved cultural icon and
contributing to her lasting legacy in
Egyptian cinema.
 Umm Kulthuum’s
Awards and Recognitions
 She became a member of the
Listening Committee and
was elected to be president
of the musicians’ union

1944 1967 Over 300 songs and 5 films

Awarded Nishan El
Kamal by King Olympia concert in
Farouk, highest Paris - only concert
level award she gave outside
reserved the Arab world
exclusively to the
Royal Family
 Sayed Darwish (1892-1923)
● Father of modern Arab music
● Iconic Music Composers
● 1918 - was inspired by the renowned Arabic
lyricist Salama Hegazy
● Composed the famous National Anthem (Beladi
Beladi)
● Composed “Salma ya Salama” and “El-Helwa
dih”
● Collaborated with Naguib Al-Rihani and
composed 7 Operettas
 Mohammed Abdel Wahab (1902-1991)
● Prominent 20th-century Egyptian singer, actor and
composer
● Known for his Romantic and Egyptian patriotic
songs
● Instruments: Vocals and Oud
● Known for his Egyptian Nationalist and
Revolutionary songs
● “Ya Masr Tam El-Hanna”, “Hay Ala El-Falah”, “El
Watan El Akbar”
● Composed the national anthem of Libya (adopted
1951-1969, 2011)
 Thank you
Any questions?
 Resources
● https://egypttravelblog.com/podcast032/
● https://www.al-fanarmedia.org/2020/03/umm-kulthum-a-tribute-to-a-legendar
y-voice-of-egypt/
● https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/112511/Umm-Kulthum-Ensemble-for-A
rabic-Music-to-perform-in-Alexandria
● https://www.britannica.com/biography/Umm-Kulthum-Egyptian-musician
● https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/feb/28/she-exists-out-of-time-umm-k
ulthum-arab-musics-eternal-star
● https://enterprise.press/stories/2023/01/03/umm-kulthum-is-the-only-arab-in-r
olling-stones-200-greatest-singers-list-chinese-companies-are-jumping-on-virt
ual-employees-92693/