Why Oum Kalthoum? Why now?

The Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam opened this year’s Holland Festival on 1 June with a tribute to the legendary diva of the Arab World Oum Kalthoum by the Egyptian singer Amal Maher. While Oum Kalthoum is a big name in Arab countries, few people in the West have ever heard of her or her music. It seems rather strange to “recreate” a singer who died a longtime ago (1975), at a Dutch International Music Festival. A Muslim and a woman who never provoked any sort of sexual fantasy usually associated with the images and fantasies of second rate orientalists about harems, drugs and sex. The inclusion of her music at the Festival may be for musical as well as socio-political purposes.

Listen to Oum Kalthoum while reading…

 
Oum Kalthoum was not a beautiful woman, but according to the many stories about her, she easily ‘bewitched’ men with her charm. Her birth name was Fatima, but there is no official document of her birth. Even her date of birth is somewhat of a mystery as there are two versions floating around: May 1904 and December 1898.
 
It was her brother and promoter since early childhood who named her ‘Oum Kalthoum’, after one of the Prophet Mohamed’s daughters. The change of name was important because she began her career as a child singer performing at popular religious occasions, such as celebrating the birthday of the Prophet or one of the popular Muslim saints in Egypt.
Her life is an ‘American dream’ kind of success story: a girl from humble origins becoming rich and famous, befriending many Arab kings and presidents, especially president Gamal Abdul Nasser to whom she dedicated famous patriotic songs. 
 
Why Oum Kalthoum?
So why did the Dutch International Music Festival decided to bring such a character to its mixed audience: the Dutch who do not know her, and the younger second and third generation of Arabs living in Holland? It is almost amusing that the Festival decided to pay homage to this representative of historical Arabic music, while for Dutch and Arab youngsters it would have been much easier to identify themselves with the many modern Arabic singers, men and women, who mix oriental music with occidental music.
 
It is likely that showing Oum Kalthoum in the Netherlands is a socio-political stance towards the current atmosphere of heated debate on Islam among sections of Dutch society. It may successfully show that not everything from Muslim culture is evil, and that part of this culture corresponds with values and norms of the western culture and achievements in arts. It can also be an eye opener for those who believe that there is nothing good in classic Arab culture.
 
The common consensus is that Oum Kalthoum did not make an enormous contribution towards the artistic development of Arab music because of her strict religious upbringing and her rather conservative audience. However, the richness of her voice is rare, and she was also one of the first singers to use classic and modern Arab poetry in her songs. 
 
She is also famous for her patriotism towards her country, especially during the most dramatic moments of Egypt’s modern history: the Six Day War in 1967. Oum Kalthoum went to Arabic capitals to sing and collect money and – more importantly – sympathy for the wounded pride of Egypt and other Arab countries. 
 
Oum Kalthoum enjoyed tremendous success in the Arab world, especially during the peak of her career in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She had millions of fans, and was received as a guest of honor by Arab kings and presidents. Her private life, however, was not always a bed of roses. She married only in her late fifties, and the union was not a happy one. 
 
Out in terms of the importance of the classical Arab music it is it worth to pay attention also to Abdel Halim Hafez, an upcoming ‘new voice’ who made Oum Kalthoum weary.
 
The rival
Hafez also came from a humble family and was brought up in an orphanage. He established himself quickly as a new and very acceptable voice representing a growing new generation of millions of youth in all Arabic countries. He was known as the singer of “love and revolution.” Young and handsome, he played in more than two dozen films, always in the role of the good hearted romantic hero. As his star rose, Oum Kalthoum had already stopped with acting. 
 
Both the ‘old queen’ and the ‘young prince’ were manipulative characters. They were idols and had important networks through the media and the important people in the Middle East. Both were very charming and clever persons. They never attacked each other openly and were aware of each other’s position in the highest circles of the country.
 
Hafez died in his mid forties as result of liver problems, while Oum Kalthoum lived till her early seventies, and died of a broken heart seeing her old world vanish after the tragic death of Nasser. Both were phenomenal in their unhappy life and sad death, but they are still very much alive in the hearts of their fans through their songs.

Listen to Abdul Halim Hafez…