Original version

BBC World Service Online

The Forum

Documentaries

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

The programme that explains the present by exploring the past

The programme that explains the present by exploring the past.

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

The Forum: Umm Kulthum: Egypt’s singing superstar

Umm Kulthum performs at Olympia concert hall in Paris

10/12/2020 GMT

Umm Kulthum: Egypt’s singing superstar

BBC World Service - The Forum, Umm Kulthum: Egypt’s singing superstar

Exploring the life of a woman whose voice still captivates people across the Middle East

Bridget Kendall examines the extraordinary rise and continuing legacy of Umm Kulthum, with expert guests Virginia Danielson, Yara Salahiddeen and Salwa el-Shawan Castelo-Branco.

Umm Kulthum’s powerful voice and talent for communicating poetry was spotted early, when she accompanied her family to perform at weddings and special occasions. It wasn’t long before she was performing in the elite salons of early 20th-century Cairo, although her father dressed her as a boy to protect her from any unwelcome interactions with strangers.

In the Egyptian capital she quickly associated herself with the most talented musicians of the day, and from then on she never looked back.  She explored the major Arabic song forms of the period, collaborating with composers and poets.  She dabbled in film, negotiated record deals, and when public service broadcasting began in the 1930s, she secured herself a monthly slot on national radio. In awe of her talent and mesmerising presence, the Arab world practically came to a standstill whenever she was heard on the airwaves.

Joining Bridget Kendall to explore Umm Kulthum’s life are Virginia Danielson, author of The Voice of Egypt: Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song and Egyptian Society in the 20th Century; Salwa el-Shawan Castelo-Branco, professor of ethnomusicology at the New University of Lisbon and president of the International Council for Traditional Music; and Yara Salahiddeen, whose current research at the University of Oxford focuses on music-making in 19th and early 20th century urban Egyptian society.

[Image: Umm Kulthum performs on Nov 16 1967 at the Olympia concert hall, Paris. Credit: STRINGER, AFP via Getty Images]

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Forum

Umm Kulthum: Egypt’s singing superstar

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Online

About BBC World Service