Search - Oum Kalsoum :: Mother of the Arabs

The Mother of the Arabs

Zekeriyah | Chicago, IL | 08/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"And well is her title earned, for she continues to be an over arching influence in the Arab world, from Morocco to Yemen, and even beyond. A while back, EMI Arabia started it's 'Arabian Masters' series, showcasing various classical Arabic artists from the 'golden age' like Abdel Halim Hafez, Farid el Atrache, Muhammad Abdel Wahhab and, of course, Oum Kalthoum. This entire album is a compilation devoted to Egypt's greatest diva, including 'Ala Balad el Mahboub,' 'Akoum Saeed,' 'Gannit Naimi' and 'Zokra Saad Zaghloul,' amongst others. Considering her vast output of recordings over her decades long career, this is a pretty decent selection. All of the songs are short, as opposed to her usual hour or so long performances (a length not unusual for classical Arabic song, I might point out). Because of this, it makes for a great introduction to her works. If you can find it, that is, as the CD has proven quite popular with fans. I believe EMI Arabia released a second compilation of Oum Kalthoum's songs as well, later on, and she is featured on other discs in the series as well. If you've never heard Oum Kalthoum before, you owe it to yourself to do so, and this place is as good as any to start at. This is what all modern Egyptian music, indeed all modern Arabic music, has been influenced by. Definitely worth buying if your a fan of classical Arabic music."