Om Kalsoum
Hakam Aleena el Hawa
Sono Cairo (France) 1974
SC 22 143 (LP) single-sided coated sleeve.
sleeve : EX-(WC, slight wear and slight collapse on corner.)
media : EX-/EX-(some slight surface noise due to slight hairlines)
An album released in 1974 by Om Kalsoum, an Egyptian female singer who, since her debut in the 1930s, has been one of the most recognized and beloved figures in Arab music, alongside Fairuz. This work from 1973 features lyrics by Abdel Wahab Mohamed and music by Baligh Hamdi. While many of Kalsoum's works are said to depict complex human emotions and passions, this album particularly portrays a fatalistic view of love. Despite Kalsoum being elderly and ill at the time of recording, composer Hamdi is credited with successfully making her voice sound youthful under those conditions. It is also considered a pioneering work that updated the style of classical Arab songs, with its influence extending to 1970s Arab music and later pop-tarab.