Who, What and When? “Habeena Habeena” was written and performed by Farid al-Atrash, one of the greats of Arabic music known as the “King of the Oud.” This song appeared in the film “Nagham Fi Hayati” which was released in 1975 and was the last film he made. What is this song about? “Habeena” means “love us”, however it implies “love me”. In Arabic songs, direct address to women is often hidden behind the use […]
Who, What and When? “Ya Msafer Wahdak” was written for the 1942 Egyptian movie, “Love is Banned”. This beautiful classic was written by Mohammed Abdel Wahab with lyrics by Hussein Sayed. Abdel Wahab is also the person that first sang it in the movie, although many singers have recorded versions since then. The song’s opening has a strong flamenco-esque flair. Many dancers have taken a flamenco fusion approach to this standard- some quite nicely! You may […]
Who, what and when? “Fakkarouni” is yet another Oum Kalthoum classic on our list. This one was originally released in 1966 with music by Mohamed Abdel-Wahab and lyrics by Abdel-Wahab Mohamed – yes, you read that right! These are two different artists! This period of collaboration is considered to be the final phase of Oum Kalthoum’s career, a time when she began to accept some of the western musical elements in Abdel-Wahab’s compositions. What is this […]
Who, What and When? “We Daret Al Ayam” continues the Oum Kalthoum portion of the Must Know Songs for Belly Dancers list! This beautiful song – one of my very favorites – was composed by Mohammed Abdel Wahab and lyrics by Maamoon El Shinawi. It’s a shame Oum Kalthoum and Mohammed Abdel Wahab didn’t give up being rivals and come together earlier in their careers – their collaborations were really some of their finest pieces! This song […]
Who, what and when? “Lessa Fakir” is yet another Oum Kalthoum classic. (I promise, there are songs by other artists on this list -stick with us! ) The music for “Lessa Fakir” was written by Riad-Al-Sonbati, and the lyrics by Abdel Fattah Mustafa. It was first released in 1973, which was very late in her career. What is the song about? “Lessa Fakir” means “Do You Remember?”. Thematically, this song is very different from the others we […]