Revolutionizing Music: The Legacy of Umm Kulthum
Umm Kulthum is one of the greatest Arab musicians known in the Arab world. She baffled everybody with her majestic voice and talents. Her vocals got into millions of people’s hearts and blew nations away with her outstanding performances. Umm Kulthum Born on December 31
st, 1904, revolutionized the world of music with her astonishing melody.
She was born into a poor Egyptian family, where she would go tour with her father singing at weddings and other events. People were stunned by her amazing voice and seen a young talent. After moving to Cairo in 1920 she pursued a professional music career where she was able to astonish
millions more. She performed all of her shows the way she would do any other show, no fancy clothing and not much jewelry as we see today in many songs. Her music mainly focused on modern love and poetry with a melody so beautiful and so penetrating to the heart. Listening to
her music decades ago was very different than what you will hear today in the music industry.
One song could go on for hours and hours, just to be able to let the audience not only hear her but feel the words of her music. She used a lot of emotion throughout her performances. Music was different back then, just listening to her mawal was really powerful and pulled in listeners
making one eager to hear her. The beginning of each song usually consisted of a mawal which is basically just the instruments playing different rhythms and beats while the suspense builds up to ready her performance.
Umm Kulthum gave her all when she performed, her golden age sprung
around the 1940s, where she starred in a few films that described issues and values in Egyptian society. Umm Kulthums music expressed the oppression of the Egyptian people, this was something she was known for also using her fame to make a change. Not only was she a musician but also an ambassador for the Arab world. She was a spokesperson for her country throughout her life. After financial stability she eliminated her agents and was able to gain control over her life and performances. Umm Kulthum took her performances to the next level by taking control of her own concerts, choosing her own crew as well as how the song would be delivered.
She gave hope for the less fortunate through her music, kind of like an escape for some. She lived the life as those who were in poverty, her political activism gave her more room to reach deeper and bring the people of Egypt together as one. Gaining more interviews and
more areas to perform around the Arab world she would speak candidly on her background experiences in life and where she came from to give others a sense of certainty. Umm Kulthum was the voice of Egypt during her revolutionary time and became a remarkable icon. Later in her
life, she became ill and several health problems arised. She was doing a performance in 1971 where she felt faint, she continued to finish her last and final concert performance, later on passing away from a kidney attack. Umm Kulthums legacy will never be forgotten and will always be carried on into every generation for her one of a kind voice, as well as her love for her people.
https://youtu.be/ul4z6sLnXYY Link to one of her most famous songs