Between Patriotism & Musical Genius: Celebrating Egyptian Composer Baligh Hamdy
On October, 7 one of the most talented Arab composers was born, not knowing that years later, his patristic melodies, his birthday, and the 6 of October victory would synchronize.
Born on 7 October 1931, died in 1993. Four decades later on his birthday, Egypt will also celebrate the birth of the first post-October victory song “As I Sing Along the Rebab.”
On that day, the announcement of Bar Lev crossing was broadcasted, the war came to an end. What happened after was a work of magic, since Hamdy knocked on the door of the poet Ab El Raheem Mansour and delivered to him the news of the victory. To which Mansour responded, ” I wish I was able to fetch my Rebab and sing all around the country.”
‘While I Sing on the Rebab’, saw its birth, thanks to Hamdy the composer, and Mansour the writer. On the same day, they collaborated and produced another patriotic song ” Allahu Akbr Bism Allah.”
Hamdy’s musical genius not only intersects and synchronizes with such a great event, but it also intertwines with the popular musical scene encompassing Um Kulthum, Abd El Haleem Hafiz, Warda Al Jazairia, Shadia, Ali Al Haggar, and Mayada Al Henawy.
With Um Kulthum he composed 11 songs, some of which are ” One Thousand and One Nights”, “The Tale of Love”, “Away from You”, and “The Date is Overdue”. Abd El Haleem alone has 30 songs composed by Hamdy himself. In his musical career, he made the achievement of composing more than 250 pieces.
Al Nakshabandy’s glorious “Mawlay” which constitutes the thematic captivating spirituality of the holy month of Ramadan is composed by Hamdy.
In short, Baligh Hamdy’s music has had its ever-lasting emotional effect, for centuries, and still, it is moving the Arab world with tears of patriotic joy, as well as tears of love, and spirituality.
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