Her enduring legacy was marked by extensive international commemorations for the 50th anniversary of her death
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Umm Kulthum
Fatima Ibrahim es-Sayyid el-Beltagi, known by her stage name Umm Kulthum, was an Egyptian singer and film actress. She was given the honorific title Kawkab el-Sharq. Immensely popular throughout the Middle East and beyond, Umm Kulthum is a national icon in her native Egypt; she has been dubbed "The Voice of Egypt" and "Egypt's Fourth Pyramid". In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Umm Kulthum at number 61…
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entertainment · Egyptian singer-songwriter and actress (1904–1975) · singer · actor · film actor · musician · also Umm Kulthum, Omm Kalthum, Fatima Ibrahim es-Sayyid el-Beltagi, Kulthum
Born 31 December 1898 · Died 3 February 1975 · Q1110560
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2025· 1 entry
2023· 1 entry
Rolling Stone ranked Umm Kulthum at number 61 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time
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2001· 1 entry
The Egyptian government opened the Umm Kulthum Museum in the singer's memory
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1999· 1 entry
And the 2017 film Looking for Oum Kulthum, in addition to other works that have explored her life
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1975· 2 entries
Died 1975-02-03.
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Drew a crowd of over 4 million people, the largest human gathering in Egypt's history, and one of the largest funerals in history
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1971· 1 entry
Staged several concerts upon the invitation of its first president Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to celebrate the event
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1970· 1 entry
And El Tholathya El Moqadasa ["The Holy Trilogy"] (1972)
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1969· 1 entry
It was followed by another, Asbaha al-Ana 'indi Bunduqiyyah ["I now have a rifle"]
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1966· 1 entry
In a personal version and with a melody composed by Sonbati, is considered one of her signature songs
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1960· 1 entry
Performed Howa Saheeh El Hawa Ghallab, becoming a popular classic with music by Zakaria Ahmed
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1959· 1 entry
Sang Hagartak, this song represents the emotional depth of her collaborations with composer Riad Al Sunbati and poet Ahmad Rami
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1953· 1 entry
Traveled to the United States for surgery
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1950· 1 entry
Umm Kulthum sang Sonbati's composition of excerpts of what Ahmad Rami considered the accomplishment of his career: the translation from Persian into classical Arabic of Omar Khayyám's quatrains (Rubayyiat el Khayyam)
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1946· 2 entries
Upon the invitation of regent Abd al-Ilah
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Umm Kulthum defied all odds by presenting a religious poem in classical Arabic: Salou Qalbi ["Ask My Heart"], written by Ahmad Shawqi and composed by Riad Al Sunbati
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1944· 1 entry
King Farouk I of Egypt decorated her with the Supreme Class of the Order of the Virtues (Nishan el Kamal), a decoration reserved exclusively for female royalty and politicians
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1941· 1 entry
Was Raq el Habib ("The lover's heart softens"), one of her most popular, intricate, and high-calibre songs
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1934· 1 entry
Umm Kulthum sang for the inaugural broadcast of the Egyptian Radio, the state station
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1932· 2 entries
Embarked upon a major tour of the Middle East and North Africa, performing in prominent Arab capital cities such as Damascus, Baghdad, Beirut, Rabat, Tunis, and finally Tripoli
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Solidified her standing at this prestigious event under the patronage of King Fuad I, effectively silencing her critics
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1931· 1 entry
A monologue style song with lyrics by Ahmed Rami
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1928· 1 entry
Released her first monologue, a new genre for her that featured virtuosic and dramatic themes of romantic loss
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1926· 1 entry
Left Odeon Records for His Master's Voice who would pay her about double per record and even an additional $10,000 salary
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1924· 3 entries
Struck a contract with Odeon Records which by 1926 would pay her more than any other Egyptian musical artist per record
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For labels like Odeon Records, but it was her 1927 recordings that truly launched her career
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Was introduced to the poet Ahmed Rami, who would later on write 137 songs for her, and would also introduce her to French literature and become her head mentor in Arabic literature and literary analysis
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1898· 1 entry
Born 1898-12-31.
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