Baligh Hamdi: The Musical Genius⁣ Who Left an Indelible Mark on the Arab World

“An artist⁢ is like⁢ a fingerprint that is not repeated,⁤ I remember ⁢his ‍death, when you turn on the television, you find him. He does not leave us, but he⁣ exists and will remain⁣ with‌ his art,”⁢ said Egyptian composer‍ Balig Hamdi.

Although years have passed ⁢since the departure of Baligh Hamdi, who left us in ‍1993, his ⁣musical​ influence still exists.

Baligh Hamdi was born ​on October 7,⁤ 1937, in the popular Shubra neighborhood of Cairo. He loved ⁤the​ art from his childhood, as ⁢he mastered playing the oud at⁣ the age of ⁣nine.

He studied Arabic and Eastern​ Muwasshah from his teacher Darwish‍ al-Hariri. At⁢ this stage, his ambition was to join the ⁢group “An Hour​ for Your Heart” led by⁢ Faida Kamel and Salah Aram on ⁤the radio and he was approved initially‍ as ‍a singer⁣ and not as a composer ⁤as he⁤ had hoped.

When Baligh Hamdi was asked how he⁣ got into the‌ world of radio, he ​replied that his insistence on experience without⁣ anyone’s interference was enough.

During that period,‌ Baligh Hamdi presented two songs to his friend Faida⁢ Kamel, “Ken La” and “Navit ⁣Azafiq” and these two works were the starting point of his composing career.

Collaboration with Umm Kulthum

Baligh Hamdi ⁣was behind ​the success of great male and female singers of the Arab world, especially ⁢in his collaboration​ with Kawkab al-Sharq⁢ Umm Kulthum, where he presented‌ about ten tunes to her.

In a radio⁢ interview, Baligh Hamdi ⁤said that Umm Kulthum broke‍ all tradition with this move, and showed her ‌humility and extraordinary talent, as Baligh was still young.

On ⁤one occasion, when he asked her to shorten the introduction ​to the song “One Thousand and One Nights”, ⁤she left it⁤ as it was.

Dream World

His ⁤collaboration with Abdel ​Halim Hafez was an equally important element of ‍Halim’s artistic‍ career, as he presented songs like “Sawah”, “You ⁢Betrayed⁢ Him”, “According‌ to the⁤ Love of My Heart”, “Promised”, ‍”Dear Man”, ​”My Love, Who”.

The ⁢influence between them was evident‌ from the beginning of their collaboration with the song ⁤”Takhonoh” written by Balig for Laila ‌Murad in 1957, but Abdel ​Halim admired it and‌ wanted to ‌feature it in his ​film⁢ “The Empty‌ Pillow”.

Crazy Art

The late Algerian singer​ Warda, ⁢Baligh ⁣Hamdi’s success partner, described the artist in⁢ an‍ interview, saying: “Balig was crazy about art, ​a ‌bohemian who didn’t follow ⁣appointments, but he⁤ was a genius from the start.”

The ⁤artistic relationship⁣ between Balig‌ and‍ Warda was an important part of his career, as it created a fusion of love and art.

A Sad End for a⁤ Musical ‍Genius

When ‌Baligh Hamdi was asked about his ‍best song, he said that ⁢he does not think ⁤about what he presents and does ⁣not relate to and always ‍thinks about ‌the song after presenting it to distance himself from the ego of success.

Despite⁤ the great success and brilliance with which‌ Baligh ‌Hamdi lived, this brilliance did ⁣not last till his last days.

Even though ‌years‍ have passed, Baligh⁣ Hamdi has not disappeared from the music scene. His school remains ‌an⁣ important reference for⁣ music makers in the Arab world, and despite his passing,‍ his mark and influence on ‍the music world remains.