Salwa Al-Qudsi, Former Fiancée of Farid Al-Atrash, Passes Away

Salwa Al-Qudsi, recognized as the fiancée of the legendary Syrian-Egyptian musician Farid Al-Atrash, has passed away at the age of 87.

The Farid Al-Atrash Lovers Association confirmed her death through a eulogy posted to its official Facebook page, stating that she died at her residence in Beirut. Reports indicate that her passing followed a sudden health crisis.

The Legacy of Farid Al-Atrash

Al-Qudsi was the partner of one of the most influential figures in 20th-century Arabic music. Farid Al-Atrash (1910–1974) was a celebrated singer, composer, actor, and oudist who earned the title King of the Oud for his virtuosity on the instrument.

Born in Al-Qurayya in southern Syria to the Druze princely al-Atrash family, he immigrated to Egypt at the age of nine. Over a career that spanned more than 40 years, Al-Atrash recorded 500 songs and starred in 31 movies, cementing his status as an icon of the golden age of Arab entertainment.

A Relationship of Devotion

The relationship between Al-Atrash and Al-Qudsi was characterized by a deep personal bond. In the book Boulevard of Stars: The Golden Age of Arab Entertainment, author May Serbey Chehab describes the friendship and kindness Al-Atrash extended to Al-Qudsi.

Chehab recounts an instance where Al-Atrash demonstrated his devotion during Al-Qudsi’s gallbladder surgery. According to the account, Al-Atrash requested that the medical team administer the anesthesia in a room adjacent to the operating theater rather than inside it, ensuring he could remain by Al-Qudsi’s side to ease her fear.

The account further notes that after Al-Qudsi woke from the anesthesia, Al-Atrash used a piece of cotton wet with water to moisten her mouth when nurses forbade her from drinking water.

Posthumous Legal Disputes

Following the death of Farid Al-Atrash on December 26, 1974, Al-Qudsi became embroiled in a protracted legal struggle. In 1975, she entered a complex judicial dispute regarding the musician’s inheritance.

The conflict centered on a customary marriage contract that Al-Qudsi presented to prove she had been married to the artist. This claim was fiercely contested by the musician’s brother, Fouad Al-Atrash, and his private secretary, Denis Jabour.

The legal battle spanned courts in both Egypt and Lebanon, remaining a point of significant interest in the Arab press for several years as Al-Qudsi sought to legally validate the marriage.