| Abdel Halim Hafez | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Abdel Halim Ali Shabana |
| Born | June 21, 1929 Ash Sharqiyah Governorate Egypt |
| Origin | Egypt |
| Died | March 30, 1977 King's College Hospital, London United Kingdom (aged 47) |
| Genres | Egyptian Opera Arabic |
| Years active | 1949–1977 |
| Website | [1] |
Abdel Halim Ismail Shabana (Arabic: عبدالحليم إسماعيل شبانة) commonly known as Abdel Halim Hafez (Arabic: عبد الحليم حافظ) (June 21, 1929 – March 30, 1977), was one of the most popular Arab Egyptian singers and actors not only in Egypt but throughout the Middle East from the 1950s to the 1970s. He is widely considered to be one of the four 'greats' of Egyptian and Arabic music,along with Umm Kulthum, Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Farid Al Attrach. Abdel Halim's music is still played on radio daily in Egypt and the Arab world. His name is sometimes written as 'Abd el-Halim Hafez, and he was also sometimes known as el-Andaleeb el-Asmar (the Dark Nightingale, Arabic: العندليب الأسمر).
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He was born in El-Halawat, in Ash Sharqiyah Governorate, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Cairo, Egypt. Abdel Halim was the fourth child of Sheikh Ali Ismail Shabana. He had two brothers, Ismail and Mohammed, and one sister, Aliah. Abdel Halim's mother died from complications after giving birth to him, and his father died five months later leaving Abdel Halim and his siblings orphaned at a young age. Abdel Halim was raised by his aunt and uncle in Cairo.
His musical abilities first became apparent while he was in primary school, and his older brother Ismail Shabana was his first music teacher. At the age of 11 he joined the Arabic Music Institute in Cairo and became known for singing the songs of Mohammed Abdel Wahab. He graduated from the Higher Theatrical Music Institute as an oboe player.
While singing in clubs in Cairo, Abdel Halim was drafted as a last-minute substitute when singer Karem Mahmoud was unable to sing a scheduled live radio performance in honor of the first anniversary of the 1952 Revolution, on June 18, 1953. Abdel Halim's performance was enormously popular with the live audience, and was heard by Hafez Abd El Wahab[1], supervisor of musical programming for Egyptian national radio, who decided to support the then unknown singer. Abdel Halim took 'Hafez', Abdel Wahab's first name, as his stage-surname in recognition of his patronage. His songs became so popular that arenas and stadiums could not handle the masses.[citation needed] He later began to perform in deserts, Roman coliseums, and outdoor arenas, some of which gathered as many as one million people.[citation needed]
Abdel Halim went on to become one of the most popular singers and actors of his generation, and is considered one of the four greats of Egyptian and Arabic music, along with Umm Kulthum, Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Farid Al Attrach.
Abdel Halim never married, although rumours persist that he was secretly married to actress Soad Hosny for six years. Both Abdel Halim and Soad Hosny's friends continue to deny the marriage even to this day. Interestingly, Soad Hosny died on Abdel Halim's birthday (June 21) in 2001, in a death which British courts deemed to be suicide[2] (although this finding is disputed).
Despite this, Abdel Halim only truly fell in love once, in his youth. He fell in love with a young woman whose parents refused to allow them to marry[citation needed]. After four years, her parents finally approved, but the girl died of a chronic disease before the wedding. Abdel Halim never recovered from her loss, and dedicated many of his saddest songs to her memory, including Fi Youm, Fi Shahr, Fi Sana (In a Day, a Month, a Year) and the poignant Qariat el-Fingan (The Fortune-teller).
At the age of 11 Abdel Halim contracted Bilharzia — a parasitic water-born disease — and was periodically and painfully afflicted by it. During his lifetime, many artists and commentators accused Abdel Halim of using this to gain sympathy from female fans. His death from the disease put to rest such accusations.
Abdel Halim died on March 30, 1977, a few months short of his 48th birthday, while undergoing treatment for Bilharzia in King's College Hospital, London. His funeral (in Cairo) was attended by millions of people – more than any funeral in Egyptian history (see list of largest gatherings in history) except those of President Nasser (1970) and Umm Kulthum (1975)[citation needed]. Fourteen women committed suicide on hearing of his death[citation needed]. He is buried in Al Rifa'i Mosque in Cairo.
Abdel Halim's music is still popular across the Arab world, and he is widely regarded as one of the most famous and popular singers in the Arab world. His albums have sold more copies since his death than any other Arab artist except Umm Kulthum[citation needed].
Abdel Halim Hafez's song Khosara enjoyed international fame in 1999 when producer Timbaland used elements (called "sampling") from it for Jay-Z's song "Big Pimpin'". Two complete bars from "Khosara" were rerecorded, not sampled, and used without permission from the song's producer and copyright holder, Magdi el-Amroussi. Jay-Z's use of a rerecording, rather than a sample, may allow Jay-Z to avoid paying royalties for the use of the song.[3]
His most famous songs include Ahwak ("I love you"), Khosara ("What a loss"), Gana El Hawa ("Love came to us"), Sawah ("Wanderer"), Zay el Hawa ("It feels like love"), and El Massih ("The Christ"), among the 260 songs that he recorded. His last, and perhaps most famous song, Qariat el-Fingan ("The fortune-teller"), featured lyrics by Nizar Qabbani and music by Mohammed Al-Mougy. He starred in sixteen films, including "Dalilah", which was Egypt's first color motion picture.
Along with Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Magdi el-Amroussi, Abdel Halim was a founder of the Egyptian recording company Soutelphan, which continues to operate to this day as a subsidiary of EMI Arabia.[citation needed] The company was founded in 1961.
In 2006 a feature film about his life, "Haleem", was released starring the late actor Ahmad Zaki in the title role, produced by the Good News Group[4].
   | 7alim.com - 7alim.com - A site dedicated to the king of Arabic Music - Abdel Halim Hafez |
| | AbdelHalimHafiz.com - Arab Singles, Matrimonial, Arab and Marriage Introductions Online - Single Muslim Rest of the World |
| | Abdel Halim Hafez at Findagrave.com - Abdel Halim Hafez (1929 - 1977) - Find A Grave Memorial |
| | - Abdel Halim Hafez Photos - FILFILAH: Abdel Halim Hafez Photos |
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