Group+5.2+Oum+Kalthoum

=Oum Kalthoum=

AN INTRODUCTION TO ARABIC MUSIC
In order to appreciate Oum Kalthoum and her amazing ability in her performing life as well as her influence on the Egyptian culture, one must understand the practice and influence of arabic music. The arabic system has little to nothing in common with our familiar western system. In order to discuss the ‘system’ of the music, we must first define some common terms. The most important to define is 'maqam'. There are variants of names for this system, but in English we would refer to it as ‘modes’. Modes are melodic systems. An example would be the major and minor scale in the western world **[3]**. We are familiar with four modes in western culture, but the arabic culture has fourteen modes to speak of. These become difficult to define due to the nature of Arabic music theory. There is no history of written music theory. The musicians during the time of musical development did not write any sort of guidelines or notes to play off of. The history of arabic music is one of improvisation. Because there is little to no information on any sort of names of the maqams, there is no way to actually prove that there are fourteen that do exist other than to listen. This means that the nature of arabic music is much different than what the western world is used to. The structure of arabic music is audibly different. Instruments play in unison in combination with a rhythm section played by the drums or some sort of percussive instrument. Along with the unison, there is an instrument or singer who improvises overtop. This format is seen even in contemporary music. This form seems to well characterize classical and contemporary arabic music, although technology has encouraged recording of music by artists. Even still, written arabic music is impossible to find **[2]**. There are a few more popular or notable arabic instruments. There is the percussive instruments (the drums and tambourines and such) but there are also other characteristic instruments; the Gambus and the the Kanoun. The Gambus looks comparable to the guitar or sitar. It is also comparable to the oud, specific for Egyptian music. It is a string instrument that is used in many instances of arabic music. It does not have frets, unlike the guitar and sitar. The second of the two instruments is the Kanoun. It is a stringed instrument and is played comparably to a harp, standing or sitting with a plucking motion.  The characteristic part of the sound of arabic music is the tuning, which follows the unique fourteen maqams **[1]**. Music in the Arab culture is extremely popular, but can be somewhat controversial in Islam. There is a debate over the morality in listening to music. Most of the debate is lain in the Hadith, not the Qur’an. It is said that the prophet made claims against singing because of its use in the pagan religions. Muhammed made aggressive claims of the sinfulness of the poets, who often sang. The Hadith has also recorded instances where the prophet has claimed that singing the Qur’an is more beautiful than that of women. It also says that Muhammed was graced by Allah with a beautiful voice. These contradictions put music in an awkward position in the eyes of the Arab world. Music is a large part of their culture, and the poetic nature of the language lends itself to be sung. The history of Arabic music is often shrouded in mystery because of the lack of written and recorded material. The art form is still largely improvised, causing performances to last for hours. Knowing that there is no written or recorded starting point, all of the work of the artists is improvised. This technique is very difficult and can only be found comparably in western culture in Jazz music **[1]**. ﻿ Written by Sarah Drummond

EARLY LIFE AND EARLY STAGES OF HER CAREER
Oum Kalthoum is prominent in the Arab World and well-known as the ‘voice and face of Egypt,’ ‘the Star of the East,’ and ‘Diva of Arabic Song.’ She was born Fatima Ibrahim al-Sayyid al-Beltagui in 1904 (difference sources claim either in December or May). **[1]** Oum Kalthoum’s parents raised her and her two older siblings to value truth, humility, and to trust in God. The indigent family lived in the small rural village of Tammay al-Zahayrah in the Delta province of Egypt where they owned no property other than their house. Her father, al-Sheikh Ibrahim al-Sayyid al-Saltaji, was an imam of the local mosque, and her mother, Fatima al-Maliji, was a housewife. **[2]** They named her after the Prophet Muhammad’s third child because she was their third child and the lineage of her mother is said to trace back to the Prophet himself. **[3]** She was entered into the //kuttab//, or religious Quran school, at age five, and memorized the entire book due to her schooling and teachings from her father. Her father gave singing lessons to her older brother and when she overheard and joined along he allowed her to continue with their weekly lessons. **[2]** Upon looking back at that point in her life in an interview with //All Things Considered// she exclaimed, “The first time I heard the sound of my own voice, I ran to my room and threw myself on my bed overcome with delight.” **[4]** By age twelve her voice was strong and distinct, but due to her modest values she entered the performing group her father directed disguised as a young Bedouin boy. They group performed in public at different locations in the Delta province of Egypt and Oum was complete with headdress and coat of a young boy at each public performance. He did this because he did not feel comfortable with his daughter singing in front of men that he did not know so this way he could convince the audience that she was a boy. **[5]** As an imam, he father traveled and sung religious songs at weddings and other celebrations in their own and the neighboring villages. After Oum traveled with him he began to receive requests for the //boy// to accompany him at some special celebrations. **[7]** A few years later when Oum was about sixteen years the famous Arab singer, Abol Ela Mohamed, and Zakariyya Ahmad, a famous Arab lute player, discovered her singing and invited her to Cairo. At first her family was reluctant to let her travel to Cairo, the center for the entertainment business, because they did not have any relatives or close friends there and they wanted her to be in a close, comfortable environment. **[2]** But by 1919 age the young age of fifteen Oum performed in Cairo for the first time, and eventually she moved there the following year to further pursue her career in singing. The first couple of years upon her arrival in Cairo an Egyptian unrest occurred as people staged revolts against the British occupation and British control of the Egyptian monarch. Her music caught on fast and accomplished great popularity at an early stage because she sent the message of “Egypt for the Egyptians” in her songs and continued to sing about the present issues and social needs of the Arab world. Her music spread through the new technologies of the time – the phonograph, radio, and in movies. **[5]** She also earned a great deal of respect in her early career because she maintained the traditional Arab appearance with conservative dress and hair, with her dresses long and her hair pulled back into a bun. In the early years of her life Oum Kalthoum met many well-known and prominent people in the Arab World that helped her career escalate and influenced her a great deal. She learned how to play the oud from Amin Beh Al Mahdy and while spending time at their home she developed a strong relationship with Amin’s daughter named Rawyeha and their friendship remained strong throughout their lives. Amin Al Mahdy played a huge role in introducing Oum to cultural circles in Cairo. Oum Kalthoum made other connections in her early career including a famous poet, Ahmad Rami, who taught her French literature, became her chief mentor in Arabic literature, and eventually wrote about 137 of her songs. Like Amin Al Madhy, her ties with Rami stayed strong during her career and she incorporated their lessons that she valued in her music. Oum Kalthoum’s family life, religious schooling, and early connections carried into her career as her fame began to emerge in the 1930s. **[6]**

Sources

**[5]** Galford, Hugh S. "Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt." //The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs// 21.2 (2002): 104. //ProQuest.// Web. 14 Mar. 2011. **[6]** "Oum Kalthoum's Biography." //Last.fm//. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. . **[7]** Valassopoulos, Anastasia. ""Secrets" and "Closed Off Areas": The Concept of Tarab Or "Enchantment" in Arab Popular Culture: [1]." //Popular Music and Society// 30.3 (2007): 329. //ProQuest Research Library.// Web. 13 Mar. 2011.
 * [1]** "Oum KALTHOUM : Biographie D'Oum KALTHOUM - JeSuisMort.com." //Célébrités Et Stars Mortes : Mort, Biographie, Actualité Et Anniversaire De Celebrite Disparue - JeSuisMort.com//. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. .
 * [2]** "Umm Kulthum: An Outline of Her Life." //Al Mashriq - the Levant - Lebanon and the Middle East//. Web. 1 Mar. 2011. .
 * [3]** "Yasmin Writes of Om Kalthoum for the Gilded Serpent." //Belly Dance Articles Reviews Middle Eastern Music Dance The Gilded Serpent//. Web. 11 Mar. 2011. .
 * [4]** "Profile: Umm Kulthum.(8:00-9:00 PM)(Broadcast transcript)." //All Things Considered// 14 Dec. 2000. //General OneFile//. Web. 13 Mar. 2011.
 * [Image]** //A Picture Dated 1930s Shows Egyptian Diva Um Kaith...// 1930. Photograph. Cairo. //Getty Images//. //Getty Images//. Web. 13 Mar. 2011. .

Melanie Borson A41120609

Singing Career Oum Kalthoum was young when she began showing exceptional singing talent. When she was twelve years old, her father disguised her as a boy and entered her in a small performing troupe that he directed. Four years later, when she was only sixteen years old, Abola Ela Mohamed, a fairly well-known Egyptian singer, noticed her. The older singer took Kalthoum under her wing and taught her old classic repertoire. Kalthoum studied with Abola Ela Mohamad for a few years, when she met the famed composer Zakariyya Ahmad. Upon hearing her sing, Ahmad invited Kalthoum to come to Cairo to start a professional career. She waited until 1923, when she permanent lives to Cairo. There she was taught how to play the lute and she was able to make some very close friendships with the families of her mentors. One of these friends, Robert McClure, introduced her to Ahmad Rami. Rami wrote 137 songs for Kalthoum, and he introduced her to French literature. They became close, and he ultimately became her head adviser.

media type="youtube" key="XPGHpBOt5sE" width="425" height="350" In Cairo, Kalthoum also met the composer Mohamed El Qasabgi. He was able to propel her career forward so that she was one of the most popular singers withing just a few weeks. Even though she was loved by her listeners, we faced constant competition from Mounira El-Mahdiya and Fathiyya Ahmad who were also quite popular at the time. However, since neither of their voices were as good as Kalthoum’s, Kalthoum attracted the famous composers, lyricists and musicians in the area. Another thing that helped Kalthoum was that her concerts were open to the public, unlike her competition which only held private concerts. She also appeared on the radio, which was an accomplishment for a woman at the time.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">In the 1930s, Kalthoum changed her singing style from conservative to more romantic and modern tunes, which went perfectly with her refined and virtuosic voice. This type of music was extremely popular in the region. Kalthoum also decided to begin incorporating European instruments to create a harmony.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%; text-align: justify;">Kalthoum’s concerts were extremely varied in length. She utilized a technique that is distinctive to typical Arabic singing where a stanza or verse is repeated multiple times while subtly using inflection on different words or changing her tone, in order to elicit an emotional response from the audience. Because of this repetition, many of her songs could last from 45 to 90 minutes, and sometimes reaching two hours in length depending on the number of improvisations and the audiences response. Because her songs were dependent upon the mood of the audience, there was a sort of personal relationship that was built between Kalthoum and her listeners. Another result of Kalthoum using this technique was that each concert she gave could elicit a different response, depending on the inflections, repetitions, and overall mood of the show.

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 * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPGHpBOt5sE&feature=player_embedded
 * http://fineartamerica.com/featured/oum-kalthoum-mohamed-alasmar.html

By Lindsey Gilbert

POLITICAL IMPACT

Oum Kathloum was a very inspirational women throughout the Arab countries, all 22 of them. She was one of the few artists in the world who could unite people just through her music. Majority of her songs have some type of political background to it and were often very sad. She had to sneak her way into the music business because at that time in the early 1900’s women were not allowed. However, she was soon accepted by all and had gained much influence in the political situations of her time.

She was so popular that in 1944 King Farouk I of Egypt decorated her with the highest level of orders; this is usually reserved exclusively for members of royalty or politicians. Even though she was respected by the royal family, they refused to allow the Kings uncle to marry her, which caused her to distance herself and get back to her roots. She sang a song during the Arab-Israeli conflict which caught the attention of Gamal Abdel Nasser, who later became president of Egypt, and he had been a fan of hers since then. Umm Kulthum’s monthly concerts took place on the first Thursday of every month and were renowned for their ability to clear the streets of some of the world's most populous cities as people rushed home to tune in[1]. Presidet Nassar would even play her music before he gave his speeches because he knew this way people would be listening to the radio and would here what he would have to say. When Egypt was in the war Umm Kalthum would give money the government money for her concerts. She would sing and the money she would get from her concerts she would donate it to to the war for her love of Egypt and President Nasser. Till this day Oum Kathlum is highly respected and loved in not only her coutry of Egypt, but nationally.

By: Mariam Elamine

SOURCES

[1] Virginia Danielson. Asian Music. Vol. 19, No. 1 (Autumn - Winter, 1987), pp. 26-45 (article consists of 20 pages)

ACTING CAREER

emotional connection with her audience.
SOURCES

[1] "Kulthum. Umm." __Encyclopedia of Word Biography.__ 2005. //Encyclopedia.com.// 14 Mar. 2011 <http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Umm_Kalthum.aspx>. [2] "Oum Kalthoum Biography." __Collections at Maqam.__ //Web.// <http://maqam.com/Artist-OUM-KALTHOUM-W16.html> [3] "Om Koultoum - IMDb." //The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)//. Web. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0467990/>. [4] Photograph. // Last.fm. // 3 April. 2010. Web. <http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/44452613/Oum+Kalthoum+420032958.jpg>.

Ryan Newkirk A42113182