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From the song Qariat el-Fingan (lyrics by Nizar Qabbani):
"She sat with fear in her eyes, contemplating the upturned cup. She said: do not be sad, my son, you are
destined to fall in love. My son, he who sacrifices himself for his beloved, is a martyr. For long, I have
studied fortune-telling and astrology, but never have I read a cup similar to yours. For long, I have studied
fortune-telling and astrology, but never have I seen sorrows similar to yours. You are predestined to sail
forever, sail-less, on the sea of love..."
"She sat with fear in her eyes, contemplating the upturned cup. She said: do not be sad, my son, you are
destined to fall in love. My son, he who sacrifices himself for his beloved, is a martyr. For long, I have
studied fortune-telling and astrology, but never have I read a cup similar to yours. For long, I have studied
fortune-telling and astrology, but never have I seen sorrows similar to yours. You are predestined to sail
forever, sail-less, on the sea of love..."
| Abdel Halim Hafez ** Life & Films |
Abdel Halim HafezAbdel Halim Hafez (June 21, 1929 – March 30,
1977), was an immensely popular singer and actor in Egypt and the
Arab world from the 1950s to the 1970s. He is widely considered to be
one of the four 'greats' of Egyptian and Arabic music. Abdel Halim's
music is still played on radio daily throughout 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 Brown Nightingale), on
account of his sweet voice.
He was born Abdel Halim Ali Ismail Shabana in el-Hilwat, in e-
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 years 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 elder 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. After 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. Abdel Halim's performance was
heard by Hafez Abdel el-Wahab, supervisor of musical programming
for Egyptian national radio, who decided to support the then unknown
singer. Abdel Halim took Hafez Abdel el-Wahab's first name as his
stage-surname in recognition of his patronage.
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 Kalthoum, Mohammed
Abdel Wahab and Farid el-Atrache.
Abdel Halim never married, although rumours persist that he was
secretly married to actress Souad Hosni for six years. Both Abdel Halim
and Souad Hosni's friends continue to deny the marriage even to this
day. Interestingly, Souad Hosni committed suicide on Abdel Halim's
birthday (June 21) in 2001.
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. 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 Shuher, 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 his Bilharzia to gain sympathy from female fans. His death of 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 thousands of
people – more than any funeral in Egyptian history except those of
President Nasser (1970) and Umm Kalthoum (1975). Four women
committed suicide on hearing of his death.
His music can still be heard every day across the Arab world, and he is
still considered one of the four 'greats' of Arabic music.
Abdel Halim Hafez's song Khosara enjoyed international fame in 1999
when the American rap superstar Jay-Z used it as the background for
his hit "Big Pimpin'".
His most famous songs include Ahwak ("I love you"), Khosara ("A
pity"), Gana El Hawa ("Love, come 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 colored motion picture.
In 2006 his biography will be released as a feature film, "Haleem",
starring the late actor Ahmed Zaki in the title role, produced by the
Good News Group [see International Movie Database http://www.imdb.
com/title/tt0444641/].
Filmography
Lahn El Wafa (The Song of Truth) as Galal
Released: March 1, 1955
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Shadia
Directed by: Ibrahim Amara
Ayamna El Helwa (Our Beautiful Days) as Ali
Released: March 1, 1955
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Faten Hamama, Omar Sharif, Ahmad
Ramzi
Directed by: Helmi Halim
Ayam We Layali (Days and Nights)
Released: September 8, 1955
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez
Directed by: Henry Barakat
Mawed Gharam (Promised Love) as Samir
Released: January 3, 1956
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Faten Hamama
Directed by: Henry Barakat
Dalila (Dalila) as Ahmed
October 20, 1956
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Shadia
Directed by: Mohamad Karim
Notes: This was the first Egyptian colored movie in Cinemascope.
Banat El Yom (The Girls of Today) as Khaled
Released: November 10, 1957
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Magda, Amal Farid
Directed by: Henry Barakat
Notes: In this movie, Abdel Halim Hafez the song "Ahwak" for the first
time.
Fata Ahlami (The Man Of Dreams)
Released: March 7. 1957
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Amal Farid
Directed by: Helmi Rafleh
Alwisada El Khalia (The Empty Pillow) as Salah
Released: December 20, 1957
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Lubna Abed El Aziz
Directed by: Salah Abu Yousef
Share' El Hob (Love Street)
Released: March 5, 1958
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Sabah
Directed By: Ez El Deen Zol Faqar
Hekayit Hob (A Love Story) as Ahmed Sami
Released: January 12, 1959
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Mariam Fakher El Deen
Directed by: Helmi Haleem
El Banat Wel Seif (Girls and Summer)
Released: September 5, 1960
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Suad Husni, Zizi El Badrawi
Directed by: Salah Abu Yousef, Ez El Deen Zol Faqar, Fateen Abed El
Wahhab
Notes: This movie consisted of 3 stories. Abdel Halim Hafez acted in
one
Yom Men Omri (A Day of My Life) as Salah
Released: February 8, 1961
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Zubaida Tharwat
Directed by: Atef Salem
El Khataya (The Sins) as Hussien
Released: Novemeber 12, 1962
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Madiha Yousri, Hasan Yousef
Directed by: Hassan El Imam
Songs: Wehyat Alby, Maghroor, Last Adry, Olly Haga, El Helwa
Maabodat El Gamahir (The Beloved Diva) as Ibrahim Farid
Released: January 13, 1963
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Shadia
Directed by: Helmi Haleem
Songs: Haga Ghareeba, Balash Etaab, Last Kalby, Gabbar, Ahebek
Abi Foq El Shagara (My Father Atop a Tree) as Adel
Released: February 17, 1969
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Nadia Lutfi
Directed by: Hussein Kamal
Songs: Ady El Belag, El Hawa Hawaya, Ahdan El Habayeb, Ya Khali El
Alb, Gana El Hawa
Notes: This was the last film Abdel Halim Hafez acted in.
[
**** From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1977), was an immensely popular singer and actor in Egypt and the
Arab world from the 1950s to the 1970s. He is widely considered to be
one of the four 'greats' of Egyptian and Arabic music. Abdel Halim's
music is still played on radio daily throughout 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 Brown Nightingale), on
account of his sweet voice.
He was born Abdel Halim Ali Ismail Shabana in el-Hilwat, in e-
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 years 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 elder 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. After 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. Abdel Halim's performance was
heard by Hafez Abdel el-Wahab, supervisor of musical programming
for Egyptian national radio, who decided to support the then unknown
singer. Abdel Halim took Hafez Abdel el-Wahab's first name as his
stage-surname in recognition of his patronage.
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 Kalthoum, Mohammed
Abdel Wahab and Farid el-Atrache.
Abdel Halim never married, although rumours persist that he was
secretly married to actress Souad Hosni for six years. Both Abdel Halim
and Souad Hosni's friends continue to deny the marriage even to this
day. Interestingly, Souad Hosni committed suicide on Abdel Halim's
birthday (June 21) in 2001.
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. 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 Shuher, 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 his Bilharzia to gain sympathy from female fans. His death of 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 thousands of
people – more than any funeral in Egyptian history except those of
President Nasser (1970) and Umm Kalthoum (1975). Four women
committed suicide on hearing of his death.
His music can still be heard every day across the Arab world, and he is
still considered one of the four 'greats' of Arabic music.
Abdel Halim Hafez's song Khosara enjoyed international fame in 1999
when the American rap superstar Jay-Z used it as the background for
his hit "Big Pimpin'".
His most famous songs include Ahwak ("I love you"), Khosara ("A
pity"), Gana El Hawa ("Love, come 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 colored motion picture.
In 2006 his biography will be released as a feature film, "Haleem",
starring the late actor Ahmed Zaki in the title role, produced by the
Good News Group [see International Movie Database http://www.imdb.
com/title/tt0444641/].
Filmography
Lahn El Wafa (The Song of Truth) as Galal
Released: March 1, 1955
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Shadia
Directed by: Ibrahim Amara
Ayamna El Helwa (Our Beautiful Days) as Ali
Released: March 1, 1955
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Faten Hamama, Omar Sharif, Ahmad
Ramzi
Directed by: Helmi Halim
Ayam We Layali (Days and Nights)
Released: September 8, 1955
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez
Directed by: Henry Barakat
Mawed Gharam (Promised Love) as Samir
Released: January 3, 1956
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Faten Hamama
Directed by: Henry Barakat
Dalila (Dalila) as Ahmed
October 20, 1956
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Shadia
Directed by: Mohamad Karim
Notes: This was the first Egyptian colored movie in Cinemascope.
Banat El Yom (The Girls of Today) as Khaled
Released: November 10, 1957
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Magda, Amal Farid
Directed by: Henry Barakat
Notes: In this movie, Abdel Halim Hafez the song "Ahwak" for the first
time.
Fata Ahlami (The Man Of Dreams)
Released: March 7. 1957
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Amal Farid
Directed by: Helmi Rafleh
Alwisada El Khalia (The Empty Pillow) as Salah
Released: December 20, 1957
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Lubna Abed El Aziz
Directed by: Salah Abu Yousef
Share' El Hob (Love Street)
Released: March 5, 1958
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Sabah
Directed By: Ez El Deen Zol Faqar
Hekayit Hob (A Love Story) as Ahmed Sami
Released: January 12, 1959
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Mariam Fakher El Deen
Directed by: Helmi Haleem
El Banat Wel Seif (Girls and Summer)
Released: September 5, 1960
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Suad Husni, Zizi El Badrawi
Directed by: Salah Abu Yousef, Ez El Deen Zol Faqar, Fateen Abed El
Wahhab
Notes: This movie consisted of 3 stories. Abdel Halim Hafez acted in
one
Yom Men Omri (A Day of My Life) as Salah
Released: February 8, 1961
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Zubaida Tharwat
Directed by: Atef Salem
El Khataya (The Sins) as Hussien
Released: Novemeber 12, 1962
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Madiha Yousri, Hasan Yousef
Directed by: Hassan El Imam
Songs: Wehyat Alby, Maghroor, Last Adry, Olly Haga, El Helwa
Maabodat El Gamahir (The Beloved Diva) as Ibrahim Farid
Released: January 13, 1963
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Shadia
Directed by: Helmi Haleem
Songs: Haga Ghareeba, Balash Etaab, Last Kalby, Gabbar, Ahebek
Abi Foq El Shagara (My Father Atop a Tree) as Adel
Released: February 17, 1969
Starring: Abdel Halim Hafez, Nadia Lutfi
Directed by: Hussein Kamal
Songs: Ady El Belag, El Hawa Hawaya, Ahdan El Habayeb, Ya Khali El
Alb, Gana El Hawa
Notes: This was the last film Abdel Halim Hafez acted in.
[
**** From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
