PARIS: The life, voice and influence of Om Kolthoum, one of the greatest singers the Arab world has ever produced, are the theme of a major exhibit opening this week in Paris.
“Her repertoire went from love songs to spiritual songs, said Culture Minister Farouk Hosni at the opening of the show, titled “The Fourth Pyramid and running at the Institute of the Arab World until Nov. 2.
“She sang for everyone and touched city-dwellers as well as country-people, the educated and the illiterate. The entire Arab people were struck by her voice.
Om Kolthoum, who died in 1975 aged 71 and was known as “The Shining Star of the Middle East, was born into a poor family and began singing as a child, but dressed up as a boy.
Such became her popularity later in the Arab world that she was often given a welcome on a par with heads of state, and her funeral attracted four million people onto the streets of Cairo.
The Paris show features recordings of her concerts on national radio – concerts aired the first Thursday of each months and were said to stop life in Cairo when she went on air.
There are also video recordings as well as a reconstitution of her living room, including an old radio where visitors can listen to her interviews, and photographs and other memorabilia.
She has also influenced Western musicians, with Bob Dylan citing her as one of his favorite singers. -AFP
