Farid al-Atrash

Farid al-Atrash

A Druze Syrian-Egyptian composer, singer, virtuoso oud player, and actor that was born on October 19, 1910.

Having immigrated to Egypt at the age of only nine years old with his mother and siblings.

Al-Atrash embarked on a highly successful career spanning more than four decades.

Sometimes referred to as “King of the Oud”, he is one of the most important figures of 20th- century Arab music.

Musical career

Al-Atrash composed musically diverse songs, and was a highly regarded composer, singer and instrumentalist.

Al-Atrash maintained that although some of his music had western musical influence, he always stayed true to Arab music principles.

In many of his songs, and nearly all of his concerts, al-Atrash would sing a mawal, which is a local folk Egyptian slow voice improvisation of a few poetic lines.

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Film Career

Al-Atrash starred in 31 Egyptian musical films from 1941 to 1974.

All his films except the last two were black and white, they ranged from comedies to dramas, or a combination.

He composed all the songs in his movies including the songs sung by other singers, and instrumentals.

One of al-Atrash’s well-known movies from the sixties is Resala min Imraa Maghoola (رسالة من امرأة مجهولة – A Letter from an Unknown Woman, 1962) produced by his close friend Salah Zulfikar, actor and producer.

Ressalah min emraa maghoula(1963)

Its love, classical , musical about a girl who lives across a famous singer and her mother force her to travel to another city which the girl doesnt want to do as she doesnt want to live away from the famous singer. Many incidents happen and she sends him an annonymous love letter . Till he decides to go to see who that girl is.

Personal life

Quick success brought him a lifestyle of nightclubs, love affairs, and gambling. Soon Farid was in debt and found himself abandoned by his disapproving mother.

Farid found comfort in a relationship with the belly dancer Samia Gamal, for whom he was motivated to risk all he owned.

Farid continued to work with other film stars in numerous successful movies in which he always had the romantic lead role of a sad singer.

He even repeatedly chose his character’s name to be “Wahid,” meaning lonely.

Prior to the 1952 military coup d’état against King Farouk I, al-Atrash became friends with Farouk’s consort, Queen Nariman, a relationship that continued after the Queen’s divorce and the coup that cost Farouk his throne.

The former queen’s family did not accept al-Atrash, and the separation from Nariman sent the singer into a long depression, the start of health problems that worsened from that point on until his death.

Shatie el hub(1961)

A doctor tells his daughter that her mother died years ago. She meets a singer and falls in love, and later on discovers her mother is a dancer.

Hikayet el omr kulluh(1965)

Story of a very successful singer/songwriter, enjoying night life until a daughter of an old dear friend stepped into his life and changed his life forever.

El Khouroug Min El Guana (1967)

Mukhtar is a musically talented individual who is surrounded by bad friends who make him squander his talent. When he falls and marries Annan, she tries to set him on the right path which sets off problems between them. When they get divorced, a repentant Mukhtar tries to get Annan back.

A song from the film El Khouroug Min El Guana.

Hob al kabir(1969)

His Death

Al-Atrash suffered from heart problems throughout his last 30 years.

In the last few years of his life, he became physically thinner, and his singing voice became raspy as he is intensified.

Although he was struggling with his health, he continued to produce movies and perform in concerts until he died.