Abdel Halim Hafez
Encyclopedia
Abdel Halim Ali Shabana (Arabic: عبدالحليم علي شبانة) commonly known as Abdel Halim Hafez (June 21, 1929 – March 30, 1977), is among the most popular Egyptian
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...

 and Arab singers and performers. In addition to singing, Halim was also an actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...

, business man, music teacher and movie producer. He is considered to be one of the Great Four of Arabic music (along with Umm Kulthum, Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab , also transliterated Mohammed Abd el-Wahaab was a prominent 20th-century Arab Egyptian singer and composer...

, and Farid Al Attrach). His name is sometimes written as 'Abd el-Halim Hafez. He is known as el-Andaleeb el-Asmar (The Great Dark-Skinned Nightingale). He is also known as an icon in modern Arabic music. His music is still played daily throughout the Arab world
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...

.

Early life

Born in El-Halawat, in Ash Sharqiyah Governorate
Ash Sharqiyah Governorate
Sharqia Governorate is one of the governorates of Egypt. Located in the northern part of the country, its capital is the city of Zagazig.-Cities:* Abu Kabeer* Belbeis* Faqous* Hehya* Kafr Saqr* Menya Al Qamh* Zaqaziq* Abu Hammad-Notable people:...

, 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Cairo, Egypt as Abdel Halim Ali Shabana, he was the fourth child of Sheikh Ali Ismail Shabana. He had two brothers, Ismail and Mohammed, and one sister, Aliah. His mother died from labour complications three days after giving birth to him - something that made people around him believe that he is a "bad luck". His father died five months later leaving him and his siblings orphaned at a young age. He lived in a poor orphanage for a period of time. Later, He was raised by his aunt and uncle in Cairo. In these years Abdel Halim was extremely poor.

Abdel Halim's one-of-a-kind 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
Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab , also transliterated Mohammed Abd el-Wahaab was a prominent 20th-century Arab Egyptian singer and composer...

. He graduated from the Higher Theatrical Music Institute as an oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...

 player

Musical career

While singing in clubs in Cairo, Abdel Halim was drafted as a last-minute substitute when the singer Karem Mahmoud
Karem Mahmoud
Karem Mahmoud , also known as "the Melodious Knight", was a popular Egyptian singer and actor, also popular in the Arab world....

 was unable to sing a scheduled live radio performance in 1953. Abdel Halim's performance was heard by Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab , also transliterated Mohammed Abd el-Wahaab was a prominent 20th-century Arab Egyptian singer and composer...

, the supervisor of musical programming for Egyptian national radio. Abdel Halim took 'Hafez', Abdel Wahab's first name, as his stage-surname in recognition of his patronage.

In his early career's life, Abdel Halim was rejected by people for his new style of singing. However he persisted and was able to gain accolades later on. Then, he became a favorite singer among all generations.

Abdel Halim's collaborated with composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab , also transliterated Mohammed Abd el-Wahaab was a prominent 20th-century Arab Egyptian singer and composer...

 to produce many popular love songs such as Ahwak ("I love you"), Nebtedi Minen el Hekaya ("If we were to tell the story"), and Fatet Ganbina( "She came between us"). Hafez also worked with Egyptian poet Mohammed Hamza on songs including Zay el Hawa ("It feels like love"), Sawah ("The Wanderer"), Hawel Teftekerni ("Try to remember me"), Aye Damiet Hozn ("Any tear of sadness"), and Mawood("Promised/ You're used to").

During his career, he was very popular and always performed in sold-out arenas and stadiums. Despite his popularity, he rarely released a studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 in his life as he was purely a live singer. He also played many different instruments very well including the oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...

, drums, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

, oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...

, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...

 and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

. He was involved in all aspects of the creation of his songs. Halim brought many new instruments to the Arab World
Arab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...

. He was known for his deep passion in his songs and his highly unique and rare voice. He always sang from true and honest feelings deep inside. Halim did performances in almost every country in the Arabic world and some performances outside the Arabic world including several concerts in Europe. He used to encourage and help many young artists and actors to become successful.

His Fame

In the Arabic world, Halim is known as the "King of Arabic music", "The voice of the people", "The son of the revolution", and "King of emotions and feelings".
His patriotic songs were the main and most frequent songs sung by the crowds during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011. His albums and CDs
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

 have sold more copies since his death than any other Arab artist ever. His way of singing, the popularity of his songs and his behavior made him a role model for almost every modern Arab singer. Halim is still remembered in the hearts of many people, even years after his death. He is widely considered among the most influential performers in the Arab World. The two composers Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab , also transliterated Mohammed Abd el-Wahaab was a prominent 20th-century Arab Egyptian singer and composer...

 and Mohammed Al-Mougy both said, "Halim is the smartest person I ever knew". Mohammed Al-Mougy also added, "Halim is very original in all of his work".

Personal life

At the age of 11 Abdel Halim contacted bilharzia
Schistosomiasis
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by several species of trematodes , a parasitic worm of the genus Schistosoma. Snails often act as an intermediary agent for the infectious diseases until a new human host is found...

—a rare parasitic water-borne disease—and was extremely periodically and painfully afflicted by it for most of his career. Despite this, he remained positive and never stopped creating and performing his songs.
Nevertheless, he also was always there for his country despite the illness. Some artists and commentators accused Abdel Halim of using his disease to gain sympathy from female fans. These false accusations ended when Halim died.

Abdel Halim never married, although rumors persist that he was secretly married to actress Soad Hosny for six years. This has never been proofed by anyone. People who were close to both singers declined this rumor.

Hafez is said to have fallen in love only once, in his youth, 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 Shahr, Fi Sana (في يوم، في شهر، في سنا In a Day, a Month, a Year) and the poignant Qariat el-Fingan (The Fortune-teller).

Halim often gave money and food to charity, and to the poor directly, all through his life. Halim frequently went to orphanages and hospitals all over the Middle East to donate money, teach music, and help the people there. In 1969 Halim built a hospital in Egypt to help people. He made the poor, the rich, and presidents all alike in the Arab world.

Abdel Halim established strong friendships with many contemporary presidents and kings of the Eastern world, including Gamel Abdul Nasser of Egypt, and King Hussan from Morocco. He also had very close friendships with most Egyptian poets.

Death

Abdel Halim died of liver failure on March 30, 1977 (few months before his 48th birthday) while undergoing treatment for Bilharzia in King's College Hospital, London. His death brought sadness and shock waves to the entire Arab world as a result, His funeral (in Cairo) was attended by millions of people – more than any funeral in Middle East history other than that of President Gamal Abdel Nasser He had many more dreams and goals that he wanted to achieve and surpass and could have, but his early death stopped him. Also some people committed suicide once they heard Halim has died. It is reported that at least four women committed suicide by jumping off the balcony during his huge funeral march. He was buried in Al Rifa'i Mosque (مسجد الرفاعي) in Cairo.

Legacy

Abdel Halim Hafez's song Khosara (خسارة) received notice in the Western world in 1999 when producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....

 used elements from it for Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...

's recording "Big Pimpin'
Big Pimpin'
"Big Pimpin" is the last single from rapper Jay-Z's fourth album Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter. It features rapping by Southern hip hop group UGK as well as production by Timbaland....

." 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 an interpolation
Interpolation (music)
Interpolation in music refers to an abrupt change in musical elements from the main theme.-In classical music:In music and musical composition, especially 20th century and later, interpolation is an abrupt change of elements, with continuation of the first idea...

, rather than an actual sample, may allow him to avoid paying royalties for the use of the song.

Over 300 of his songs were recorded and he starred in sixteen classic films, including "Dalilah" (دليله), which was the Middle East's first color motion picture
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...



Along with Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Mohammed Abdel Wahab , also transliterated Mohammed Abd el-Wahaab was a prominent 20th-century Arab Egyptian singer and composer...

 and Magdi el-Amroussi, Abdel Halim was one of the main founders of the famous Egyptian recording company Soutelphan, which continues to operate to this day as a subsidiary of EMI Arabia
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

. The company was founded in 1961.

A feature film about his life, "Haleem
Haleem: Al-Andalib
Halim is a 2006 Egyptian film about the Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez. Production had started in 2004 with Ahmed Zaki in the title role, but the actor died prior to the film's completion, so his son filled in several scenes...

", was released in 2006, starring Ahmad Zaki in the title role, produced by the Good News Group. In the same year a soap opera "Al-andaleeb hikayt shaab" was produced in Egypt with Shadi Shamel starring as Abdel Halim. Shamel won the lead role in a televised competition.

Songs

Abdel Halim was very successful of creating and leaving behind rich and meaningful Egyptian songs for the world.

Some of Halim's most popular songs are:

Ahwak (I love you),
Ala Ad Al Shok (In return for the love),
Ala Hesb Wedad (Depending on the Tenderness),
Bitlimoni Leih (Why do you blame me?),
El Masish (Christ),
Fatet Ganbena (She came between us),
Gabar (Strong),
Sawwah (Wander),
and Mawood (Promised/you are used to it).

Filmography

Title |Release Date Role Co-stars DirectorNotes
Lahn El Wafa (The Song of Truth) March 1, 1955 Galal Shadia
Shadia
Fatima Ahmad Kamal , better known by her stage name Shadia , is an Egyptian actress and singer. Now retired, she is famous for her roles in light comedies and drama in the 1950s and 1960s...

Ibrahim Amara Abdel Halim Hafez co-directed
Ayyamna al-Holwa
Ayyamna al-Holwa
Ayyamna al-Holwa is a 1955 Egyptian romance/musical film directed and co-written by the Egyptian film director and writer Helmy Halim. It starred Abdel Halim Hafez, Ahmed Ramzy, Omar Sharif, and Faten Hamama...

(Our Beautiful Days)
March 1, 1955 Ali Faten Hamama
Faten Hamama
Faten Hamama is an Egyptian producer and an acclaimed actress of film, television, and theatre. She was regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from melodramas to historical films and occasional comedies, though her chief successes were romantic dramas...

, Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...

, Ahmed Ramzy
Ahmed Ramzy
Ahmed Ramzy is an Egyptian actor who played the leading roles in many Egyptian films in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.-Early life:Ramzy was born Ramzy Mahmoud Bayoumi in 1930 to an Egyptian orthopedist and university professor father, his mother was a young Scottish lady.Ramzy graduated from...

Helmy Halim
Helmy Halim
Helmy Halim was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter and film producer. He has worked with many stars like Omar Sharif, Ahmed Ramzy, Faten Hamama and Abdel Halim Hafez....

Ayam We Layali (Days and Nights) September 8, 1955 Eman Henry Barakat
Mawed Gharam (Promised Love) January 3, 1956 Samir Faten Hamama
Faten Hamama
Faten Hamama is an Egyptian producer and an acclaimed actress of film, television, and theatre. She was regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from melodramas to historical films and occasional comedies, though her chief successes were romantic dramas...

Henry Barakat
Dalila October 20, 1956 Ahmed Shadia
Shadia
Fatima Ahmad Kamal , better known by her stage name Shadia , is an Egyptian actress and singer. Now retired, she is famous for her roles in light comedies and drama in the 1950s and 1960s...

Mohamad Karim This was the Arab world's first movie in Cinemascope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...

Banat El Yom (The Girls of Today) November 10, 1957 Khaled Magda, Amal Farid Henry Barakat Hafez performed the popular love song "Ahwak" for the first time in this film
Fata Ahlami (The Man Of My Dreams) March 7, 1957 Amal Farid Helmi Rafleh
Alwisada El Khalia (The Empty Pillow) December 20, 1957 Salah Abdel Halim Hafez, Lubna Abed El Aziz Salah Abu Yousef
Share' El Hob (Love Street) March 5, 1958 Sabah
Sabah (singer)
Sabah , Wadi Chahrour, Lebanon is a Lebanese singer and actress.She has released over 50 albums and has acted in 98 movies, as well as 20 stage plays...

Ez El Deen Zol Faqar
Hekayit Hob (A Love Story) January 12, 1959 Ahmed Sami Mariam Fakher El Deen Helmy Halim
Helmy Halim
Helmy Halim was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter and film producer. He has worked with many stars like Omar Sharif, Ahmed Ramzy, Faten Hamama and Abdel Halim Hafez....

El Banat Wel Seif (Girls and Summer) September 5, 1960 Suad Husni
Suad Husni
Soad Mohamed Hosny was an Egyptian actress born in the Bulaq district of Cairo. Hosny was known as the "Cinderella of Egyptian cinema" and one of the most influential actresses in the artistic arena. She ascended to stardom in the end of the 1950s, performing in more than 83 films between 1959 and...

, Zizi El Badrawi
Salah Abu Yousef, Ez El Deen Zol Faqar, Fateen Abed El Wahhab This movie consisted of 3 stories. Abdel Halim Hafez acted in one of these.
Yom Men Omri (A Day of My Life) February 8, 1961 Salah Zubaida Tharwat Atef Salem
Atef Salem
Atef Salem was an Egyptian film director. He directed 32 films between 1954 and 2001.-External links:...

El Khataya (The Sins) November 12, 1962 Hussien Madiha Yousri, Hasan Yousef, Nadia Lutfi
Nadia Lutfi
Nadia Lutfi , the daughter of an Egyptian father who was an accountant and a Polish mother, was one of the most popular actresses during the final phase of Egyptian cinema's "Golden Age".-Life and career:...

Hassan El Imam
Hassan El Imam
Hassan al-Imam was a prominent Egyptian film director.- Personal life :He has 2 sons :*Hussein al-Imam, music composer, arranger, singer, and works sometimes as an actor....

Featured the songs Wehyat Alby, Maghroor, Last Adry, Olly Haga,and El Helwa
Maabodat El Gamahir (The Beloved Diva) January 13, 1963 Ibrahim Farid Shadia
Shadia
Fatima Ahmad Kamal , better known by her stage name Shadia , is an Egyptian actress and singer. Now retired, she is famous for her roles in light comedies and drama in the 1950s and 1960s...

Helmy Halim
Helmy Halim
Helmy Halim was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter and film producer. He has worked with many stars like Omar Sharif, Ahmed Ramzy, Faten Hamama and Abdel Halim Hafez....

Featured the songs Haga Ghareeba, Balash Etaab, Last Kalby, Gabbar, and Ahebek
Abi Foq El Shagara (My Father Atop a Tree) February 17, 1969 Adel Nadia Lutfi
Nadia Lutfi
Nadia Lutfi , the daughter of an Egyptian father who was an accountant and a Polish mother, was one of the most popular actresses during the final phase of Egyptian cinema's "Golden Age".-Life and career:...

, Mervat Amin
Mervat Amin
Mervat Amin is an Arab Egyptian actress, born in 1946 in El-Menya in Egypt. Her father is Egyptian and her mother Scottish. During the seventies her mom was the Head of the Elementary School of El Nasr School Heliopolis,Egypt. Her father was Dr...

Hussein Kamal Featured the songs Ady El Belag, El Hawa Hawaya, Ahdan El Habayeb, Ya Khali El Alb, and Gana El Hawa. Hafez also produced this movie and was the last film in which he appeared. This movie is still the longest running motion picture in movie theaters in the Arab world to date.

External links

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