Leila Mourad
Encyclopedia
Leila Mourad was an Egypt
ian singer and actress
. She is also credited as "Laila Mourad" and "Layla Mourad".
on February 17, 1918 to an Egyptian of Iraqi Jewish descent father, Zaki Mourad, a respected singer and musician in the twenties, and to a Jewish mother whose family is from Poland, Gamilah "Salmon" who gave birth to Mourad, Isak, Ibrahim, Malak, Mounir and Samihah. Her brother Mounir Mourad
was an actor
and composer
.
Egypt
ian Jewish composer Dawood Hussnei
, who composed the first Operetta
in the Arab
ic language, helped her start her career by composing two songs: "Hairana Leh Bein El-Eloub" (Why can't you choose from among lovers), and "Howa el dala'a ya'ani khessam" (Does daliance mean avoiding me?). Further success came when the prominent Egyptian composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab
heard her singing and gave her a role in his film Yahia el Hob (Viva Love!) in 1938.
In 1953, she was selected, over Umm Kulthum, as the official singer of the Egyptian revolution. Shortly thereafter, a rumor that Murad had visited Israel
, where she had family, and donated money to its military, placed her as a suspect of spying and made some Arab radio stations boycott
her. She denied these allegations and she was called for judicial investigations. All along, she maintained her innocence, declaring, "I am an Egyptian Muslim
".
No proof was found that she had contributed money to Israel, though she may have sent money to and been in contact with her family in Israel. Jews still in Egypt exchanged gifts with their families in Israel through intermediaries in France or other European countries. It was also rumored that she met in Paris with members of her family living in Israel.
The Egyptian government investigated and concluded that the charges against the singer were without foundation. The Egyptian public continued to love her, ignoring the controversy.
Some historians claim that President Nasser insisted that Syria
end their boycott
of Leila Mourad's songs and films, and the Syrians complied. Yet, Nasser clearly preferred Um Kulthum, an Egyptian Muslim persona, over Leila Murad. Shortly after Gamal Abd el Nasser came to power by staging a coup d'état against Mohamed Naguib, Leila Murad ended her career abruptly, and without giving an explanation. Within the same time frame, Um Kulthum came out with a song "Ya Gamal ya methal el wataniya", "Oh Gammal, you are the prime example of patriotism."
Leila Murad did make one appearance in 1970, when she was scheduled to read "Fawazeer Ramadan" (Ramadan' puzzles), a daily traditional program held during the Holy month of Ramadan. After a few days, she was replaced.
Leila Murad's relationship with her family was not an easy one, possibly due to her conversion. Between 1967 and 1969, Hundreds of Egyptian Jewish males were deported to the detention camps of Abu Za'abal and Tura
, including Leila's brother, Isak Zaki. Families of the detainees were allowed visit beginning 1968, yet several detainees noted that Leila was never seen visiting her brother.
Leila Murad died in a hospital in Cairo in 1995.
(1947–1954), a Muslim, over the objection of her father, the Jewish singer Zaki Murad. They were married and divorced three times. Leila gives the reason for her divorces as the fact that she was not fully aware of the seriousness of Wagdi's disease and hence his irritability. Later she married Waguih Abaza, and then film director Fatin Abdul Wahab and she gave birth to their son Zaki Fatin Abdul Wahab, and finally divorced in 1969.
Her famous songs include:
Her movies include:
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian singer and actress
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. She is also credited as "Laila Mourad" and "Layla Mourad".
Life
Leila Mourad was born in Al Daher, CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
on February 17, 1918 to an Egyptian of Iraqi Jewish descent father, Zaki Mourad, a respected singer and musician in the twenties, and to a Jewish mother whose family is from Poland, Gamilah "Salmon" who gave birth to Mourad, Isak, Ibrahim, Malak, Mounir and Samihah. Her brother Mounir Mourad
Mounir Mourad
Mounir Mourad was an Egyptian artist, singer, actor and distinguished composer of lighthearted songs. His compositions included duets for Shadia and Abdel Halim Hafez....
was 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...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Jewish composer Dawood Hussnei
Dawood Hussnei
Dawood Hosni , also spelled Dawoud Housni,Dawood Hosny, was an Egyptian musician and composer born in 1870 in Cairo to a Karaite Jewish family. He composed the first Operetta in the Arabic language.-Biography:...
, who composed the first Operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
in the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
ic language, helped her start her career by composing two songs: "Hairana Leh Bein El-Eloub" (Why can't you choose from among lovers), and "Howa el dala'a ya'ani khessam" (Does daliance mean avoiding me?). Further success came when the prominent Egyptian 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...
heard her singing and gave her a role in his film Yahia el Hob (Viva Love!) in 1938.
In 1953, she was selected, over Umm Kulthum, as the official singer of the Egyptian revolution. Shortly thereafter, a rumor that Murad had visited Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, where she had family, and donated money to its military, placed her as a suspect of spying and made some Arab radio stations boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
her. She denied these allegations and she was called for judicial investigations. All along, she maintained her innocence, declaring, "I am an Egyptian Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
".
No proof was found that she had contributed money to Israel, though she may have sent money to and been in contact with her family in Israel. Jews still in Egypt exchanged gifts with their families in Israel through intermediaries in France or other European countries. It was also rumored that she met in Paris with members of her family living in Israel.
The Egyptian government investigated and concluded that the charges against the singer were without foundation. The Egyptian public continued to love her, ignoring the controversy.
Some historians claim that President Nasser insisted that Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
end their boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
of Leila Mourad's songs and films, and the Syrians complied. Yet, Nasser clearly preferred Um Kulthum, an Egyptian Muslim persona, over Leila Murad. Shortly after Gamal Abd el Nasser came to power by staging a coup d'état against Mohamed Naguib, Leila Murad ended her career abruptly, and without giving an explanation. Within the same time frame, Um Kulthum came out with a song "Ya Gamal ya methal el wataniya", "Oh Gammal, you are the prime example of patriotism."
Leila Murad did make one appearance in 1970, when she was scheduled to read "Fawazeer Ramadan" (Ramadan' puzzles), a daily traditional program held during the Holy month of Ramadan. After a few days, she was replaced.
Leila Murad's relationship with her family was not an easy one, possibly due to her conversion. Between 1967 and 1969, Hundreds of Egyptian Jewish males were deported to the detention camps of Abu Za'abal and Tura
Tura
-People:*Cosimo Tura , Italian painter*Will Tura , Belgian singer*Tura language-Places:*Tura Beach, New South Wales, a community in Australia*Tura, Egypt, a town in Cairo Governorate*Tura, Hungary, a city in Pest County...
, including Leila's brother, Isak Zaki. Families of the detainees were allowed visit beginning 1968, yet several detainees noted that Leila was never seen visiting her brother.
Leila Murad died in a hospital in Cairo in 1995.
Marriages
Leila Mourad married Anwar WagdiAnwar Wagdi
Anwar Wagdy was an Egyptian actor, writer, director and producer.-Life:Anwar was born in the Cairo district of El Daher, Cairo. He was of Syrian descent. His father, Yehia Wagdy El-Fattal, immigrated to Egypt from Syria with his family in the 19th century for economic reasons. Anwar's Egyptian...
(1947–1954), a Muslim, over the objection of her father, the Jewish singer Zaki Murad. They were married and divorced three times. Leila gives the reason for her divorces as the fact that she was not fully aware of the seriousness of Wagdi's disease and hence his irritability. Later she married Waguih Abaza, and then film director Fatin Abdul Wahab and she gave birth to their son Zaki Fatin Abdul Wahab, and finally divorced in 1969.
Works
- "Yama Arak el nasim"
- "Ya msafer we nassi hawak"
- "Albi dalleli"
- "leeh khaletni ahebak"
- "Elmaya we el hawa"
- "Ya aaz mn Ainy"
- "Sanaten wana ahayel feek"
- "Etmakhtary".
- "El Hob Gameel".
- "Monaya fi Korbak"
- "Abgad Hawaz".
- "Einy Betref", a duet with the Egyptian actor "Naguib AlRaihani".
Her movies include:
- Sayedat al-Qitar (Lady on the Train), 1953.
- Ward el gharam (Flowers of Love), 1952.
- Ghazal Al BanatGhazal Al BanatGhazal Al Banat is a Egyptian film. It is Naguib Al Rihani's last film and was shown in cinemas after his death. Ghazal Al Banat was also the last appearance of Mohamed Abdel Wahab in a film...
(Flirtation of Girls), 1949. - El Hawa wal chabab (Love and Youth), 1948.
- Darbet el kadar (The Blow of Fate), 1947.
- Qalbi dalili (My Heart is My Guide), 1947.
- Khatem Suleiman (Solomon's Ring), 1947.
- Leila bint el agnia (Leila, Daughter of the Rich), 1947.
- Leila bint el fukara (Leila, Daughter of the Poor), 1946.
- El Madi el maghoul (The Forgotten Past), 1946.
- Shadia al wadi (The Singer in the Valley), 1946.
- Leila fil zalam (Leila in the Shadows), 1944.
- Leila, bint al-madaress (Leila, the Schoolgirl), 1942.
- Laila, ghadet el camelia (Leila, Lady of the Camelias), 1942.
- Shuhaddaa el gharam (Romeo and Juliet), 1942.
- Leila, bint el rif (Leila, the Girl from the Country), 1941.
- Laila momtera (Stormy Night), 1940.
- Yahya el hub (Long Live Love), 1938.
External links
.- Laila Mourad Video Music Clips
- Lists of Egyptians
- ليلى مراد