Umm Kulthum

Umm Kulthum was born in a village in the Nile Delta to a family of religious background. She learned to sing by listening to her father teach her older brother, and she memorized the entire Qur’an. She joined the family ensemble as a supporting voice at the age of 12, and later moved to Cairo to pursue a career in music. She was taught by famous singers and composers, and became one of the most popular and influential Arab singers of the 20th century. She sang in a classical Arabic style, with long and complex compositions that expressed a wide range of emotions. She also starred in 10 films and was involved in the Egyptian nationalist movement. She was known as the Star of the East and the Voice of Egypt, and was admired by millions of fans across the Arab world and beyond. She died in 1975 from nephritis, and her funeral was attended by millions of mourners.