El Qasabgy: 72 Melodies for Umm Kulthum and a 20-Year Partnership on His Birthday

Egypt - Ekhbary News Agency

Commemorating Mohamed El Qasabgy's Birthday

Today, Wednesday, marks the birthday of the renowned composer Mohamed El Qasabgy, whose artistic journey with the 'Star of the East,' Umm Kulthum, is a landmark in the history of Arab singing. El Qasabgy composed no less than 72 songs for Umm Kulthum, beginning with "Qal Eh Half" in 1924 and concluding with three songs for the film "Fatma" in 1947. These works include prominent songs like "En Kent Asameh," "Khalli El Domou' Di Li Eini," "Khasamteni," "Raq El Habib," and "Ana Albi Dalili" (sung by Laila Murad), in addition to the operetta "Aida."

A Fruitful Partnership with Ahmed Ramy

The duo of El Qasabgy and poet Ahmed Ramy is considered one of the most prolific collaborations in Umm Kulthum's career. El Qasabgy composed approximately 67 songs for Umm Kulthum from Ramy's lyrics, underscoring the depth and impact of this collaboration. Among the most notable of these songs are "Ahebbak Wenta Mesh Dari," "Khayalak Fil Manam," "Talet Layali El Bo'ad," "Saket Wel Dam' Tekallem," "Nami Nami," and "Ya Bahget El Eid El Saeed."

Other Collaborations

El Qasabgy's creativity was not limited to Umm Kulthum; it extended to compositions for Asmahan and Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Actress Laila Murad also sang his song "Ana Albi Dalili" in 1947, considered one of his masterpieces. El Qasabgy also collaborated with poet Bayram El Tounsy on two songs for Umm Kulthum: "Ya Sabah El Kheir Ya Elli Ma'ana" and "Nourak Ya Set El Kol."