The Artistic Legacy of Umm Kulthum: Noble Voice & Eternal Icon
“Imagine a singer with the virtuosity of Joan Sutherland or Ella Fitzgerald, the public persona of Eleanor Roosevelt and the audience of Elvis and you have Umm Kulthum.”
‘Egypt’s Fourth Pyramid’, ‘Planet of the East’ or simply ‘The Lady’ — just a few of the honorific titles bestowed upon Umm Kulthum. Possessing an irreplicable vocal range, her majestic voice and soulful delivery encapsulated arenas to evoke a sense of euphoria. Whether her strong command of standardised poetic Arabic or populist colloquial ballads, her music resonated with all corners of the Arab world regardless of gender, class or religion. A truly defiant figure, she not only championed female-empowerment but became a symbol of Arab struggle from both internal and external forces, inspiring future generations.
Born to a mosque imam in rural Egypt, she would accompany her father to religious functions and mastered the art of Quranic melodies. Her talent was lauded, but due to cultural gender-constructs, she posed as a male to avoid public disapproval especially given her father’s status in the community. In the early 20s, Umm Kulthum and her family relocated to Cairo to pursue a career in music. She maintained her traditional aesthetic which the aristocratic audience viewed as a novelty, disparaging her with the term ‘Bedouin.’
A pivotal moment in her career came in 1926, she signed a deal with Gramophone Records (later EMI) finessing the contract to include royalties in addition to an annual salary. Her style and execution soon evolved, recruiting a musical ensemble in place of family members, adopting her signature elegant gown and trading religious melodies for sentimental poetry — this elevated her from a village singer into an embodiment of superstardom. Having obtained the coveted goal of financial stability, Umm Kulthum held high importance to creative freedom — intricately choosing her collaborators, her interviewees and the delivery of songs; a strategy which allowed her to determine her public image.
Contributions to her lengthy ballads from prolific Arab poets likened her to fine literature and the ability to transition to colloquialisms echoed the lives of everyday-natives. She clutched a handkerchief whilst the power of her voice passionately bellowed songs of compassion, unity and love plucking the strings of listeners’ hearts and hitting notes unfathomable to the average singer. She articulated the working-class struggle and candidly spoke of her humble beginnings, often referring to herself as a fallaha as means to inspire. She emphatically instilled strength into Arab women, championing secular feminist values like her famous speech given in Tunisia urging women to abolish the correlation between modesty and the headscarf — “We can keep our heads up and without a cover.”
Whilst Egyptian cinema was rising to prominence, Umm Kulthum’s performative creativity wasn’t exclusive to music and despite lack of experience, her status enabled her to make executive decisions on screenplays — her most celebrated works being Salamah (1945) and Fatma (1947). The movies were romantic and touched on societal issues, often depicting exploitative wealthy antagonists brought to moral justice by the common-social class aiming to promote humanitarianism.
To truly grasp her impact on the region, one has to understand the seismic shift of the sociopolitical climate in the post-colonial Arab world. From poets to actors, progressive minds within the creative arts focused on establishing a sense of ethnic pride following Western interference. Umm Kulthum had gained her reputation by performing for the Egyptian bourgeoisie and built a close relationship with then-King Farouq I. Following the 1952 revolution which overthrew the British-backed monarchy, her voice was in turn suppressed for her royal support. After querying the reason as to why she wasn’t heard on national radio, Egypt’s then-President Gamal Abdel Nasser is rumoured to have said “What, are they crazy? Do you want Egypt to turn against us?” The coup allowed her to take an active political stance and progressively promote nationalism. She was reinstated her live radio concert on the first Thursday of every month which deserted the streets from the Nile to the Euphrates as the public rushed to tune in. Aware of the admiration Umm Kulthum exalted, Nasser used it as an opportunity to gain support for his pan-Arab movement tactically broadcasting a state speech right after her set.
She performed for the first time outside of the Arab states in 1967, at L’Olympia in Paris. Revered for her hard-nosed negotiation methods, Umm Kulthum was the highest paid artist to perform at the venue receiving 14,000 sterling — twice the amount of Maria Callas and admission prices at four-times that of Sammy Davies Jr — “No one can describe the extent of my pride when I went to Paris, stood in the middle of Europe, and raised my voice in the name of Egypt.”
In the wake of the Six-Day War in 1967, Umm Kulthum embarked on an Arabian regional tour to boost morale, donating her earnings, as well as that from Paris to the Egyptian treasury. She was viewed as a representative of Egypt, becoming their ambassador and even acquired a diplomatic passport and she was treated as such. Her song, ‘Wallahi Zaman, Ya Silahi’ was both Egypts and the United Arab Republic’s national anthem, though the UAR disbanded in 1961, Egypt retained it until 1979 when then-president Anwar Sadat deemed it ‘too violent’ and hindered the peace negotiations with Israel. Critics however, viewed Umm Kulthum as a political pawn used to sedate listeners only to promote Nasser’s pan-Arab agenda (a cause she unapologetically stood by).
Following her untimely death in 1975, a record breaking procession of 4 million people swarmed the streets of Cairo for one last glimpse at their national hero. Many scrambled to take control of her casket as it surfed the crowd before being laid in its final resting place. The sheer disdain personified the impact that a single voice can have — a feeling which is felt over 4 decades on. Whether it be a pious religious woman, humble-rural girl, a champion of feminism or symbol of Arab struggle and unity, her depiction is determined by the beholder, but it was she who intentionally presented the various facets of her personality strategically shaping the narratives which reinforced her mythical public persona.
Umm Kulthum’s legacy is just as influential today, her enchanting voice forms the bridge between past and present, possessing a message that transcends the aspect of time resonating with the greater generation who experienced it, the older generation who listened to it and the younger generation that have grown accustomed to it. Her diamond-encrusted gown, dark sunglasses and bouffant hairdo will forever remain the iconography of an influential figure which brought hope to a region, kept immortal through the cafés, taxis and homes of the motherland to the diaspora.
Written by Ali Twice for Ya Habibi Market
