Mohamed Abdel Wahab

Mohamed Abdel Wahab (March 13, 1902 – May 4, 1991) was an Egyptian singer, composer, and actor born in Cairo’s Bab El-Sheriyah neighborhood. He began performing at age seven and made his first recording at 13. A pioneer of modern Arabic music, he composed over 1,820 songs, including ten for Oum Kalthoum and hits for Fairuz, عبد الحليم حافظ, and نجاة الصغيرة. In the 1930s, he introduced the Egyptian film musical, starring in films like The White Rose (1933). He incorporated Western rhythms and instruments into Arabic music, notably in songs like “El Gandol” (1941, waltz) and Abdel Halim Hafez’s “Ya Albi Ya Khali” (1957, rock and roll). Abdel Wahab co-founded, a film and music production company, in the early 1960's with Abdel Halim Hafez and others, which became a key Egyptian record label. His recordings were also released through and EMI Classics. He composed national anthems for Libya, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates, and patriotic songs like “Ya Masr Tamm Elhana.” He died in Cairo of a stroke.