Umm Kultim was known as ‘The Voice of Egypt’ and ‘Egypt’s Fourth Pyramid’ [GETTY]
Egypt’s Ministry of Culture announced that 2025 would be the year of legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum as we approached her 50th death anniversary.
The late singer, songwriter, and actress is regarded as a national icon in Egypt even after her death.
Being known as “The Voice of Egypt” and “Egypt’s Fourth Pyramid” for her work, Umm Kulthum was given the honorific title Kawkab el-Sharq (“Planet of the Orient”). A monument of the singer stands firm in Zamalek, in front of her former house.
She was highly popular throughout the Middle East and even beyond, inspiring many singers, including Led Zepplin and Bob Dylan.
Her performances helped shape Egyptian culture and social life, combining raw emotion with political rhetoric, including the plight of Palestinians
The song Salue Qalbi questions political motives during political tension after World War II.
Her song Enta Omri (“You are my Life”), a political song about love and desire, has countlessly been covered and reinterpreted, while “Alf Leila wa Leila” (1001 Nights) was translated into jazz by French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf in 2015.
Having performed in countries including Kuwait and Palestine, Umm Kulthum was loved all over the Arab world. Dozens of coffee houses in Baghdad bear her name, and one, “Star of the East,” is still standing on al-Rashid Street.
“Umm Kulthum is an Egyptian and Arab icon we are proud of, the best voice that expresses Egypt with its history and civilization,” Egypt’s Minister of Culture Ahmed Hanno said in a statement.
“We want to revive her spirit as an artistic and cultural phenomenon, confirming that Egypt will always remain a beacon of fine arts and musical creativity.”
Umm Kulthum died of kidney failure on 3 February 1975, leaving behind a forever-lasting artistic legacy. Her funeral drew a crowd of over 4 million people, making it the largest gathering in the history of Egypt, surpassing even that of President Gamal Abdel Nasser, where at least 3 million attended.
It has been said that Arabs from the Persian Gulf to the Atlantic Ocean listened together on only two occasions: when Nasser delivered a speech and when Umm Kulthum performed on the first Thursday of every month.
In her memory, Egyptian radio broadcast only Umm Kulthum’s music in her memory at 10pm on the first Thursday of each month.
The Egyptian singer is referenced in the lyrics of the song “Omer Sharif” in the musical The Band’s Visit.
At the Winter in Tantora festival in Al-‘Ula, Umm Kulthum appeared as a hologram in 2019 and again in Jordan and other shows.
