One Hundred Years of Umm Khalsoum

Posted by Scott MacLeod Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 11:50 pm

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Reflecting on the death of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, who was buried in Ramallah today, I recalled the exhibition I saw in Paris this summer marking the Centennial of the Egyptian singer Umm Khalsoum. What Darwish did for the Palestinian identity, Umm Khalsoum did for Arabs everywhere--she literally gave them their modern voice, through which she spoke their hopes and fears, and represented their collective soul.

The Egyptian diva on stage

It says a lot about the profound depth of culture that about 100 years after Umm Khalsoum's birth in a humble Egyptian village--nobody is sure of the exact date--she is being honored so magnificently and far from her native land. The exhibition, on until November 2 at l'Institut du Monde Arabe, is heralded by a five-storey-high poster of Umm Khalsoum, dubbed Egypt's "fourth pyramid," looking out on the River Seine. Of course it's not only the French who are remembering her life. More than 30 years after her death, she remains one of the most popular Arab singers. You hear her on Arab radio stations, and see her on the Arab satellite channels, every day.

The exhibition is simple and terrific. Borrowing many items from the Umm Khalsoum museum here in Cairo, the IMA puts on a fascinating multimedia show. You can see footage of the diva's monthly performances, watch some of the many films in which she starred and sang, examine vintage photos and news clips of her in concert and social settings, and gaze at personal effects like her sequined gowns and her trademarks, the white handkerchief and dark sunglasses.

Here's a modest slideshow from the exhibition, showing a video grab of Umm Khalsoum on stage, one of the countless works of art she inspired, a news photo from her tumultuous funeral, the IMA exhibition poster and pop evening purses that were also for sale in the gift shop-- a century's worth of a remarkable Arab life.