Sayed Darwish

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sayed Darwish (Arabic: سيد درويش; March 17, 1892 - September 10, 1923) was an Egyptian singer and composer who was considered the father of Egyptian popular music. He was born in Alexandria on March 17, 1892. He put the music to the Egyptian national anthem, Bilady, Bilady, Bilady, the words of which were adapted from a famous speech by Mustafa Kamil.

Darwish died of a heart attack in Alexandria on September 10, 1923 (aged 31), because he was a cocaine addict.[1] On the day of his death was the day the great national Egyptian leader Saad Zaghloul coming back from exile, the Egyptians sang Darwish's new song "Bilady, Bilady, Bilady," which became the national anthem in 1979. Zaghloul liked the song very much and asked who made it but Darwish died the same day.

Egyptians consider Sayed Darwish to be among their greatest musicians and their single greatest composer. In addition to the songs mentioned above, he composed "Shed el hezam" ("Pull the Belt"), "Malo'ouna," "Ana Haweit," "Kom Ya Masry," and "Salma Ya Salama."

[edit] References

  1. ^ Goldschmidt, Arthur (2000). Biographical Dictionary of Modern Egypt. Egypt: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 47. ISBN 1555872298. 
 This Egyptian biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
 This article on an African musician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
 This article on a African singer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
 This article on a composer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.