Tony Kaldas

Tony Kaldas طونى قلدس
Background information
Birth name	Antoine Kaldas
Born	(1984-01-20) January 20, 1984
Genres	Pop music Jazz Oriental Classic Chanson
Occupation(s)	Singer, Songwriter , Actor, Composer and Art Director
Instruments	Vocal Ukulele
Years active	2007 - Present
Website	www.tonykaldas.com

Antoine Kaldas(Arabic: طوني قلدس‎‎, ; born January 20, 1984), known professionally as Tony Kaldas , is an Egyptian-Greek singer, composer, performer, and healer who has spent his first 25 years in Egypt.

Tony expressed his artistic talents since he was 4 years old by imitating actors and actresses after watching any film or a play shown on the television. Due to the restricted life that his parents weren't appreciating his artistic expression when he was a child and he had to stop showing his talent for longtime. Once, he reached 16 years old,Tony Kaldas sang one religious song in French and since then the singing career starts to open for him. His incredible talent of blending jazz, classical, pop, and world music was shown through his songs and the concerts he performed by mixing several genres and languages to create predominantly different works.

Tony studied Classic singing for 6 years in Cairo Opera house aside the studies in Architecture. Due to the many talents, Tony was called by the press that he is one of the few multi-potentialists in the world who could learn and do several things. Looking at Tony's career, it is full of different learning and works he did. Tony studied architecture and he worked for years aside singing as an underground singer and as an Art Director, Graphic Designer, Retoucher and Digital Marketeer; which taught him a lot about other sides of arts combining them with business and practical practices. Tony also used his intuition and his healing talent through studying different type of healing practices like Quantum Touch, Chakra Healing, Hypnotherapy and combining them with his knowledge in music and voice. Important to mention, his works as a Voice Over, enriched his experience through singing and acting in the Arabic versions of Disney movies and for commercial advertisements as well.

Tony received an international recognition from Time for Peace in Brussels in 2012 representing the Middle East in an Arabic song, written by the latest Gibran Khalil Gibran, composed and performed by Tony himself.

Due to the mix of nationalities in Tony's family, it enriched his taste of music and talents which was expressed and still expressing in his life and his works.

Early life

Tony was born January, 1984 in Cairo, Egypt, the son of an Egyptian father and a Greek mother. He displayed musical talent at a young age, performing musicals at the age of 4. His parents were resistant as they were afraid that he will not study and this will affect his life negatively. After many ways to convince his family, Tony failed to stand up for his talent and he blocked it instead for longtime. The self-taught musician continues to use the "musical shorthand" that he developed as a child, rather than employing traditional musical notation.

However, the house was always full of different music playing throughout the day, which Tony believes that this was one of the important learning for him, as listening is half of the work and he was lucky to be present among a family that they like listening to different kind of music and songs.

Tony went to the French school at 1989 College des Freres which it was a great influence on his personality and his taste of expressing that continued with him afterward.

In 2003, Tony studied Classical Singing at Cairo Opera House in parallel with his studies in the Architecture university, he always had the example of the singer Asmahan as she was one of the Arabic singers could sing different genres and styles, and she studied classical singing for sometime. His love for Asmahan started at age 9, which everyone was astonished that a child listen to a singer died on 1944, which is 40 years before he was even born. Tony always felt that there is a connection with her in a way or another.

Music career

In 2000 Tony joined the French Christian Choir in Cairo, he displayed a great talent in singing which was a surprise for his parents in the first time they heard him. His father couldn't believe that this was his voice when he listened it on the cassette tape and Tony had to sing live in front of him as a proof.

Tony's music career started from that time, performing in the biggest venues in Egypt then around the world.

2012: Living Abroad

After his nomination for the Peace Prize in Brussels in January 2012, and his performance in Paris afterward, he decided to live abroad in France for sometime to be able to learn new vocal techniques and start singing in different country.

Tony lived in Paris, Lille, then moved to Cambridge and London. His travelling was more about knowing himself more than singing and performing as he intended on the first place.

Influences, music and concerts

Musical Influences

From childhood, Tony accepted a wide variety of musical styles, listening to radio stations from Northern Africa, Arab countries, and Europe. Tonys music has been said to reflect his encounters with cultures around the world.

The mixture in his family was translated through the choice of songs chosen by his family, as he was raised listening to Classical singing, Arabic, Greek, French, Italian, Spanish and English songs; along with the classical music. This mixture was expressed later through Tony's talent and voice by always mixing different genres together and being one of the first musicians and singers in the Middle East creating fusion on stage.

Tony claims to have had a perfect pitch since childhood.

Concerts

Tony sang cover versions of songs sung by the Arabic Super-stars :Fairuz, Abdel Halim Hafez, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Umm Kulthum, Nour el Hoda etc... and from the Worldwide he used to sing for Charles Aznavour, Édith Piaf, Mireille Mathieu, Frédéric François, Jacques Brel, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, etc..

• In 2005 Tony sang cover versions of Umm Kulthum and Asmahan many songs like: "Raq el habeeb, Gholbt asaleh, Fakarouny, Nawet adary alamy, Emta hataeraf, Layaly el ons, Ya layaly el bishr, etc. He also sang cover versions of the Lebanese singer Majida El Roumi many songs from her big repertoire like: Enta el mady, Matra'ak bi alby, Lawen maey el ayam, Beirut set el donya, Am yesaalouny, etc...)
• In December 2006 he sang a concert of cover versions under the name of (Tony Kaldas sings Charles Aznavour) at Chateau de Ghouri in Egypt.
• Also he sang in some Opera Recitals many Arias from Aria Antiche and Opera Roles Like La Traviata, Tosca, and others.
• in September 2007, he sang in a Common Concert with the soprano Maysa Orensa, a big repertoire containing Arabic, French, Italian, German songs at the Cairo Opera House
• In October 2007, he sang with the Egyptian singer Rania Shaalan in one of her concert in Gomhoreya Theatre - Cairo Opera House
• During 2006-2007, he did 3 religious songs and he wrote and sang a song about the Lebanese superstar Majida El Roumi as a dedication to her voice. The song was called "Negma men negoum el sama"^[1]
• 2008 was a year of success at the Jubilee 125 years of the Lebanese poet, painter and writer Khalil Gibran.^[2]
• On June 27, in The Opera House - Gomhoureya Theatre.^[3][4][5]
• On July 16 in Bibliotheca Alexandrina - Open Air Theatre.^[6]
• 2008 Performed at Diwan Bookstore a Ramadan Night, a nostalgic night in September which was covered by the Daily News (Egypt)^[7]
• 2009 he performed on 2 occasions in Smash Club celebrating the Valentine's Day and Sham el nessim.
• June 2009, commemorating the Lebanese writer Mansour Rahbani in Sawy Culturewheel, covered by OTV, ON TV, ANA TV and Nile Live TV, and media presses Elaph and Radio stations.^[8]
• September 2009, he performed a big concert in Cairo Opera House singing for Fairuz, Halim and his own songs from Gibran Khalil Gibran words "You are my brother", "My soul"^[9]
• 2011, Tony celebrated 70 years on Besame Mucho song with the help of the Mexican Embassy in Cairo for the copyrights and the song renewed with Arabic lyrics and different arrangement mixing Jazz, Latin and Oriental.
• 2011, Tony released after the Egyptian revolution a song clip from the lyrics of the international Lebanese writer and poet Gibran Khalil Gibran for the religious tolerance and the song is the official work for the Peace day 2011 and showed on 25 channels around the world
• 2012, Tony was nominated for the Music Peace Prize in Brussels, which he was one among important international performers.
• 2012, Tony was chosen to be part of the big music project 'One Prayer' in Oslo, Norway in October, he composed his part and wrote the lyrics on a music already prepared for the performers to perform on it. Tony presented the whole Arabic world with his part.

Tony's concerts are known for the fusion performed and mixing different instruments and languages together to prove the oneness of humanity.

Honors, awards and distinctions

Tony was honoured in Brussels European Parliament in 2012 and he was nominated for the Music Peace Prize Time for Peace, Tony was the first Arabic/Greek singer was nominated for this prize.

See also

• Cairo Opera House
• list of Egyptians

References

• Official web site