Alternative spellings include:  Oum Kalthum, Umm Kulthum, Om Koultoum, Om Kalthoum, Om Kalsoum, Oum Kalsoum, Omm Kolsoum, Umm Kolthoum, Omme Kolsoum

The most beloved and influential singer in the Arab speaking world, Oum Kalthoum was born somewhere between the years 1898 and 1904 (records vary) in the small village of Tammay-az-Zahayra, lying within the Daqaheleya Governorate.  Her father was the imam of the local mosque who would often sing religious songs at local celebrations to supplement his income.  It was through him that Oum Kalthoum learned to sing and after a while, she too would perform at weddings and other celebrations as her local reputation grew.

In 1923 Oum Kalthoum and her family moved to Cairo and she was taken under the wing of the composer al-Shaykh Abu al-'ila Muhammad.  The religious songs of her youth slowly gave way to more modern compositions and her career blossomed.  Over the years she developed a cult following throughout the Arab world and people would fly from all over the Middle East and North Africa to Cairo to attend her concerts, with each one being a major event.  A concert could consist of just one song, lasting for hours. During her career she worked with a number of composers including Mohammed el-Qasabji, Riad el-Sounbatti and Zakariya Ahmed. The 'Golden Age' of Oum Kalthoum is generally regarded to be the period ranging from the 1940s to the early 1950s, but arguably her most famous song in the West, Inta Omri, was written for her in 1964 by Ahmad Shafiz Kamel and Mohammed Abdel Wahab.

Sadly, Oum Kalthoum suffered ill health for most of her life and died in Cairo on 3 February 1975.  It's impossible to over-state just how loved she was, both as an artist and as a humanist.  During her lifetime she donated much of the money she made to the poor and financially supported a number of families. As news of her death spread, the traffic in Cairo ground to a halt with grown men crying in the streets. Her funeral was reportedly attended by over 4 million mourners, second only to that of President Nasser, and amid scenes of hysteria her body was taken by the crowd to a mosque they thought she would have preferred for her burial.  It was only after pleas were made directly to them by the imam of the mosque, that her body was finally released and buried.

The Magic of Oum Kalthoum

In order to appreciate the lasting appeal of Oum Kalthoum, we need to take a closer look at her as a live performer.

An Oum Kalthoum concert

The musicians would arrive on stage, long before Oum Kalthoum put in an appearance, leading to a feeling of great anticipation amongst the crowd. As she came onto the stage to rapturous applause, she would take a seat in the chair provided for her, waiting until she felt it was the correct moment to come to the front of the stage.  She would stand a foot or two away from the microphone as she sang, clutching and waving a long silk handkerchief in her hand. When she reached a particular point in a song, she would sit in the chair again, and her musicians would carry on playing until she felt it was time to stand up and sing once more.  Her musicians would take their cue from her as what to play next - should they repeat the previous section of music, should they carry on to the next part or should they start all over again from the very beginning. This ritual would be repeated many times during the course of an evening, keeping the song going for as long as she wanted. The duration of a song was not fixed and depended entirely on her interaction with the audience. She would repeat a word, phrase or sentence over and over again, changing the way the words were delivered, driving her audience into a state of ecstasy.  Her songs were often the most beautiful of poems and her delivery of them would capitvate the crowd for hours.

Below: An example of Oum Kalthoum's improvisational technique, with subtitles and commentary.  The crowd's reaction speaks for itself. 

Below:  Oum Kalthoum singing Inta Omri.

She was considered never to have sung a line of a song the same way twice and the special rapport she had with her audience, coupled with her incredibly beautiful, expressive voice led to her huge success as an artist and to the respect she still commands today. She has influenced a number of international artists over the years - including Bob Dylan, Maria Callas and Shakira.  In Egypt, radio stations still start the day with her music and every Arab household is an Oum Kalthoum loving household. More than 30 years after her death she is as popular as ever, listened to by the young and old alike.

Oum Kalthoum on Record

Oum Kalthoum recorded a huge number of albums over the years, but sadly not all of them are currently available on CD.  The most complete collection of her work can be found at Maqam , and includes live recordings, film soundtracks and plays. HMV has a good selection of compilation cds, covering her shorter works - be sure to try a number of variations of her name in the search box (including Oum Kalsoum), as the search facility will not pick up everything in one search.  If you are unsure of what to buy and would like to listen first, head straight for Napster (you'll need to take on a subscription in order to listen to complete tracks).  Again you will need to try a couple of spelling variations - Oum Kalthoum and Omme Kolsoum, but you will be rewarded with a good selection of albums to choose from.  If you're an iPod owner, iTunes offers the same selection. 

For a closer look at her life, the documentary Umm Kulthum:  A Voice Like Egypt has now been released on DVD and is available from Aladdin's Cave.

Oum Kalthoum for Dancers

A performer should never dance to the voice of Oum Kalthoum herself.  She is held in such high regard it is considered to be a grave insult and very bad form.  Instead, there are a number of instrumental albums on the market, created specifically for belly dancers.  Two of the best are The Best of Om Kolthoum by Hossam Ramzy and his Egyptian Ensemble and A Tribute to Om Kalsoum by the Cairo Orchestra.  If you are after something a little more modern, check out the tracks Inta Omri by Ellie Attieh (either on the album of the same name or on a number of compilation albums, including Yalla Dance) and Alf Leyla W Leyla By Said Mrad on the album Two Thousand and One Nights.  For more traditional vocal versions of her songs by other singers, try the album Legends of the 20th Century by Wadi El Safi (Inta Omri), or Diwan 2 by Rachid Taha for an excellent rendition of the song Ghanny Li Shwaya.

Interpreting the music

Huge thanks to the dancer Orit Maftsir for the following explanation:

When Oum Kalthoum sang, she would often make small, dramatic gestures with the hand clutching the handkerchief, at a moment when the orchestra played a 'dum' in the music.  This is recreated on stage by the dancer in tribute to her, with the performer making small, sharp downward motions with her hands at that same 'dum' moment in the music, or raising herself upwards on toes before lowering herself again quickly.

Below:  Dina dancing to an instrumental version of the Oum Kalthoum song Ana Fi Inti Zarak. The dramatic hand movements are subtle, and not over-used, but are all the more powerful because of that.  The gestures are more noticeable towards the end of the song.  Note the way she raises herself up on her toes, before lowering herself quickly, in time with the music.

Below:  A beautiful performance from Orit Maftsir herself, dancing to Daret el Ayam. This time without the hand gestures, but still full of expression!

Further reading:

The Life of Umm Kulthum by Virginia Louise Danielson

Oum Kalthoum for Non-Arab Ears by Rudy Meixell for an excellent article on the music of Oum Kalthoum

Shira.net for translations of some of her songs.