ET commemorates Egyptian singer, composer Sayed Mekawy on his passing anniversary

CAIRO - 21 April 2022: Mekawy was best known for his radio collaboration with Fouad Haddad on the Egyptian traditional character of El-Missaharati.

Moved by Mekawy’s unforgettable songs, Amira Mekawy unfolded the story of his
songs:

El-Missaharati was a radio program in which a large number of actors took part. Salah Jahin was supposed to write the lyrics of the Program’s songs but he nominated Egyptian poet Fouad Haddad saying that Haddad was the best person to write these lyrics.

Mekawy composed and sang all the songs of the program where he depended on the traditional drum of El-Missaharati, without using any musical instruments.

“The program’s episodes accurately described Egypt and its people. Unfortunately most of the episodes have been lost,” Amira Mekawy said in special statements to Egypt Today.

After the release of El-Missaharati’s episodes on television, the opening credits were set without writing Haddad's name. Rumors spread claiming that Mekawy deliberately intended to eliminate Haddad’s name which was totally wrong. The famed singer was furious and denied such rumors assuring that he did not see the opening credit in the first place, according to Mekawy’s memoir.

El Leila El Kebira [The Big Night] and Mekawy’s marriage
 

The outstanding show "El Leila El Kebira" came after Mekawy's marriage who had insisted not to marry at all until he fell in love with one of his students, plastic artist Zinat Khalil.

Khalil loved Mekawy at the first glance and pretended she wanted to draw sketches of his play in order to meet him. Later on, they got married in 1961.
 

Nona, as dubbed by her husband, was keen to offer all means of comfort to let Mekawy focus on his work. If it were not for Khalil’s support, Mekawy would have never reached the same rank or achieved such great success and fame.