Profile: remembering Mohamed Fawzy

CAIRO – 29 October 2017: October marks the death anniversary of the prominent Egyptian singer, composer and actor Mohamed Fawzy.

Fawzy was born on August 15, 1918, and died in 1966 in the Gharbiya governorate.

He was the 21st of 25 children his parents had. The famous singer and actor Huda Soultan was his sister.


Fawzy and Soultan [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

In 1931 he graduated from primary school and his passion for music began.

He was taught the basics of composing and music writing by a fireman called Mohamed El Kherbetly.

In 1938, Fawzy joined King Fouad I Music Institute, but left it shortly after.


Fawzy with his oud [Photo Couresy: Archive]

Fawzy applied for the Egyptian radio admission tests for new singers and composers, where he passed the exams as a composer but failed as a singer.

After that, Fawzy moved to work at Badeea Masabny’s nightclub due to the large salary.

He managed to make a large number of friends such as Mohamed Abdel Motteleb and Mahmoud El Sherief. The trio cooperated and composed music for many theatrical sketches.


Fawzy with Tahiya Karioka [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

His passion for singing led him to reintroduce Sayed Darwish’s music with the Egyptian theatrical troupe. He played the role of the singer in Sayed Darwish’s play “Shahrazad.”

Unfortunately these efforts did not yield success, which drove him into depression.


Fawzy with Sabah and Mohamed El Mogy [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

Fatma Roshdy gave him a chance work at her theatrical troupe because she believed in his talents.

The leading Egyptian actor Youssef Wahbi asked Fawzy to play a minor role in “Saif El Galad” in 1944, then he acted in “Ashab El Saada.”


Faten Hamam and Fawzy while filming [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

He managed to gain success in the field of acting. This success led him to establish Mohamed Fawzy Films Company for production services.

Egyptian radio kept broadcasting Fawzy’s songs until the July 23, 1952 Revolution.


Fawzy with many artists such as Anwar Wagdy and Laila Mourad [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

After the revolution, Fawzy wrote a number of national songs as “Balady Habibty,” children’s songs such as “Mama Zamanha Gaya” and “Zahab El Lail,” and religious songs like “Ya Tawab Ya Ghafoor.”


Fawzy in July 23 Revolution celebrations [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

In 1953 Fawzy and a number of Egyptian artists supported Egyptian schools and hospitals under the “Mercy Train” initiative.

Misrphone was one of the greatest steps made by Fawzy in the history of Arabic Music. It was an Egyptian company focused on producing music records and stood in opposition to foreign control of the Egyptian market.


Fawzy with Abdel Halim Hafez [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

Misrphone produced records for a number of leading Arabic such singers as Mohamed Abdel Wahab and Om Kalthom. The company sold records for LE 0.35 each at the time.

In 1961, the Egyptian government nationalized Misrphone.

Fawzy was hired as director for the company, which threw him further into depression and led to his fatal illness.

An unknown disease attacked Fawzy’s body; a disease so rare only five people suffered from it. People in the Middle East called it “Fawzy’s disease.”

Fawzy weighed 35 kilograms before his death, which doctors in the U.K. and Germany could not identify.


The last photo for Fawzy [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

Fawzy’s musical contributions are still unforgotten. Aside from the children’s songs and Misrphone, he developed the form of duets and operates. He was the first to introduce the Franco-Arab songs, and he introduced a zero instruments composition built on the various vocal pitches from soprano to bass.

Fawzy acted in 32 films throughout his life, most of which contained some form of musical performance.


Fawzy with Shadia [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

He was married three times. One of his wives was the iconic Egyptian actor Madiha Youssry.


Fawzy and Youssry wedding [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

Fawzy wrote 400 songs and compositions such as “Maloh El Aamar Maloh,” “Habiby We Eenaya,” “Wahashona El Habayeb” and “Shahat El Gharam.”


Fawzy with Farid El Atrash [Photo Courtesy: Archive]

In the farewell letter Fawzy wrote on October 19, 1966 he referred to his death date as “tomorrow.” He died the very next day.


Fawzy and Youssry [Photo Courtesy: Archive]



Fawzy and Youssry at home [Photo Courtesy: Archive]



Fawzy and Youssry while playinga game [Photo Courtesy: Archive]