Remembering prominent classic singer Fayza Ahmed

CAIRO – 5 December 2017: In commemoration of the memory of the late renowned classic singer Fayza Ahmed Egypt Today profiles significant moments of her artistic career, on her 83rd Bithday.

Fayza was born in the city of Saida in Lebanon in 1934 to a Syrian father and Lebanese mother. She later moved with her family to Damascus, where she spent most of her childhood.

She greatly enjoyed singing as a child, and would often perform songs by Laila Mourad and Asmahan at school. Her mother encouraged her to pursue music, and brought her a singing instructor. She went on to audition on a singers’ panel for Damascus Broadcast, but was not accepted.

She later travelled to Aleppo to audition for the Aleppo Broadcast, and was accepted. Her popularity rose in Aleppo, and soon the Damascus Broadcast that had originally rejected her requested her return. She resumed her musical career in Damascus with great popularity under the instruction of Mohamed Nagy, a celebrated composer.

After Syria, Fayza went to Iraq, where she met and worked with Reda Aly, a renowned Kurdish Iraqi musician. In Iraq, she performed songs in the Iraqi dialect.

Cairo was Fayza’s next stop in 1954. She embarked on a new level of her career when she was recognized for the first time on broadcast as an artist in 1959. She went on to release popular hits with the famous singer Mohamed el-Mogy, who worked with other great artists like Abdelhalim Hafez and Umm Kulthum. Their hits include “Ana Albi Leek Mayal” (My heart yearns for you), “Hayran” (Confused), and “Beit al-’Ezz” (House of Glory), among others.

Following much popularity in the country, she received Egyptian citizenship status in 1964. Some of her most famous hits include “Ool Le Kol El Nas” (Tell Everyone), “Ta’ala Shoof” (Come See), “Gharib Ya Zaman” (Strange, Time). Fayza was awarded numerous prizes throughout her career.

Film “Tamar ‘Hanna” in 1957 was her cinematic debut , after which she acted in six more film productions alongside with participating in in theatre performances.

Fayza died in 1984 after a fight with cancer. She is still known today for her unique voice and presence and her musical impact in Egypt.