Warda
Singer 1939-2012
Born in Paris in 1939. She had an Algerian father and a Lebanese mother. She grew up listening to music from her fathers nightclub.She first sung on the radio when she was 11. When she was 15 her father allowed her to sing at his nightclub in Paris the TAM TAM (stood for Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco) his club was a very popular one among the Arabs in Paris. Her brother taught her to speak Arabic and she used to sing the songs of Om Kalthoum.She left Paris when the authorities closed down the club. They moved to Beirut and Warda continued singing. She was very lucky to meet Mohamed Abdul Waheb who came to hear her sing and was impressed. She came to Cairo and became famous. Many composers wrote for her. after a short return to Algeria where she got married and had two children and got divorced she returned to Cairo and married the fabulous composer Baligh Hamdy .
She starred in 6 films and sang many famous songs that have become almost standard for belly dancers to dance to; songs like Akteb Aleyk and Esmaouni
Born in Paris in 1939. She had an Algerian father and a Lebanese mother. She grew up listening to music from her fathers nightclub.She first sung on the radio when she was 11. When she was 15 her father allowed her to sing at his nightclub in Paris the TAM TAM (stood for Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco) his club was a very popular one among the Arabs in Paris. Her brother taught her to speak Arabic and she used to sing the songs of Om Kalthoum.She left Paris when the authorities closed down the club. They moved to Beirut and Warda continued singing. She was very lucky to meet Mohamed Abdul Waheb who came to hear her sing and was impressed. She came to Cairo and became famous. Many composers wrote for her. after a short return to Algeria where she got married and had two children and got divorced she returned to Cairo and married the fabulous composer Baligh Hamdy .
She starred in 6 films and sang many famous songs that have become almost standard for belly dancers to dance to; songs like Akteb Aleyk and Esmaouni
Dancers versions of her songs
As on the other classical music pages I have tried to use only sung versions of her songs-no instrumentals. Unlike many of the other classic singers some of her songs with her actually singing them can be used to dance to as some are comparatively recent with fairly modernish musical treatment and her later songs were shorter to fit in with the pop market. Warda's singing career bridges the time between the really long classical songs and the more modern shorter ones. It is mainly the older style Warda songs that there are dancers versions of. Where possible I have included links to translations, links to clips of the Warda singing the song and a link to a dancer in Egypt dancing to the song
Akteb Aleik
I'd be lying to you-one of my all time favourite songs. I have a collection of different versions of this lovely song. Most of them are of the first part of the song only. Here are my favourite versions. These are all of the first section only
CD Mastery & Mystery
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CD Fadl Shaker 2003
Fadl Shaker has a fantastic voice |
CD Leila presents Tarab
Lovely version-long introduction |
On his CD Youm there is a different version of parts 1 and 2 by Khaled Agag which I like very much, is available for download on the internet on various sites. Maqam, itunes and here
Clips are of Warda singing
Lorna of cairo dancing to it as part of her show on the Golden Pharoh
Translation of the first part
Clips are of Warda singing
Lorna of cairo dancing to it as part of her show on the Golden Pharoh
Translation of the first part
Al Eih Besoulouny
-another of my all time faves. I really like the version on CD Melodies from Cairo by Dr Samy Farag. watch out for lots of variety in spelling the title of this song
Another great version is by Wael Jasser
Translation.
Clips are of Warda singing
Randa dancing to a live recording of Nancy Ajram singing. Thsi song is the first one she dances to in her set.
Another great version is by Wael Jasser
Translation.
Clips are of Warda singing
Randa dancing to a live recording of Nancy Ajram singing. Thsi song is the first one she dances to in her set.
Esmaouni
Nice version on CD Sukara produced by Leila
Translation
Clips are of Warda singing
Aleya of cairo dancing to it in her show on the Nile Maxim
Translation
Clips are of Warda singing
Aleya of cairo dancing to it in her show on the Nile Maxim
Tab Wana Mali
this page is a list of my favourite songs! Here is another one. Nice version on Leilas Cd Om al Dunya
CD Om al Dunya
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CD Fadl Shaker
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CD Cairo
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Translation
Clips are of a young Warda singing in a film-note the interesting dancer chorus work!
Aleya dancing in Cairo
Clips are of a young Warda singing in a film-note the interesting dancer chorus work!
Aleya dancing in Cairo
Fe yom we layla-in a day and a night
Written by Mohammed Abdel Waheb and it is another long song with different parts sounding vastly different. The instrumental versions all make much of what is in reality the introduction to the song. The sung bit is beautiful. Nice vocal version on Leila CD Tarab. There are a few nice instrumental versions - Oriental fantasy 6 Flowers of the Orient and Jalilah Raks Sharki 3 Journey of the Gypsy Dancer
The clip is of Warda singing
The clip is of Warda singing