• Umm Kulthum onstage at the Olympia in Paris, 1967. IMA Known as the diva of the Middle East, Umm Kulthum is the most recognisable and revered musical talent in the Arab world. In 1934, she sang for the inaugural broadcast of Radio Cairo and from then performed on every first Thursday of the month for 40 years. Known for her vocal range, unique style and stamina, her songs were written by the greatest poets and composers of the era. Compositions could last as long as 90 minutes. With a career that spanned five decades, Umm Kulthum sold more than 80 million records around the world, making her one of the best-selling Middle Eastern singers. Considered an icon in her native Egypt, she has been hailed as the country’s "fourth pyramid".
    Umm Kulthum onstage at the Olympia in Paris, 1967. IMA Known as the diva of the Middle East, Umm Kulthum is the most recognisable and revered musical talent in the Arab world. In 1934, she sang for the inaugural broadcast of Radio Cairo and from then performed on every first Thursday of the month for 40 years. Known for her vocal range, unique style and stamina, her songs were written by the greatest poets and composers of the era. Compositions could last as long as 90 minutes. With a career that spanned five decades, Umm Kulthum sold more than 80 million records around the world, making her one of the best-selling Middle Eastern singers. Considered an icon in her native Egypt, she has been hailed as the country’s "fourth pyramid".
  • A studio portrait of Warda Al-Jazairia in Algiers from about 1970. Cherif Ben Youcef/Collection Reyad Kesri. The 'Algerian Rose', who was more commonly known by her first name, Warda Al-Jazairia was an Algerian-Lebanese singer who began her career in her native Paris in the 1950s at the Tam-Tam, a cabaret owned by her father. After the outbreak of the Algerian War in 1956, her family left Paris for Beirut, where she continued to sing before taking a 10-year break after she married in 1961. Following her divorce in the early 1970s, Warda resumed singing and moved to Egypt, where she worked with some of the country’s greatest composers and built a fan base across the Middle East.
    A studio portrait of Warda Al-Jazairia in Algiers from about 1970. Cherif Ben Youcef/Collection Reyad Kesri. The 'Algerian Rose', who was more commonly known by her first name, Warda Al-Jazairia was an Algerian-Lebanese singer who began her career in her native Paris in the 1950s at the Tam-Tam, a cabaret owned by her father. After the outbreak of the Algerian War in 1956, her family left Paris for Beirut, where she continued to sing before taking a 10-year break after she married in 1961. Following her divorce in the early 1970s, Warda resumed singing and moved to Egypt, where she worked with some of the country’s greatest composers and built a fan base across the Middle East.
  • The poster for the 1948 film Ambre directed by Anwar Wagdi, and starring Leila Mourad. Abboudi Bou Jawde. Considered one of the finest singers in modern Egyptian history, Leila Mourad was born in Cairo to a Syrian father and a Polish mother. Encouraged by her father, she began singing in the 1930s. Her acting career quickly flourished after the prolific writer and producer Togo Mizraahy cast her in several of his films, often with her real name in the title. Her marriage to actor and director Anwar Wagdy catapulted her to superstar status, making her one of the Arab world's leading actresses. Mourad appeared in more than 20 films and sang hundreds of songs before retiring at the peak of her career, aged 37, in 1955.
    The poster for the 1948 film Ambre directed by Anwar Wagdi, and starring Leila Mourad. Abboudi Bou Jawde. Considered one of the finest singers in modern Egyptian history, Leila Mourad was born in Cairo to a Syrian father and a Polish mother. Encouraged by her father, she began singing in the 1930s. Her acting career quickly flourished after the prolific writer and producer Togo Mizraahy cast her in several of his films, often with her real name in the title. Her marriage to actor and director Anwar Wagdy catapulted her to superstar status, making her one of the Arab world's leading actresses. Mourad appeared in more than 20 films and sang hundreds of songs before retiring at the peak of her career, aged 37, in 1955.
  • A portrait of Union Feministe founded by Hoda Chaaraoui, taken about 1950 in Beirut. The Arab Image Foundation
    A portrait of Union Feministe founded by Hoda Chaaraoui, taken about 1950 in Beirut. The Arab Image Foundation
  • Asmahan, photographed about 1930 in Beirut. The Arab Image Foundation. Born Amal al-Atrash in Syria in 1912, Asmahan moved to Egypt at the age of 3. She quickly became a music star after her debut at the Cairo Opera House as a teenager and went on to sing the compositions of some of the great artists of the era. Her voice was considered one of the few to rival that of Umm Kulthum. Asmahan’s personal life was fraught with failed marriages, suicide attempts, rumoured affairs and an alleged espionage role in the Second World War, which made her death at 31 in a car accident a source of mystery and rumours for decades.
    Asmahan, photographed about 1930 in Beirut. The Arab Image Foundation. Born Amal al-Atrash in Syria in 1912, Asmahan moved to Egypt at the age of 3. She quickly became a music star after her debut at the Cairo Opera House as a teenager and went on to sing the compositions of some of the great artists of the era. Her voice was considered one of the few to rival that of Umm Kulthum. Asmahan’s personal life was fraught with failed marriages, suicide attempts, rumoured affairs and an alleged espionage role in the Second World War, which made her death at 31 in a car accident a source of mystery and rumours for decades.
  • The poster for the 1941 film 'A Thousand and One Nights'. Directed by Togo Mizraahy, it starred Aqila Rateb and Ali Al Kassar. Abboudi Bou Jawde
    The poster for the 1941 film 'A Thousand and One Nights'. Directed by Togo Mizraahy, it starred Aqila Rateb and Ali Al Kassar. Abboudi Bou Jawde
  • The record cover for 'Fairuz At Ba'albak', 1960. Abboudi Bou Jawde. The only survivor among these great figures, Fairuz - born Nouhad Wadie' Haddad - is a Lebanese treasure whose voice has echoed across the Middle East for decades. Fairuz, now 85, began her career in the 1940s, singing on national radio in Lebanon. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Fairuz recorded nearly 1,500 songs, released more than 80 albums, made 20 musicals and sold more than 150 million records. She is the biggest-selling Middle Eastern artist of all time and one of the best-selling music artists in the world. She has received many awards and accolades and was most recently awarded the Legion of Honour by French President Emmanuel Macron.
    The record cover for 'Fairuz At Ba'albak', 1960. Abboudi Bou Jawde. The only survivor among these great figures, Fairuz - born Nouhad Wadie' Haddad - is a Lebanese treasure whose voice has echoed across the Middle East for decades. Fairuz, now 85, began her career in the 1940s, singing on national radio in Lebanon. In a career that has spanned more than six decades, Fairuz recorded nearly 1,500 songs, released more than 80 albums, made 20 musicals and sold more than 150 million records. She is the biggest-selling Middle Eastern artist of all time and one of the best-selling music artists in the world. She has received many awards and accolades and was most recently awarded the Legion of Honour by French President Emmanuel Macron.
  • A print from the 2018 exhibition 'Shirin Neshat: Looking for Oum Kulthum'. Courtesy Noirmontartproduction
    A print from the 2018 exhibition 'Shirin Neshat: Looking for Oum Kulthum'. Courtesy Noirmontartproduction

Legendary Arab divas of film and music immortalised in Paris


Layla Maghribi
  • English
  • Arabic

An interactive exhibition paying tribute to Arab divas of film and music from the 1920s to the 1970s will open in Paris next month.

The exhibition features icons such as Leila Mourad, Warda Al Jazairia and Asmahan, as well as many other famous Arab female performers from Cairo, Beirut, the Maghreb and even France.

Held at the Arab World Institute in Paris, the immersive exhibition will allow visitors to walk through reconstructed sets furnished with personal items, costumes and jewellery belonging to legendary voices and faces of Arab entertainment history.

Beginning in Cairo during the 1920s, the exhibition journeys through the Egyptian capital’s time as the intellectual centre of the Arab world.

In this time period, the Egyptian feminist movement allowed women to be pioneers in the film and music industry, and their inroads paved the way for the formidable singers, actresses and producers who gained much acclaim in the decades that followed.

With some revelatory insights into the sometimes turbulent lives of these women, the exhibition highlights the significance of these timeless icons’ fame and success amid the social and political developments of the period.

Across the generations, the singers became the incarnations of Arab identity and contributed to the emergence of pan-Arabism in the 1960s and 1970s.

After the social and geopolitical changes of the 1970s began to reframe the entertainment industry in the Middle East, the power of the ‘diva’ began to gradually fade, but the fascination with the period and its aura never has.

Leila Mourad – considered one of the most notable singers in modern Egyptian history – appeared in more than 20 movies and performed hundreds of songs before deciding to retire at the peak of her career in 1955 at the age of 37.

Warda Al Jazairia, the “Algerian Rose” who was more commonly known by her first name, was an Algerian-Lebanese singer who began her singing career in Paris before moving to Egypt, where she worked with some of the country’s greatest composers of the time, building a large fan base across the region.

A studio portrait of Warda Al Jazairia in Algiers, circa 1970. Cherif Ben Youcef/Collection Reyad Kesri
A studio portrait of Warda Al Jazairia in Algiers, circa 1970. Cherif Ben Youcef/Collection Reyad Kesri

Better known by her stage name Asmahan, Amal Al Atrash became a star after her debut at the Cairo Opera House as a teenager. She went on to perform the compositions of some of the great musicians of the era. Hers was considered one of the few voices able to rival that of the illustrious Umm Kulthum.

The exhibition is scheduled to run from March 3 to July 25.

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%3Cp%3EThe%20Royal%20Navy%20raid%20is%20the%20latest%20in%20a%20series%20of%20successful%20interceptions%20of%20drugs%20and%20arms%20in%20the%20Gulf%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%2011%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUS%20coastguard%20recovers%20%2480%20million%20heroin%20haul%20from%20fishing%20vessel%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMay%208%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20coastguard%20vessel%20USCGC%20Glen%20Harris%20seizes%20heroin%20and%20meth%20worth%20more%20than%20%2430%20million%20from%20a%20fishing%20boat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMarch%202%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Anti-tank%20guided%20missiles%20and%20missile%20components%20seized%20by%20HMS%20Lancaster%20from%20a%20small%20boat%20travelling%20from%20Iran%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOctober%209%2C%202022%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERoyal%20Navy%20frigate%20HMS%20Montrose%20recovers%20drugs%20worth%20%2417.8%20million%20from%20a%20dhow%20in%20Arabian%20Sea%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeptember%2027%2C%202022%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20US%20Naval%20Forces%20Central%20Command%20reports%20a%20find%20of%202.4%20tonnes%20of%20heroin%20on%20board%20fishing%20boat%20in%20Gulf%20of%20Oman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
if you go

The flights

Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com

Seeing the games

Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com

 

Staying there

Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com

 

'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Insomniac%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%20Sony%20Interactive%20Entertainment%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPlayStation%205%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites

The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.

It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.

“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.

The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 325bhp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh359,000

On sale: now 

Meydan racecard:

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres

7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) 1,600m

7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m

8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 $200,000 (D) 1,200m

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m

9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) | 2,000m

10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

US tops drug cost charts

The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.

Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.

In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.

Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol. 

The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.

High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

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In the Restaurant: Society in Four Courses
Christoph Ribbat
Translated by Jamie Searle Romanelli
Pushkin Press 

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence