Oum Kalthoum in Kuwait

1968 - Kuwait

Shiekh Sabah AlSalem AlSabah welcoming Oum Klthoum in AlSeef palace.-AlQabas newspaper

Back in the day when art was a message of a higher meaning targeting certain emotion that reaches the hearts of its spectators. Music, songs and lyrics were meaningful and appreciated, meanwhile body image or the appearance of the performer was to a certain extent disregarded. Back in the old days songs were truly great due to one primary principle; the entire music band worked generously from the bottom of their hearts starving neither fame nor fortune but rather the pleasure of entertaining the audience. They also held great respect for the audience's singular high-end taste in music. Music is for all; it doesn't concern a particular social class. In fact, music is a universal language. Each and every culture has a few genres listed in its history.

"The Lady" was testing the mic before the performance.

Lots of artists in the Middle East who have their star glowing in Arabian world sky, they were the messengers of our Arabian rich culture to the western society From France to Canada. of course we owe it all to Oum Kalthoum “The Lady”, she's the one who let us have an alternative change in our musical taste in the Arabic region. Egypt was the rabbit in that race. Kuwait and Egypt had a strong artistic connection, and that’s why Oum Kalthoum visited Kuwait officially in 25th of February 1968 by an invitation from women’s cultural and social society. My grandfather is a big fan of her, he still describes to me the moment that she set foot on stage for the first time in Kuwait, everyone saw her live a colorful scarf that matches her classy dress. The seats were fully booked and who didn’t afford the booking cost were able to listen to it via Radio, Kuwait National Station or If you are lucky enough to know someone rich who had a small TV covered by towel usually to protect it because TV’s were a little pricey back then. It was more than appropriate to knock their door and watch the concert live with this family. At the end of the legendary concert, everyone is satisfied specially my grandfather singing to my grandmother the same songs he heard from Oum Kalthoum while he is driving his black Eldorado back home.

The logical question is why were the songs back then way more beautiful and meaningful comparing them to now? Simply because the music and the lyrics in the past were sincere, mostly talking about the pure raw feelings such as; love, faith, loyalty, grief and happiness. The artist had a responsibility to deliver the profound sense of the lyrics to the audience by his/her performance. Also, They sing about the pure feeling like love describing the one he/she love in very respectful and classy way, giving you abruptly a full colorful meaningful image of the song. In addition, the song in an indirect way will tell you how to be a gentleman who treats his lady very well, and vice versa.

In my opinion, her best work of art is Al Atlal. Here's part of the lyrics:

“Perhaps one day our fates will cross when our desire to meet is strong enough For if one friend denies the other, and we meet as strangers

And if each of us follows his or her way

Don't say it was by our well

But rather, the well of fate”