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| Oulaya
al-Tunisiya |
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Oulaya
al-Tunisiya (1936-1990). Her real name is Beyyah al-Rahal,
daughter of the renowned Tunisian actor al-Bashir al-Rahal.
She began learning music and singing at the Rashidi Institute
in 1954, at the hands of the composer Saleh al-Mahdi,
who gave her the name Oulaya, after Oulaya al-Mahdi, sister
of the calif Haroun al-Rashid, who was an adept singer
and music player. She joined radio Tunis in 1957 and worked
under the supervision of the artist Rida al-Qal'i, who
composed the music of her famous song "Dhalamouni
Habaïbi". She sang many songs from the composition
of her teacher Saleh al-Mahdi, such as Ya Mdaween el-Naas
and el-Hob Nazrah, as well as songs by the Tunisian composers
Ali Shalgham and Qaddour al-Sarrar. In the early 1960's,
following her singing performances in Cairo, she was called
upon by Ahmad Shafiq Abu Ouf, head of the Higher Committee
of Arab Music, to work with Firqat al-Musiqa al-Arabiyah,
thus entering a major capital of Arabic music. Between
1975-1977 she made several visits to Lebanon, where she
sang songs composed by Riyad al-Bandak, and to Kuwait,
where Kuwaiti musicians such as Ahmad Baqer and Yousef
al-Mehanna composed songs for her. In 1981 she got married
to the Egyptian musician Hilmi Bakr, who composed some
of her marvelous songs.
Alli Gara is a composition
of Hilmi Bakr. This song was to become famous only after
her death, and was performed first by the Syrian singer
Asala Nasri, in 1997, and later on by several other new
singers. Jari Ya Hammouda
is a popular Tunisian song composed by Ahmad Hamza. |
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| Ghada
Shbeir |
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| Specialist
and professional performer of traditional Middle Eastern
folks and Arabo Andalusian songs, Syriac and ancient Maronite
chants. She was born in Lebanon and studied music at the
USEK (Universite St. Esprit - Kaslik - Lebanon). She received
her Master's degree in Musicology from the USEK
and became a professor of traditional Arabic singing techniques
at the USEK, Al Muwashah singing techniques at the Lebanese
University and sacred Syriac chants at the National Conservatory
of Lebanon. She participated in several festivals, concerts
and conventions in Lebanon, Europe and the Middle East.
During her years of study, Ghada Shbeir devoted herself
to the research of traditional oriental Middle Eastern
music and religious chants |
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