Cairo Opera House Commemorates Mohamed Fawzi

The Cairo Opera House will commemorate Thursday night the birth anniversary of the late, renowned singer Mohamed Fawzi, under the patronage of Egypt's Culture Ministry.

Maestro Ahmed Amer will lead the Abdel Halim Nouira Ensemble for Arabic Music in the performance of a selection of Fawzi's remarkable songs and iconic pieces, reminding people of the legacy and spirit of the late singer.

The concert will include pieces like "Malo Qamr Malo' and "Leh Yal Albi Leh" which will be played by the Arab Music Assembly.

Born on August 15, 1919, Fawzi was among the iconic singers in the Egyptian entertainment industry. He started his career as an actor in "The Executioner’s Sword" (1944) and his first recorded song was "Sodfa" for the 1946 film "Ashab El Saada (Happiness Owners).

Apart from being a singer, Fawzi was also an actor, screenwriter, director, producer, and composer.

Throughout his career, Fawzi featured in 32 films, most of which contained some form of musical performance.

Legendary star Fawzi passed away 56 years ago on October 20, 1966.

He was known for his collaborations with Mohamed Abdel Motteleb and Mahmoud El Sherief. The trio cooperated and composed music for many theatrical sketches.

After the revolution, Fawzi wrote a number of patriotic songs as “Balady Habibty,” children’s songs such as “Mama Zamanha Gaya” and “Zahab El Lail,” and religious songs like “Ya Tawab Ya Ghafoor.”

He also composed the music for "Kassaman", the Algerian national anthem, with lyrics by “poet of the Algerian Revolution” Moufdi Zakaria.

In 1957, Fawzi launched the vinyl record factory, which swallowed almost all his savings. However, he was capable of carrying on his cinematic career, for he continued to sing and participate in public concerts and national projects.