Remembering Omer Khorshid on His Death Anniversary

Today, April 9, marks the death anniversary of the legendary star Abdel Omar Khorshid, fondly known as Egypt’s Electric Guitar Giant.

Khorshid was among the iconic musicians in the entertainment industry. He was born on June 21, 1945, and breathed his last in 1981. He was not only known for his stellar music playing talent, but also for being a prolific actor, music director, and conductor.

Born in 1945, his father, Ahmed Khorshid, was an acclaimed cinematographer with several connections to Egypt’s celebrity scene, whereas his mother was a socialite.

His siblings, including the iconic actress and performer Sherihan, would also follow in the family’s artistic footsteps.

Throughout his career, he had many hit records, performed concerts at famous venues like Royal Albert Hall in London, and had many songs in the Cairo Opera House.

At a young age, Khorshid discovered his passion for music, learning the violin, piano, and classic guitar, eventually reaching the instrument that would turn him into a household name: the electric guitar. A budding instrument and predominantly Western in use, Khorshid’s mastery of the electric guitar was no easy feat.

Khorshid’s electric guitar performances were unlike anything Egypt’s music scene had heard before.

The late musician, who was Egypt’s first-ever electric guitarist, fused the instrument’s Western style of sound with the oriental music of Egypt, ushering in an era of funk-rock that symbolized Egypt’s 1970s.

He shot to fame with his success with Les Petits Chats (The Small Cats), a band that played music influenced by Western sounds.

From then till now, Khorshid became the main event of Egypt’s hippest nightclubs, enchanting crowds with his surf-rock riff mixed with finger-picking skills expected from an oud player.

Khorshid’s new wave of music had eventually grabbed the attention of Egypt’s musical titans: Abdel Halim Hafez, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, and Umm Kalthoum – legends who would invite the young blood to perform with them in concerts.

He is well-known for extensive theoretical knowledge, fusion of Western and Eastern music and incorporation of different, more modern instruments such as the electric guitar, electric keyboard and synthesizer.