The details of a woman. Oum Kalthoum. b. December 31st, circa 1900-1904, Egypt. the capricorn. Star of Egypt. Queen of tarab, which is that..."this is MY JAM" feeling you get. Tarab is like a state beyond enjoyment, a state of almost oneness and total ecstasy with the song. There is also a level of audience participation, the crowd moves the singer, who moves the crowd, which allows an especially spiritual element which decades later, you feel listening to these recordings. Enchantment is a popular translation, but the word seems almost too quaint for what I feel when I hear Oum Kalthoum. It is no shock that she has inspired some of my favorite artists, from Nico, to Maria Callas. And of course the marvelous covers of her work by Sapho (Morocco) and Ghalia Benali.
Oum, Umm, Oumme, Ümmü, OM! Her name also translates to Mother, and in her performances she acts as a mother figure, caressing our broken hearts, weeping for us, singing our heartache, our nostalgia, our rapturous heights. Songs go on for hours, she does not leave until every member of the audience has been tended too.
When I was younger I did not have the patience for her whole songs, skipping here and there. Now, I listen, even repeating parts. Now I understand.
as a young film star
on cassette, a favored medium for arabic music until recently. i still find tapes at grocery stores and it makes me smile.
her pearls, at auction. Christies, Dubai
clutching her famous scarf, on stage. the epitome of tarab, you feel it without even hearing her voice. but listen anyway.
