An Anthology (1857-1912)

This is a cross¬section of the legacy of Egyptian singer Abd Al-Hayy Hilmi, whose final years of life coincided with the early days of gramophone recording. Hilmi sang for both the poor and the rich – which helped him quench his appetite for Paris suits, booze, hash and cocaine. However, his voice and musical charisma made up for it all. Hilmi had some of the greatest composers and instrumentalists at his disposal, such as Daoud Hosni, Ibrahim al Qabbani, Sami al Shawa and Ibrahim Salhoun. It’s notable that those involved included Muslim, Jewish and Christian names alike. The text Hilmi sang included poetry by the venerated poet Al-Mutanabbi and the Sufi mystic Ibn al-Farid, even though Hilmi tended to use a text as a pretence for demonstrating dazzling vocal skills. This is the music of Egypt from the time before Oum Kalthoum, Asmahan and Mohammed Abdelwahab, before music had become mass culture.

Yet Hilmi was not a purist. Daoud Hosni incorporated many Turkish and Persian elements and Sami al Shawa’s violin was a novelty in the Egyptian practice of Arabic music. And Hilmi embraced the gramophone. His recordings provided him with more income, and he and his musicians audibly revel in the studio – whether or not stimulants were contributing, as some outsiders have conjectured.