Fatima Ibrahim es-Sayyid el-Beltagi (4 May 1904 Immensely popular throughout the Middle East and beyond, Umm Kulthum is a national icon in her native Egypt; she has been dubbed "The Voice of Egypt" and "Egypt's Fourth Pyramid". In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Umm Kulthum at number 61 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
She is widely regarded as Egypt and the Arab world's most distinguished singer of the 20th century. Her funeral in Cairo in 1975 drew a crowd of over 4 million people, the largest human gathering in Egypt's history, and one of the largest funerals in history. She moved to the city of Cairo in the early 1920s, where her career truly took off. She collaborated with renowned poets such as Ahmed Rami and composers such as Mohamed El Qasabgi, Zakaria Ahmed, Riad El Sunbati, and later Baligh Hamdi and Mohammed Abdel Wahab.
Distinguished by her powerful contralto voice and exceptional performance and expressive abilities, she reigned supreme in the world of both Egyptian and Arabic song for decades. She was famous for performing long, musically and lyrically complex songs, as well as singing religious hymns and classical Arabic poems. Active from the 1920s to the 1970s, Umm Kulthum performed hundreds of songs that remain widely popular today, including Ya Laylat al-Eid, Wallāh Zamān, Yā Silāḥī, Inta Omri, Al Atlal, Alf Laila wa Laila, Seret El Hob, and Rubaiyat Omar Khayyam. In film, Umm Kulthum starred in six films, including Weddad (1936) and Sallama (1945).
Umm Kulthum's music and public persona were seen as authentically Egyptian, deeply rooted in the country's rural, working-class origins and classical Egyptian traditions. She used her immense fame to promote Egyptian identity. She played a prominent national role, particularly after the 1967 war, performing concerts in various Arab and European countries to raise funds for the Egyptian war effort under the slogan "Art for the War Effort." She continued this practice until shortly before the 1973 war. Although she was unable to sing the victory song at the 1973 war victory celebrations due to her health problems, she visited the war wounded, attended the victory celebrations, and received a letter of gratitude from President Anwar Sadat for her efforts on behalf of the nation.
She remains the most influential singer in the history of modern Egypt. In 2025, her enduring legacy was marked by extensive international commemorations for the 50th anniversary of her death. The Umm Kulthum Museum is located in Cairo, where visitors can view her personal belongings and learn about her artistic history. Her works continue to be broadcast and studied, and she remains an influential cultural icon to this day.
Early life
Fatima Ibrahim es-Sayyid el-Beltagi was born in the village of Tamay ez-Zahayra within the markaz of Senbellawein, Dakahlia Governorate, She learned how to sing by listening to her father teach her older brother, Khalid. From a young age, she showed exceptional singing talent. Through her father, she learned to recite the Qur'an, and she reportedly memorized the entire book. When she was 12 years old, having noticed her strength in singing, her father asked her to join the family ensemble. She subsequently joined as a supporting voice, initially just repeating what the others sang. On stage, she wore a boy's cloak and bedouin head covering in order to alleviate her father's anxiety about her reputation and public performance. He would only change his mind after being persuaded by the arguments of Amin Al Mahdi. In 1924, she struck a contract with Odeon Records which by 1926 would pay her more than any other Egyptian musical artist per record.
Career
Amin El Mahdi invited her into the cultural circles in Cairo. In 1924, she was introduced to the poet Ahmed Rami, who would later on write 137 songs for her, and would also introduce her to French literature and become her head mentor in Arabic literature and literary analysis. The mid-to-late 1920s marked her transition into a professional recording artist and cultural icon. She made her first audio recordings in 1924 for labels like Odeon Records, but it was her 1927 recordings that truly launched her career.
thumb|180px|left|Poster advertising Umm Kalthoum's concert in Jerusalem, 1920s
In 1926, she left Odeon Records for His Master's Voice who would pay her about double per record and even an additional $10,000 salary. Her repertoire expanded into taqatiq (lighthearted love songs) and monologues. One of her most influential early works was In Kunt 'Asamih (1927), which blended modern aesthetics with classical artistry. In 1928, she released her first monologue, a new genre for her that featured virtuosic and dramatic themes of romantic loss. The year 1929 is famous for a meeting between Umm Kulthum and high-profile intellectuals, including the Islamic reformer Sayyid Rashid Rida and Prince Shakib Arslan, at a music hall in Cairo, signaling her growing influence beyond entertainment into cultural and social spheres. By the end of the 1920s, Umm Kulthum had successfully navigated the competitive Cairo music scene to become one of the city's highest-paid performers. She abandoned her masculine attire for conservative but fashionable women's dresses and began securing lucrative contracts with Gramophone Records, which paid her significant annual fees and royalties.
By 1930, she was so well known to the public that she had become a role model for several young female singers.
In 1934, Umm Kulthum sang for the inaugural broadcast of the Egyptian Radio, the state station. From then on onwards, she performed in a concert on the first Thursday of every month for forty years.
thumb|Young Umm Kulthum,
During the 1930s, her repertoire took the first of several specific stylistic directions. Her songs were virtuosic, as befitted her newly trained and very capable voice, and romantic and modern in musical style, feeding the prevailing currents in Egyptian popular culture of the time. She worked extensively with texts by romance poet Ahmad Rami and composer Mohammad El-Qasabgi, whose songs incorporated European instruments such as the violoncello and double bass, as well as harmony.
The 1930 song Madam Teheb Betenker Leih was one of her popular early urban hits. Followed by Ya Ghaeb An Eyouni, released in 1931, a monologue style song with lyrics by Ahmed Rami. The 1935 song Ala Balad El Mahboub was a widely beloved song, where she sang in her first film, Weddad (1936). Part of her late-30s repertoire showcasing her vocal evolution was El Noom Yodaeb (1937). An iconic celebratory song typically performed during Eid festivities until the present day is Ya Leilet El Eid, released primarily in 1939, and added to her 1940 film Dananeer.
In 1944, King Farouk I of Egypt decorated her with the Supreme Class of the Order of the Virtues (Nishan el Kamal), During her career, she would act in five more movies, of which four would be directed by Ahmad Badrakhan
Among the army men trapped were the figures who would lead the 1952 Egyptian revolution, prominently Gamal Abdel Nasser. Following the revolution, the Egyptian Musicians' Union of which she became a member (and eventually president), rejected her because she had sung for the then-deposed King Farouk of Egypt. When Nasser discovered that her songs were banned from being aired on the radio, he reportedly said something to the effect of "What are they, crazy? Do you want Egypt to turn against us?" Later, Nasser would schedule his speeches so they would not interfere with the radio performances of Umm Kulthum.
Some claim that Umm Kulthum's popularity helped Nasser's political agenda. For example, Nasser's speeches and other government messages were frequently broadcast immediately after Umm Kulthum's monthly radio concerts. She sang many songs in support of Nasser, with whom she developed a close friendship. One of her songs associated with Nasser—Wallāhi Zamān, Yā Silāḥī ("It's Been a Long Time, O Weapon of Mine")—was adopted as the Egyptian national anthem from 1960 to 1979, when President Sadat replaced it by the less militant Bilady, Bilady, Bilady, following peace negotiations with Israel; it remains the Egyptian anthem to this day.
Umm Kulthum was also known for her continuous contributions to works supporting the Egyptian military efforts. Umm Kulthum's monthly concerts were renowned for their ability to clear the streets of some of the world's most populous cities as people rushed home to tune in. Ghannili Shwaya Shwaya (1944), from the 1945 film Sallama, achieved phenomenal success, and El-Awela Fil Gharam is considered one of her most famous classics. Dalile Ihtarar (1944) is also a prominent song of the mid-1940s. Her song Ya Sabah Al-Khair (1947), which appeared in Fatimah, is still played in the streets of Egypt every morning. The album El-Ward Gameel (1946) is another important recording from the mid-1940s.
thumb|left|upright|Umm Kulthum photographed after being the first woman to be honored with the first class of the [[Order of the Two Rivers, Baghdad in 1946.]]
In 1946, Umm Kulthum defied all odds by presenting a religious poem in classical Arabic: Salou Qalbi ["Ask My Heart"], written by Ahmad Shawqi and composed by Riad Al Sunbati. The 1958 song Thawrat Al-Shakk ["The Revolution of Doubt"] was a dramatic piece. In 1959, she sang Hagartak, this song represents the emotional depth of her collaborations with composer Riad Al Sunbati and poet Ahmad Rami. In 1960, she performed Howa Saheeh El Hawa Ghallab, becoming a popular classic with music by Zakaria Ahmed. Followed by the 1961 song Hayyart Alby ["You Confused My Heart"], composed by Riad Al Sunbati. Performing well known performances worldwide such as her significant concerts in Lebanon in 1962, and in Kuwait in 1963.
thumb|upright|Umm Kulthum checking her concert's banner in Paris on 12 November 1967
Her performances usually lasted for up to five hours, during which three songs were sung.
Later career
thumb|240px|left|Umm Kulthum, 1967
Around 1965, Umm Kulthum started collaborating with composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Her first song composed by Abdel Wahab was Inta Omri ["You Are My Life"], and later became one of her iconic songs. In 1969 it was followed by another, Asbaha al-Ana 'indi Bunduqiyyah ["I now have a rifle"].
Her songs took on a more soul-searching quality in 1967, following the Six-Day War. Hadeeth el Rouh ["Sermon of the Soul"], which is a translation of the poet Mohammad Iqbal's "Shikwa", set a very reflective tone. Generals in the audience are said to have been left in tears. Following the formation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 1971, she staged several concerts upon the invitation of its first president Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to celebrate the event.
In the 1970s, she performed famous recordings such as Daret El Ayam in 1970, and El Tholathya El Moqadasa ["The Holy Trilogy"] (1972). El Hob Kollo (1970), remains one of her most popular romantic ballads. The 1970 song Daret El Ayam ["And the Days Passed"], is a signature collaboration with composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Aghadan Alqak ["Will I Meet You Tomorrow?"] features lyrics by Sudanese poet Elhadi Adam and music by Mohamed Abdel Wahab, released in 1971. Leilet Hob ["A Night of Love"] (1972), was another grand composition by Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Hakam Alayna Al Hawa (1973), was the final song Umm Kulthum recorded before her health declined. Umm Kulthum also sang for composers Mohammad El Mougi, Sayed Mekawy, and Baligh Hamdi.
thumb|upright|President [[Anwar Sadat greeting Umm Kulthum in October War victory celebrations, 1974]]
Despite her immense support, Umm Kulthum was unable to perform a song specifically celebrating the October war victory due to her deteriorating health at the time. She did, however, appear alongside President Anwar Sadat in November 1973 during a visit to wounded soldiers at Maadi Military Hospital, where she received a kiss of gratitude from the president in appreciation of her national role. She also attended the events commemorating the victory, and President Sadat honored Umm Kulthum for her efforts in supporting the war effort by sending her an official letter of appreciation for her national services to her country.
Personal life
By the late 1940s she had been affected by Graves' disease. In 1953 she traveled to the United States for surgery. She resumed her singing career in 1954. Thereafter, she wore heavy sunglasses that became a trademark accessory for her. The same year, she married Dr. Hasan al-Hifnawi. They had no children.
Death and funeral
thumb|left|Funeral procession for Umm Kulthum in Cairo
Umm Kulthum died on 3 February 1975, aged 76, from kidney failure. Her funeral procession was held at the Omar Makram mosque and became a national event, with around 4 million Egyptians lining the streets to catch a glimpse as her cortège passed.
In the area where the funeral procession took place, traffic was cut off two hours ahead of the procession. The mourners would also wrest the casket from the shoulders of its bearers, force the procession to change its direction with significant influence on a number of musicians, both in the MENA and beyond. Jah Wobble has cited her as a significant influence on his work, and Bob Dylan has been quoted praising her as well. Maria Callas, Marie Laforêt, Bono, among many other artists, are also known admirers of Kulthum's music. Daron Malakian of System of a Down compared Kulthum's influence on Arabic music to that of Aretha Franklin. Youssou N'Dour, a fan of hers since childhood, recorded his 2004 album Egypt with an Egyptian orchestra in homage to her legacy. One of her best-known songs, "Enta Omri", has been covered and reinterpreted numerous times. Alf Leila wa Leila was translated into jazz on French-Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf's 2015 album Kalthoum.
thumb|left|Umm Kulthum meeting President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser, Speaker of the Parliament Anwar Sadat and music composer Mohamed El-Mougui]]
In Egypt, Umm Kulthum is nicknamed "Elsett" (Egyptian Arabic: الست) meaning "The Lady" in Egyptian dialect originating in Ancient Egypt. The nickname is often heard in her live records when ecstatic audience shout "الله عليكي يا ست" (English: may God bless you, Lady 'Aset') or "عظمة علي عظمة يا ست" (English: "this is greatness upon greatness, Lady 'Aset') and that often happened after she ended a song or hit a high note. The nickname originates in Ancient Egypt, Aset (or Iset/Auset) is the original Ancient Egyptian name for the goddess known widely by her Greek name, Isis
She was referred to as "the Lady" by Charles de Gaulle as well and is regarded as the "Incomparable Voice" by Maria Callas. It is difficult to accurately measure her vocal range at its peak, as most of her songs were recorded live. Even today, she has retained a near-mythical status among young Egyptians and the whole of the Arabic World. In 2001, the Egyptian government opened the Umm Kulthum Museum in the singer's memory. Housed in a pavilion on the grounds of Cairo's Manesterly Palace, the collection includes a range of Umm Kulthum's personal possessions, including her trademark sunglasses and scarves, along with photographs, recordings, and other archival material.
Her performances combined raw emotion and political rhetoric; she was greatly influential and spoke about politics through her music. An example of this is seen in her music performed after World War II. The theme at the surface was love, yet a deeper interpretation of the lyrics—for example in the song "Salue Qalbi"—reveals questioning of political motives in times of political tension. Her entire catalogue was acquired by Mazzika Group in the early 2000s.
Umm Kulthum Square in the city of Mansoura, the capital of the Dakahlia Governorate and her birthplace, is a prominent landmark and a vital traffic hub in the city. A large bronze statue of her, depicting her in her famous singing pose, stands in the center of the square.
Voice
alt=Um Kulthum5|thumb|left|upright|Umm Kulthum performing
Umm Kulthum was a contralto. Contralto singers are uncommon and sing in the lowest register of the female voice. According to some, she had the ability to sing as low as the second octave and as high as the eighth octave at her vocal peak.
Her incredible vocal strength, with the ability to produce 14,000 vibrations per second with her vocal cords, required her to stand three feet away from the microphone. She was known to be able to improvise and it was said that she would not sing a line the same way twice.
Her voice was renowned for its immense emotional depth, vast range, reaching into mezzo-soprano, and virtuosic control, allowing her to improvise complex melodies and ornamentation over long performances that captivated millions. Umm Kulthum was known as "The Voice of Egypt," transforming high poetry into popular culture and mastering Arabic musical scales, with a unique ability to connect with audiences, making her a timeless cultural icon.
Remembrance
She is referenced at length in the lyrics of the central ballad "Omar Sharif" in the musical The Band's Visit. A pearl necklace with 1,888 pearls, which she received from Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, is exhibited at the Louvre in Abu Dhabi.]]
Hologram concerts featuring her have been organized by the former Egyptian Minister of Culture Inas Abde-Dayem in the Cairo Opera House. A live concert was performed at the Winter in Tantora festival in Al-'Ula with her "appearing as a hologram with accompaniment by an orchestra and bedecked in flowing, full-length gowns as she had when debuting in the 1920s."
El Sett, an Egyptian biographical film depicting the life and career of Umm Kulthum, was released in December 2025, starring Mona Zaki as Umm Kulthum. The film offers a modern depiction of her life from childhood to the peak of her artistic glory. El Sett is the first major cinematic production to offer a narrative account of Umm Kulthum's life, following decades of documentaries and television series, most notably the miniseries Omm Kulthum, which aired on Egyptian television in 1999, and the 2017 film Looking for Oum Kulthum, in addition to other works that have explored her life.
Selected discography
Notable songs
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="2"
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Title
! scope="col" | Translation
! scope="col" | Label
! scope="col" | Lyricist
! scope="col" | Composer
|-
|1926
|We Ha'ak Inta El Muna We El Talab
|Your Right, Wish and Request
|rowspan="2"|Odeon
|Abdallah El-Shabrawy
|Abu El Ila Mohamed
|-
|1928
|In Kunt Asamih We Ansa El A'seya
|If I Forgive
|rowspan="11"|Ahmed Rami
|Mohamed El Qasabgi
|-
|1930
|Sharraf Habeeb El-'Alb
|My Beloved Has Arrived
|rowspan="4"|His Master's Voice
|rowspan="2"|Dawood Hosni
|-
|1931
|El Boad Alemni El Sahar
|Distance, Taught Me to Stay Up Night
|-
|1931
|Enti Fakrany Walla Nasyany
|Do You Still Remember Me?
|rowspan="2"|Mohamed El Qasabgi
|-
|1932
|Leh Telawe'iny
|Why are you tormenting me?
|-
|1935
|Ala Balad El Mahboob Waddeeny<br />
|Take Me to my Lover's place
|rowspan="6"|Gramophone
|rowspan="5"|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|1937
|Efrah Ya Albi<br /><small>(from the film "Nashid El Amal")</small>
|Rejoice, my heart
|-
|1938
|El Nom Yoda'eb<br />
|Sleep is caressing
|-
|1939
|Ozkourini
|Remember Me
|-
|1940
|Ya Laylat al-Eid<br /><small>(from the film "Dananeer")</small>
|O Night of Eid
|-
|1940
|Madam Teheb Btenker Leh<br /><small>(from the film "Dananeer")</small>
|If You're In Love, Why Hide?
|Mohamed El Qasabgi
|-
|1943
|Ana Fe Intizarak
|I"m Waiting for You
|rowspan="5"|Orient
|rowspan="3"|Bayram al-Tunisi
|rowspan="3"|Zakariya Ahmed
|-
|1944
|El Awela Fel Gharam
|First In Love
|-
|1944
|Ghaneely Shwaya Shwaya<br /><small>(from the film "Sallama")</small>
|Sing Softly for Me
|-
|1944
|Ra' El Habeeb<br />
|The beloved's heart softened
| Ahmed Rami
|Mohamed El Qasabgi
|-
|1945
|Biridaak ya Khalikee
|By your pleasure my Creator
|Bayram al-Tunisi
|Zakariya Ahmed
|-
|1946
|Walad Al Hoda
|Child of Guidance
|rowspan="10"|Cairophon
|Ahmed Shawki
|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|1947
|El Ward Gameel<br /><small>(from the film "Fatima")</small>
|Flowers Are Beautiful
|rowspan="2"|Bayram al-Tunisi
|Zakariya Ahmed
|-
|1947
|Zalamoony El Nas<br /><small>(from the film "Fatima")</small>
|I Am Opressed
|rowspan="2"|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|1947
|Ha'ablo Bokra<br /><small>(from the film "Fatima")</small>
|I Will Meet Him Tomorrow
|Ahmed Rami
|-
|1947
|Ya Sabah El Kheir<br /><small>(from the film "Fatima")</small>
|Good Morning
|Bayram al-Tunisi
|Mohamed El Qasabgi
|-
|1951
|Misr Tatahaddath 'an Nafsaha
|Egypt Speaks For Herself
|rowspan="2"|Hafez Ibrahim
|rowspan="2"|Zakariya Ahmed
|-
|1952
|Misr Allati Fi Khatiri
|Egypt Is On My Mind
|-
|1954
|Ya Zalemny
|My Opressor
|rowspan="2"|Ahmed Rami
|rowspan="2"|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|1955
|Zekrayat
|Memories
|-
|1956
|Wallāh Zamān, Yā Silāḥī
|It's Been So Long, O My Weapon
|Salah Jahin
||Kamal Al Taweel
|-
|1958
|Shams El Aseel
|The Lovers
|rowspan="4"|Sono Cairo
|Bayram al-Tunisi
|rowspan="3"|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|1958
|Thawrat Al-Shakk
|Rising Doubt
|Abdallah Al Faisal
|-
|1959
|Hagartak
|I Left You
|Ahmed Rami
|-
|1960
|Howa Saheeh El Hawa Ghallab
|It's True That Love Is Overpowering
|Bayram al-Tunisi
|Zakariya Ahmed
|-
|1961
|Hayyart Alby
|You Confused My Heart
|rowspan="2"|Philips
|Ahmed Rami
|rowspan="2"|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|1962
|Ha Seebak Lezzaman
|I'm Going to Leave You
|Abdel Wahab Mohammed
|-
|rowspan="3"|1963
|Betfakker Fe Meen
|Who Are You Thinking of
|Sono Cairo
|Ma'moun El Shinnawi
|Baligh Hamdi
|-
|La Ya Habibi
|No My Love
|Philips
|Abdel Fattah Mustafa
|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|Lel Sabre Hedoud
|Limits to Patience
|rowspan="37"|Sono Cairo
|Abdel Wahab Mohammed
|Mohammed El Mougi
|-
|rowspan="2"|1964
|Seret El Hob
|Love Story
|Morsi Gamil Aziz
|Baligh Hamdi
|-
|Inta Omri
|You Are My Life
|Ahmed Shafik Kamel
|rowspan="3"|Mohammed Abdel Wahab
|-
|rowspan="2"|1965
|Inta Al Hob
|You're Love
|Ahmed Rami
|-
|Amal Hayaty
|Hope of My Life
|Ahmed Shafik Kamel
|-
|rowspan="2"|1966
|Al Atlal
|The Ruins
|Ibrahim Nagi
|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|Fakkarouny
| They reminded Me
|Abdel Wahab Mohamed
|Mohammed Abdel Wahab
|-
|rowspan="4"|1967
|Hadeeth El Rouh
|The Language of the Soul
|Mohammed Iqbal
|rowspan="3"|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|El Hob Keda
|That's How Love Is
|Bayram al-Tunisi
|-
|Awedt Eni
|I Got Used to Your Sight
|Ahmed Rami
|-
|Fat El Ma'ad
|Too Late
|Morsi Gamil Aziz
|Baligh Hamdi
|-
|rowspan="2"|1968
|Ruba'iyat Al Adawiya
|The Quatrains of Adawiya
|Tahar Aboufacha
|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|Hathihy Leilty
|This Is My Night
|Georges Gerdaq
|Mohammed Abdel Wahab
|-
|rowspan="3"|1969
|Alf Leila wa Leila
|1001 Nights
|Morsi Gamil Aziz
|Baligh Hamdi
|-
|Aqbel Al Leil
|The Night Is Coming
|Ahmed Rami
|rowspan="2"|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|Arooh Lemeen
|Who Do I Go to
|Abdel Munaim al-Siba'i
|-
|rowspan="5"|1970
|Es'al Rohak
|Ask Yourself
|Mohammed El Mougi
|Mohammed Abdel Wahab
|-
|Zekrayat
|Souvenirs
|Ahmed Rami
|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|El Hob Kollo
|All the Love
|Ahmed Shafik Kamel
|Baligh Hamdi
|-
|Ruba'iyat Al Khayyam
|The Quatrains of Al Khayyam
|Ahmed Rami
|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|W Marret Al Ayam
|And the Days Passed
|Ma'moun El Shinnawi
|Mohammed Abdel Wahab
|-
|rowspan="5"|1971
|Al Thulathiya Al Muqaddassa
|The Holy Tercet
|Saleh Gawdat
|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|Mesh Momken Abadan
|Impossible At All
|Ma'moun El Shinnawi
|Baligh Hamdi
|-
|El Alb Ye'sha
|The Heart Loves
|rowspan="3"|Bayram al-Tunisi
|rowspan="2"|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|Aghda Al'ak
|Longing for You
|-
|Al Amal
|Hope
|Zakaria Ahmed
|-
|rowspan="3"|1972
|Ra' El Habib
|The beloved's heart softened
|Ahmed Rami
|Mohamed El Qasabgi
|-
|Lasto Fakir
|I'm Still Thinking
|Abdel Fattah Mustafa
|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|Ya Masharny
|The One Who's Keeping Me Up
|Ahmed Rami
|Sayed Mekawy
|-
|rowspan="5"|1973
|Hakam Alayna Al Hawa
|We're in the Hands of Love
|Abdel Wahab Mohamed
|Baligh Hamdi
|-
|Ahl El Hawa
|The Lovers
|Bayram al-Tunisi
|Zakaria Ahmed
|-
|Yally Kan Yeshguik 'Anni
|Whoever Talked to You About Me
|rowspan="3"|Ahmed Rami
|rowspan="4"|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|Sahran La Wahdi
|Up on My Own
|-
|Daleely Ahtar
|I'm Confused
|-
|rowspan="2"|1974
|Shams El Aseel
|The Lovers
|rowspan="2"|Bayram al-Tunisi
|-
|Ana Fe Intizarak
|I"m Waiting for You
|Zakaria Ahmed
|-
|rowspan="5"|1975
|Ya Toul 'Azaby
|My Suffering
|Ahmed Rami
|Mohamed El Qasabgi
|-
|Salu Qalby
|Ask My Heart
|Relax-In
|Ahmed Shawqi
|rowspan="3"|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|Ozkourini
|Remember Me
|Cairophon
|rowspan="2"|Ahmed Rami
|-
|Aghar Min Nesmat Al Gnoub
|Jealous of the Southern Breeze
| rowspan="6" |Sono Cairo
|-
|Al Awela Fel Gharam
|First to Love
|Bayram al-Tunisi
|Zakaria Ahmed
|-
|rowspan="4"|1976
|Misr Tatahaddath 'an Nafsaha
|Egypt Speaks of Itself
|Hafez Ibrahim
|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|Helm
|Dream
|rowspan="2"|Bayram al-Tunisi
|rowspan="2"|Zakaria Ahmed
|-
|Al Ahat
|The Groans
|-
|Arak Assi Addame
|I See You Crying
|Abu Firas al-Hamdani
|Riad Al Sunbati
|-
|}
Filmography
thumb| Umm Kulthum singing in [[Dananeer (film)|Dananeer (1940)]]
- Weddad (1936)
- Nashid al-Amal (1937)
- Dananeer (1940)
- Aydah (1942)
- Sallamah (1945)
- Fatimah (1947)
Honours
Egyptian honours
- Ribbon bar of the Order of the Nile (Egypt), Grand Cordon grade|50x50px Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile
- Ribbon bar of the Order of Merit, Grand Cordon grade|50x50px Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit
- EGY - Order of the Virtues - Supreme and first classes|50x50px First Class of the Order of the Virtues (Egypt)
Foreign honours
- Ord.2River-ribbon|50x50px First Class of the Order of the Two Rivers ()
- JOR Order of the Renaissance GC|50x50px Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance ()
- Ribbon bar of the National Order of the Cedar, Commander grade|50x50px Commander of the National Order of the Cedar ()
- Order of Lifesaving (Morocco)|50x50px Commander of the Order of Intellectual Merit ()
- CivilMerit.Syria|50x50px Grand Cordon of the Order of Civil Merit of the Syrian Arab Republic ()
- Order of the Republic (Tunisia) - ribbon bar|50x50px Grand Cordon of the Order of the Republic (Tunisia) ()
Notes
References
Sources
- Halfaouine: Boy of the Terraces (film, 1990). This DVD contains an extra feature short film that documents Arab film history, and it contains several minutes of an Umm Kulthum public performance.
- Danielson, Virginia. "Umm Kulthūm". Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 20 July 2016.
- Articles and essays marking the 25th anniversary of the singer's death.
- Profile of Umm Kulthum and her music.
- from Tuesday, 17 June 2008 to Sunday, 2 November 2008
- Murat Özyıldırım, Arap ve Turk Musikisinin 20. yy Birlikteligi, Bağlam Yay. (Müzik Bilimleri Serisi, Edt. V. Yildirim), Istanbul Kasım 2013.