13 - 19 August 1998
Issue No.390
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Al-Ahram Weekly On-line 13 - 19 August 1998 Issue No.390 |
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
A feast for the ears
Two years ago, a century had passed since the birth of the great composer Zakariya Ahmed. Yet this momentous occasion passed apparently unnoticed by the relevant authorities. He was an exceptional artist, whose impact on Arabic music can still be felt today. Why have the Arabic Music Institute and the Higher Council for Culture not done more to honour him? Why did the anniversary of his birth pass in silence? I wonder. No concerts were organised to honour his work; no editorials were written deploring the decline of Arabic music and the passing of a golden age of which he was perhaps the most eloquent representative.
Zakariya Ahmed had an inimitable, uniquely original talent, as specific to Arabic music as fried garlic is to Eastern cuisine. His talent has given the Arabic musical heritage a special flavour. This outstanding man, this giant, who left us in the 1960s, showed his talent very early on. He composed music to songs performed by Munira Al-Mahdiya, Sheikh Ali Mahmoud and Saleh Abdel-Hayy, as well as by Umm Kalthoum. In other words, he lived through the most important era of modern Arabic music, working with this century's most talented singers. He witnessed and participated in the climactic moments of the contemporary development of music in the Arab world. He was also the most authentic of the composers of Arabic music, and the least influenced by the Western tradition. Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy. |