Doreid LAHAM
Nihad QUALI
 

Starting form March 2003, visit-syria.com is publishing monthly biographies of famous Syrian cultural personalities.

Asmahan (1912-1944)

Amal al-Atrash was born and raised to a notable family in the Druze Mountain. Her father died in 1924 and she was left in the care of her mother, Princess Alia. In July 1925, a military uprising took place against the French Mandate in Syria, launched from the mountain by her uncle Sultan al-Atrash. Many members of the Atrash family fled from Syria to avoid persecution by French authorities. Her family went to Egypt where in order to earn a living, she began to sing at an early age with her mother at private parties and in nightclubs. In 1936, she started working at local nightclubs with her brother Farid al-Atrash, a saloon crooner who was rising to stardom in Egypt. The lady Atrash changed her name to Asmahan, a catchy yet classy art name, and like Farid, became an instant success. She was young, beautiful, had a strong voice, and a very confident performance. She attracted the attention of the royal family in Cairo, most notably King Farouk, who endorsed her career. By the mid-1930s, Asmahan was singing at the Royal Palace in Egypt and performing before international dignitaries. In 1937, she recorded her first song Aleik Salat Allah (For you is the prayer of God), which her brother composed for the film Al-Mahfal al-Sharif (The Holy Lodge). In 1940, she quit her career for a brief marriage to the Druze chief Prince Hasan al-Atrash, but they divorced, and she returned to Cairo to devote her life to singing.

 In the 1940s, Asmahan performed her masterpiece Ya Habibi Ta'ala Lhakni (My Love Come Follow Me) and earned a wide audience in the Arab world. The Egyptian diva Um Kalthum tried to obstruct her career because she felt threatened by her dramatic rise to fame. Asmahan collaborated with renowned Egyptian composers like Mohammad al-Qassabji and Mohammad Abd al-Wahab, who composed the tune to her operetta Majnoun Layla (Layla Fanatic) in the film Yawm Sa’id (Happy Day). Abd al-Wahab also composed the classic song Layali al-Uns fi Vienna (Nights of Companionship in Vienna). In 1942, she started to co-star with her brother Farid in Egyptian feature films like Intisar al-Shabab (Victory of Youth) and Gharam Wa Intikam (Love and Revenge). Asmahan died in a car accident when her car crashed into the ocean and drowned on July 14, 1944. During the years 1935-1940, the young star made more enemies than friends in Egypt. Um Kalthum and other Egyptian singers lobbied to bring her down, pleading King Farouk to have her expelled from Cairo on the pretext that she was not an Egyptian performer and belonged in Syria. She also developed a serious drinking problem towards the end of her life and was often short of money. She lost her desire to perform on stage, believing that as a princess (she was of noble birth), she was too noble to work as a saloon artist. She confined to friends that she could no longer sing before Egyptian royals since she too, was a member of a royal family. Reportedly, she stopped her performances and worked instead with the British Intelligence during World War II. Using her connections in the Druze Mountain, she even facilitated the entry of Allied forces into Syria, through the mountain, to expel the pro-German regime of General Henri Dentz. She was also involved in numerous relationships with leading Egyptian officers and officials in Farouk’s court. In future years, when World War II ended, the Arab media accused her of channeling information on the daily lives of Arab officials to British Intelligence. Despite the numerous rumors regarding her death, Asmahan is still regarded as one of the most celebrated artists of the 20^th century. She is an established symbol of glamour and intrigue in the Arab World and a legend in modern Arabic music.

Next month topic : Mustapha Al AKKAD