Hamdani, Dorsaf - Princesses Of Arabic Song

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DORSAF HAMDANI
Princesses Of Arabic Song

Who are the princesses of Arabic song? If they had to name ten, twenty, fifty of them, no two connoisseurs would agree.

But if there were a choice of only three names, they would be those of Oum Kalsoum, Fairouz and Asmahan. Princesses, queens, empresses, whatever. These three hold court above all the categories: glory, power, legend, splendour...

Dorsaf Hamdani sings all three of them. And what female Arabic singer has never contemplated measuring herself against the Himalayas of her culture: the immense achievements of Oum Kalsoum, who died in 1975 at the height of her fame? She who made into one a genre both popular and classical. Who had the ability to make an enormous ensemble of violins and piano. And who had the power to promptly produce the radiance of a voice more sublime than any other.