Rising from humble beginnings to iconic status, Kulthum broke barriers, shaped music history and became a symbol of Egyptian national pride
With her sonorous, octave-gliding contralto voice--so powerful that she could perform publicly without a microphone--Umm Kulthum (1904-75) is still to this day considered the "voice of Egypt." More than just mere entertainment or aesthetic compositions, her songs echoed with her pride for her country: from the small village where she dressed as a boy to perform to Cairo in its cinematic golden age. A strong supporter of the Egyptian military, she supported the country's independence and its government under Gamal Abder Nasser. One of her songs even served as the Egyptian national anthem from 1960 to 1979. As Rolling Stone wrote, "Umm Kulthum has no real equivalent among singers in the West." This storybook follows Kulthum from her early years to her most iconic moments, describing how she became an icon of the Arab world.