Angham Mohamed Ali Suleiman ( ar, أنغام محمد علي ; born 19 January 1972), known by the mononym Angham ( ar, أنغام), is an Egyptian singer, recording artist, and actress. Her debut was in 1987 under the guidance of her father, Mohammad Suleiman. Following her divorce from Magdy Aref in 2000, Angham took much more control over her image and musical style after that ''
Leih Sebtaha'' (''Why Did You Leave Her'') record established her into a strong position amid the constant emerge of new voices in the Middle East music scene. After a highly publicized feud between
Alam El Phan
Alam el Phan ( ar, عالم الفن, , The World of Art) is an Egyptian media group based in Cairo that supervises, manages, and produces Arabic music records and motion pictures. The company also runs the record label and TV station Mazzika.
...
Music Records' president
Mohsen Gaber and the artist, She moved to another record company,
Rotana.
In 2005, She released the album ''
Bahibbik Wahashteeny
''Bahibbik Wahashteeny'' (''I Love You, I Miss You'') is the seventeenth full-length Arabic studio album from Egyptian pop singer Angham, launched in Egypt on 25 July 2005 (see 2005 in music) by Rotana Production Company. It was her second recor ...
'' (I Love You, I Miss You). It was critically acclaimed, but commercially was not as expected. After three years, Angham returned to the forefront of
Arabic pop music in 2007 with her album ''
Kolma N'arrab
''Kolma N'arrab'' (Whenever We Come Closer) is the eighteenth full-length Arabic studio album from Egyptian pop singer Angham. The album was released on 10 June 2007 in Egypt, on 15 June 2007 in Middle East, and 3 July 2007 worldwide. On the fir ...
'' (''Whenever We Come Closer'') which sold more than 500,000 CDs across the Middle East in less than three months and was awarded a platinum certification.
Life and music career
Childhood and youth
Angham was born in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
, Egypt, the eldest child of Mohammad Suleiman, a former violinist, music composer, orchestra chief, and singer, while her mother, Mageda Abdel Haleem, is a well-known artist. She grew up in a
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
family.
The family moved to
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
by the late 1990s, and settled down at
El Mohandiseen, an area known for being home to many many celebrities. Angham has three siblings. Her brother, Khaled, studied music arrangements. While her brother Ahmad, owing to his physical handicap, remained away from the spotlight.
Angham began singing at around the age of sixteen, under the guidance of her uncle, Emad Abdel Haleem. Angham performed for the first time in public during Cairo's Radio syndicate ceremony. She sang "el Gannah Taht Akdamek" (Paradise Is Under Your Feet), a song dedicated to mothers. She recalled how her father was not pleased with her performance.
![Angham with Fahd](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Angham_with_Fahd.jpg)
Upon finishing high school, Angham joined Cairo's Conservatory of Music. She studied the basics of the music, improved her voice's capacities, and learned how to play on the traditional piano and Oud. However, Angham fell into a nervous breakdown when she received news about her uncle's death which happened on the same day of her first tour in
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
at the
Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...
International Festival.
1987–1994: Debut with her father
Released in 1987, ''Fil Rokn elBaeed elHady'' (In The Far Distant Corner) is Angham's first breakaway record.
Her father introduced her to Sayed Naser, a businessman and record producer, who agreed on producing and financing her records and tracks. Angham was the first artist to join Sayed Naser Records company, and the youngest to be accepted. Due to her father's wide recognition in the music industry, famed composer
Mohammed Abdel Wahab
''Mohamed Abdel Wahab'' ( ar, محمد عبد الوهاب), also transliterated ''Mohamed Abd El-Wahhab'' (March 13, 1902 – May 4, 1991), was a prominent 20th-century Egyptian singer, actor, and composer. He is best known for his Romantic ...
gave Angham the copyright of his track "Basbosa".
This record features a series of records that are mostly musically composed by Mohammad Suleiman. Angham's lyricist, Ezzat el Gendy, who was behind the success of "Sidi Wisalak" (Your Charm) in 2001, also saw his debut with Angham on the "La Yal Hob" (No Love) track. "Fil Rokn elBaeed el Hady" was a pivotal success.
The following year, Angham conceived ''Awal Gawab'' (The First Answer), her second record, as a homage to Egyptian soul music composer, Sayed Makkawy, and she worked with a variety of lyricists on the record. Sayed Makkawy gave her the copyrights of his song "Aalo Enseeh" ("They Said Forget Him") to add it to the record.
The ''Awal Gawab'' record was released soon after her debut record but was neither critically nor commercially as successful. "Awal Gawab" and "Hawa elMasayef" ("Summer Love") were her most successful tracks on this record. During 1988, although she occasionally performed live, stage fright prevented Angham from embarking on any major tours. Her first widely seen concert appearances were mainly at the
Cairo Opera House
The Cairo Opera House ( ar, دار الأوبرا المصرية, ''Dār el-Opera el-Masreyya''; literally "Egyptian Opera House"), part of Cairo's National Cultural Centre, is the main performing arts venue in the Egyptian capital. Home to mos ...
, and she said she felt that her performance proved her vocal abilities were not, as some had previously speculated, simulated using studio techniques.
Four next records which were all produced by Sayed Naser Records except the last one which is produced by "Sawt elCahira" (Voice of Egypt) Records saw the light. They were a transitional phase of Angham in her adolescent years. Most of the tracks dealt with love, breakup, friendship, family and fun. These albums were titled as "LaLiLi Lali", "Layek", "Ettafakna" and "Bibassata Kida". The first two were released in the year 1989, the third in 1990 and the fourth in 1991. In 1992, she sang two songs composed by the Saudi composer, Mohammed Al-Senan, which are "Shayfak" (I See you) and "Ain El-Hawa" (The Eye of Love). The lyrics of both songs were written by Ezzat elGendy. They were produced by Alkhoyool in 1992, and they were reproduced by production label
Rotana in 2002 among the famous collection musical record ''Mahrajan Nagham Watarab 2002'' (Festival of Melodies and Oriental 2002). However, Angham's relationship with her father started to deteriorate when he discovered her intention of separating from him. He felt stress over the public's reprisal of his daughter's as a person and artist. Among the four records, it was the last one that had a phenomenal success. The latter featured the hit "Ya Tayeb" (Humble Person), which tackled the subject of humanity and stabilized Angham's position as a celebrity. In 1992, the feud between Angham and her father resulted in her working less with her father to conceive her seventh record, "Intal Alam" ("You Are The World") which was produced by "Sawt elCahira" ("Voice of Egypt") Records.
The 1993 record ''Ella Ana'' ("Except Me"), produced by Rocky Records, was the best record for Angham between 1987 and 1994. This fact was attributed to the critical and commercial success of such tracks as
"Telephonak Kam" ("What's Your Number"), "Shantet Safar" ("Luggage") and "Ella Ana".
1995–2000: Search for expansion
After her separation from her father, Angham collaborated with music composer, Ameer Abdel Mageed. He worked subsequently on "Baollak Eih" (Tell You What) record in 1995 and musically composed all its tracks. The record was produced by Laser Records owned by Mustafa Dagher.
The track "Tekdar Aal Meshwar" ("Up for the Journey") was sung in 7.6 octave voice with a rich oriental music background. "Law Hasseit" which was filmed as a music video is the first track to contain quick Latin/Spanish beats, and perhaps helped Angham gain more popular in the young demographic. The sound engineering was taken care by Ameen Akef, Hussein Aahdy, and Omro Hashem, while the record was co-produced by Angham and Adel Othman Helal.
In 1996, under Laser Records' production, Angham's tenth record ''Akdar'' ("I Can") saw the light. It was entirely composed by Ameer Abdel Mageed. The record was released in a second copy featuring the unreleased track "el Amar" ("The Moon"). Angham stepped up to show that she can make it without father's guidance. International composer,
Abdo Dagher, also worked with Ameer Abdel Mageed in the construction of the tracks' melodies.
Angham started to experiment recording in the
Lebanese dialect, but could not master it. However, she rehearsed for the Gulf dialect and released "Shay Daa" ("Something Got Lost") in 1996, which was her first Gulf record, produced by Founoun el Jazeera Records. It was an instant hit in the
Persian Gulf region, and led to her performing in
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
,
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, and
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
, and other places.
Angham returned to the spotlight with a very successful record ''Betheb Meen'' ("Who Do You Love") in 1997 where she worked once again with her father, but on only two songs. Upon its release, Angham silenced all rumors about her relationship with father, indicating that even though they had separated on the professional level, the link of father and daughter remained intact.
Due to her first Gulf record's success, Angham embraced a second experience at the same level. "Khalli Bokra L'Bokra" (Keep Tomorrow For the Future) record released in 1998 and produced by Stars Records company was even more successful than the first one. The record contained hits like "Haybet Malek" ("Pride of a King"), "Ma Had Fady" ("No One Cares"), "Eedna Mbarak" ("Happy Anniversary"), and "Ghareeb" ("Strange"). In this record, the music of the tracks were mainly composed by Tarek Mohammad, Khaled elSheikh, and Talal Medah. "Ghareeb" track is only available in its complete version on the CD. The record ''Wahadaniya'' ("Lonely Woman"), released in 1999, produced by Sawt elCahira Records, which took back Angham under its wings after knowing her popularity grew more intense. All the tracks in this records were hits, but the most successful ones were "Bet'hebbaha Walla" ("Do You Love Her Or What"), "Baatly Nazra" ("Send Me A Glance") and "elAlak Had" ("Find Someone").
For the first time before they wed in 2004, Angham worked with Fahd, who co-arranged "Wahadaniya" (Lonely Woman) track alongside Mika. Though the song did not receive much acclaim, Angham received "Best Female Artist" in 2000 for it. Her music video "Bethebbaha Walla" received "Best Music Video" in 1999.
2001–2003: New image, independence and liberalism
Angham and Magdy Aref separated in 2000. She said she felt trapped by her relationship with Magdy, whom she often described as controlling. Soon after the separation, Angham hired an independent publicist and a new attorney and manager.
Angham's next album, '
Leih Sebtaha' (''Why Did You Leave Her'') which was produced by
Alam El Phan
Alam el Phan ( ar, عالم الفن, , The World of Art) is an Egyptian media group based in Cairo that supervises, manages, and produces Arabic music records and motion pictures. The company also runs the record label and TV station Mazzika.
...
Records company and released in 2001, yielded the number-one single "Sidi Wisalak" ("Your Charm"), the lyrics and music video for which presented a more overtly feminine and sensual image of her that had been previously seen. She stated that ''Leih Sebtaha'' defined the point that she attained full creative control over her music, which continued to move in a steady direction with material mostly written and composed by Bahaa elDeen Mohammad and Sheriff tagg respectively.
However, she added: "I never thought it's that much of a departure from what I've done in the past. It's not like I went crazy and thought I was going to be the artist I am now. Personally, this album is about doing whatever I dreamt to do".
"Sidi Wisalak", co-written by Angham and her lifetime friend, Ezzat elGendy, was a commercial success. Both "Sidi Wisalak" and "Magabsh Serty" ("Did He Mention Me") tracks boosted the sales and gave her the title of the best selling living Egyptian female artist. "Magabsh Serty" is the last song that Riyad elHamshari composed for Angham.
That same year, she appeared on ''3 Sharee elNoujoum'' (''3 Stars Avenue''), a televised programme. She was honored officially as "Egypt's Number 1 Female Artist" in 2001. By the following year, she had entered a relationship with music arranger, Fahd.
''
Omry Maak'' ("My Life With You"), Angham's sixteenth studio album, was released in 2003 and produced by the same record company as its precedent. It comprised more
R&B,
Rock 'n' Roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
and
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
songs, many of them arranged by Fahd. "Omry Maak" and "Arrefha Beya" ("Introduce Me To Her") tracks reached number one in the Middle East, in a time where the industry witnessed the release of unsuccessful records from fellow Arabic artists. Media reception of "
Omry Maak" was in majority enthusiastic, with the Riyad Newspaper saying the album is like "a state of euphoric love between the loss of human senses and the phenomena of passion in its ultimate summit".
''Omry Maak'' was Angham's third best selling record in her career. She accused Alam El Phan of under-promoting the record: "The current situation that I am living in my professional career is not positive. I'm getting a lot of negative feedback from certain corporate people. I wanted to be free from Alam El Phan", she replied upon the news of her separation from Alam El Phan, adding that the owner of her company refused to let her film ''Arrefha Beya'' as her second music video. There were many promises that he did not accomplish. In 2004, Angham released "Khaleeny Maak" ("Keep Me With You") single on St Valentine's Day. It was broadcast on the radio and later on released on the Internet. The track features Fahd's first singing attempt alongside the artist.
2004–2006: Personal and professional struggles
Angham's popularity declined with the release of ''
Bahibbik Wahashteeny
''Bahibbik Wahashteeny'' (''I Love You, I Miss You'') is the seventeenth full-length Arabic studio album from Egyptian pop singer Angham, launched in Egypt on 25 July 2005 (see 2005 in music) by Rotana Production Company. It was her second recor ...
'' ("I Love You, I Miss You") record in July 2005. After "بتحب مين" (Who Do You Love), Angham returned to another collaboration with Rotana Records company to produce and promote the 2005 record. She officially joined the record label in March 2004. Angham's new marriage to Fahd topped with her constant exhaustion, second pregnancy and an operation for a
kidney stone
Kidney stone disease, also known as nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis, is a crystallopathy where a solid piece of material (kidney stone) develops in the urinary tract. Kidney stones typically form in the kidney and leave the body in the urine s ...
prior to giving birth made it impossible for the artist to focus on the record. The lead track, "
Bahibbik Wahashteeny
''Bahibbik Wahashteeny'' (''I Love You, I Miss You'') is the seventeenth full-length Arabic studio album from Egyptian pop singer Angham, launched in Egypt on 25 July 2005 (see 2005 in music) by Rotana Production Company. It was her second recor ...
", got good reviews, and its music video, directed by Hady elBajoury, was filmed in September 2005. In the video, Angham displayed her real pregnancy in the clip while her ex-husband appeared on the clip too briefly at the end. However, due to late production and release of the music video, the audience was unaware of the record's release in the market. Angham tried to boost the sales of the record by filming "بحب نفسي" ("I Love Myself") track as her second music video, but it brought a moderate boost to the overall sales. She began a long series of tours to help promote the record. Two days after the release of the record, she performed a successful concert in
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
at the Carthage International Concert alongside artist Ramy Ayash. She participated in the fourth season of ''
Star Academy
''Star Academy'', called ''Operación Triunfo'' ("Operation Triumph") in Spanish-speaking countries, is a highly successful television pop music talent contest with viewer voting and reality show elements.
Format
There are many versions of t ...
'', appeared on the ''Maa Hobby'' (''With Love'') and "خليك بالبيت"(''Stay Home'') talk show], and "Saat Samee" ("An Hour of Hearing") on Noujoum FM radio.
Angham performed at "هلا فبراير" ("Welcome February") concert at
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, alongside artist Saber elRibai, Khaled Slim and Hamoud elNaser. Angham then won "صوت الحب" ("Voice Of Love") Award in 2006 at the Alexandria National Music Festival in its fourth round. Despite the promotion, the record became the artist's commercially least successful record in her career.
2007–2008: Return to stardom
Angham's eighteenth studio album, ''
Kolma N'arrab
''Kolma N'arrab'' (Whenever We Come Closer) is the eighteenth full-length Arabic studio album from Egyptian pop singer Angham. The album was released on 10 June 2007 in Egypt, on 15 June 2007 in Middle East, and 3 July 2007 worldwide. On the fir ...
'' (''Whenever We Come Closer''), was released in 2007 and contained contributions from music composers such as Khaled Ezz, Tamer Ali, Ramy Gamal, Baleegh Hamdy and Sheriff Tagg. After criticisms that Angham is over-using her ex-husband to rearrange the tracks in "
Omry Maak" and "
Bahibbik Wahashteeny
''Bahibbik Wahashteeny'' (''I Love You, I Miss You'') is the seventeenth full-length Arabic studio album from Egyptian pop singer Angham, launched in Egypt on 25 July 2005 (see 2005 in music) by Rotana Production Company. It was her second recor ...
" ("I Love You, I Miss You") records, Angham collaborated with a variety of music arrangers. They include: Fahd, Tarek Madkour, Walid Fayad, Ashraf Mahrous, Tamim and Essam elSharayty. The record features a remake of "Ashky Lmeen" (Who Can I Complain To) as a tribute to
Mohamed Mounir
Mohamed Mounir ( ar, محمد منير; born October 10, 1954) is an Egyptian singer and actor, with a musical career spanning more than four decades. He incorporates various genres into his music, including classical Egyptian music, Nubian mus ...
. Angham is the first female artist to include a remake in her record for a living artist. ''Kolma N'arrab'' became the best-selling record for a female artist in the Middle East in 2007. A reviewer for ''Almotamar'' (''The Conference'') concluded that Angham is the best-selling female artist during summer 2007, beating sales of Lebanese artists
Nancy Ajram
Nancy Nabil Ajram ( ar, نانسي نبيل عجرم, born May 16, 1983) is a Lebanese singer, television personality and businesswoman. Dubbed by Spotify as the " Queen of Arab Pop". With the support of her father, she began performing as ...
and
Najwa Karam
Najwa Karam ( ar, نجوى كرم, , born 26 February 1966) is a Lebanese singer, songwriter, producer, fashion icon, one of the best selling recording artist in the middle east with more than 60 million records worldwide. Known as the "Sun of ...
. The record earned Angham a platinum certification. Her music video, which cost US$500,000. and was directed by Ahmad elMahdy, peaked on rank one at Rotana Top 20 chart on 25 August 2007. "Dah Elly Indi Track" peaked at rank two at Radio Orient chart in France, while "Kolma N'arrab" track peaked on rank one on 6 August 2007, at "Eftekasat Top 10 Songs of the Week" chart. Angham won Best Egyptian Female Artist award in 2007 officially given to her by the Nile Entertainment channel.
Angham began a series of televised appearances to promote her record. She appeared on ''X-Factor'' at Rotana, "Nejm elNoujoum" (Star of the Stars) in
Kuwait
Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
, Studio 2M in
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and "Maa Hobbi" ("With Love") in
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
. She debuted her first tour with a successful performance in Cairo at the "Layali elTelevision" (Nights of the Television) concert on 14 July 2007, which took part at the Chinese Garden, amid a young demographic which surpassed 3000 in number. ''Kolma N'arrab'' has been nominated for Best Selling Record at the World Music Award 2007 alongside Amr Diab and Nancy Ajram.
On 3 February 2008, she appeared for the second time on Taratata to honour Egyptian artist, Mohammad Mounir, alongside artists Zein elOmar, Hussein and Houda Haddad. She took part with Syrian singer Asala in the first live airing of "elArrab" (The Mentor) show in its first cycle, hosted by Nichan Deirharotonian. The artist recorded an episode for "Inta Meen" ("Who Are You") programme, hosted by Nadine Fallah on Abou Dhabi Channel. Angham was invited to the "10th Hour" show on Dream channel on the second January 2008.
According to Elaph E-newspaper, Angham will continue her tour and her third concert around the Middle East is due to take place at the Doha's 9th Music Festival, where she will be closing the event alongside Gulf legend artist Mohammad Abdo on 29 January 2008. The concert was a phenomenal success and tabloids acclaimed Angham for her appearance. Angham's second single from the 2005 record, "Mabataallemsh" (Never Learning), was filmed as a music video under the directing of Ahmed elMahdy. The music video peaked number 1 in Rotana for three consecutive weeks, and ranked number 2 in ''Nadine'', a Lebanese magazine.
2009: ''Nefsy Ahebak''
For two years, Angham had been working on her nineteenth studio record. The album contains contributions from lyricists Amir Teaima, Bahaa elDin Mohammed, and Mohammad Atef, composers Khaled Ezz, Mohammed Nadi, Tarek Madkour, Walid Saad, Ammar elShareei, and Mohammed Yahiya, arrangists Nader Hamdi, Issam Shrayti, Hassan elShafiei as a substitute of Fahd, and Khaled Ezz. In an interview in ''Kelmet elFassel''" (''Last Word''), she revealed that she would be singing for the first time a Lebanese song written by Catherine Moawwad and composed by Salim Assaf.
According to FilFan, the tracks' names are the following:
* "Yah, Law Ayeesh Maak" (I Wish I can Live With You)
* "Habibi Malak" (Darling, what is up)
* "Nefsi Ahebak" (I wish I love you)
* "Saat Keteer" (Many times)
* "Delwa'ty Ahsan" (Now, I am better)
* "Mahzouma" (Defeated)
* "Fi Wahda Bethebak" (Some girl loves you)
* "Esht Sneen" (For Years I've Lived)
* "Law Nsarah Baad" (If We Were Honest to Each Others)
* "Day Einak" (The sparkle of your eye)
* "Mosh Fi Balak" (Not In Your Mind)
* "Helwa" (Beautiful)
The album was released on 25 June 2009. For the album, Angham recorded "Mahzouma" (Defeated) in Prague with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague under the direction of Issam Shrayti, for a cost of $50,000 US, becoming the first female artist to have the most expensive song in the Middle East. As for the music video, Angham's choice of directors was restricted down to either Lebanese director, Nadine Labaki, or Egyptian movie director, Khaled Merghi, who collaborated with her previously in 1999 with the video for "Bethebbaha Walla" (Do You Love Her Or What).
The album was well received by critics and fans.
Angham shot the video clip "Saat Keteer" under the direction of Randa Alam.
This was the last album in the contract between Angham and Rotana as the former refused to renew the contract.
Acting career
Angham began to take professional acting lessons in 2000. She made her debut as an actress in the romantic comedy ''Leila Men Alf Leila'' (''Night of a Thousand Nights'') starring prominent actor Yehia elFakharany, actor/artist Ali elHajjar, Sleem Sahab band, and the
Cairo Opera House
The Cairo Opera House ( ar, دار الأوبرا المصرية, ''Dār el-Opera el-Masreyya''; literally "Egyptian Opera House"), part of Cairo's National Cultural Centre, is the main performing arts venue in the Egyptian capital. Home to mos ...
ballet. It was produced by the Cairo Opera House in Egypt. Angham's first acting project was huge, but did not continue for more than two months, and was not aired on television.
Angham's second acting experience was with Ali elHajjar again in the theatrical drama ''Rossassa fil Alb'' (''Bullet Right in the Heart''). The plot was written by Toufic Hakeem and was originally intended for theatre before it was transformed in the 1940s into a movie which starred actor/artist
Mohammed Abdel Wahab
''Mohamed Abdel Wahab'' ( ar, محمد عبد الوهاب), also transliterated ''Mohamed Abd El-Wahhab'' (March 13, 1902 – May 4, 1991), was a prominent 20th-century Egyptian singer, actor, and composer. He is best known for his Romantic ...
and actress Rakiya Ibrahim. Angham loved both experiences, but said to ''Middle East Newspaper'':
I benefited from these two experiences a lot, but standing on the stage is a very tiring job, which forces the artist to leave lots of other things including his personal and professional life as a singer to be able to fully focus on it. This was the sole point that I did not like in the acting experience.
''Rossassa fil Alb'' is Angham's most successful acting experience, and many movie offers came later for her. However, she did not accept them because she wanted to focus on her singing career. Among the offers she refused were ''Sahar elLayali'' (''Sleepless Nights'') which was nominated for Best Foreign Movie at the
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
in 2003, in which the singer was supposed to act instead of actress
Mona Zaki
Mona Ali Mohamed Zaki ( ar, منى علي محمد زكي; born 18 November 1976) is an Egyptian actress.
Biography
Mona Zaki was born to her parents Ali Mohamed Zaki and Tahani on November 18, 1976. Until the age of 13, she lived in Kuwait. ...
, ''Shiqet Maser elJadida'' (''Heliopolis Apartment'')], ''Aan elAshk Wel Hawa'' (''About Love and Passion'')] ''elShoumouaa elSawdaa'' (''Black Candles'')] where she was supposedly to remake the acting part of legend actress/artist Najat elSagheera, and ''Hayat Thekra'' (''Life of Thekra'') where Angham was supposedly to remake the life of assassinated Tunisian singer,
Thekra.
Personal life
On the talk show "Maa Hobby" (With Love) in 2005, host Joumana Bou Eid asked Angham how she felt toward her dad after eight years of collaboration in making records. Angham replied that she owes him many things, and that she is lucky he is her father and an important figure in the music industry. The publicity of Angham's separation from her father whether on a personal or artistic level stabilized Angham's independent entrance into the industry of music.
Months before the release of "Bet'heb Meen" (Who Do You love) 1999, Angham married Magdy Aref, an Egyptian businessman and music video director, from whom she had a son named Omar. Angham's father was strongly against his daughter's choice of husband, but the artist married Magdy without her father's approval. In 2000, their divorce caused a riot in the press who criticized Angham's lack of experience in managing to keep her records unaffected by her private life. Angham remained single for four years before she met music arrangist Fahd, with whome she became romantically involved during the making of her 2003 record ''Omry Maak''. In April 2004, they were married in an extravagant ceremony on "The Place" yacht in 2004.
Among the invitees present at the wedding were artists
Elissa,
Sherine
Sherine Sayed Mohamed Abdel-Wahab ( ar, شيرين سيد محمد عبد الوهاب; born October 8, 1980), known professionally by the mononym Sherine ( ar, شيرين), is an Egyptian singer, actress, TV host and personality, and a former ...
,
Mohamed Hamaki
Mohamed Ibrahim Mohamed El Hamaki ( ar, محمد إبراهيم محمد الحماقي ; born 4 November 1975) is an Egyptian singer. In 2010, he won the "Best Arabia Act" award from MTV Europe Music Awards and the Music Award in 2006, for ''"Ah ...
, Khaled Agag, Sheriff Makkawy, and Ehab Toufic.
Rotana Records company's president, Salem el Hindy, and his spokesperson, Tony Semaan, attended the wedding. Angham's father and son, Omar, chose not to attend her wedding. In December 2005, Angham gave birth to a son Abdel Rahman.
The marriage did not last long, and Angham divorced Fahd in June 2008.
Artistry
Voice
Angham has said that from childhood she was influenced by Arabic classics and soul musicians such as
Mohammed Abdel Wahab
''Mohamed Abdel Wahab'' ( ar, محمد عبد الوهاب), also transliterated ''Mohamed Abd El-Wahhab'' (March 13, 1902 – May 4, 1991), was a prominent 20th-century Egyptian singer, actor, and composer. He is best known for his Romantic ...
,
Fairuz
Nouhad Wadie' Haddad ( ar, نهاد وديع حداد, ; born November 21, 1934), known as Fairuz ( ar, فيروز, ; also spelled Fairouz, Feyrouz or Fayrouz), is a Lebanese singer. She is considered by many as one of the leading vocalists a ...
and
Umm Kulthum
Umm Kulthum ( ar, أم كلثوم, , also spelled ''Oum Kalthoum'' in English; born Fatima Ibrahim es-Sayyid el-Beltagi, ar, فاطمة إبراهيم السيد البلتاجي, Fāṭima ʾIbrāhīm es-Sayyid el-Beltāǧī, link=no; 31 Dece ...
. Her music contains strong influences of gospel
urban contemporary
Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...
music, Arabic classics,
R&B,
waltz
The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position.
History
There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...
and lately
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
. Angham is said to be able to cover all the notes from
alto
The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...
vocal range
Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of stud ...
to six-
octave
In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...
vocal range.
In her early years, she attempted to emulate
Fairuz
Nouhad Wadie' Haddad ( ar, نهاد وديع حداد, ; born November 21, 1934), known as Fairuz ( ar, فيروز, ; also spelled Fairouz, Feyrouz or Fayrouz), is a Lebanese singer. She is considered by many as one of the leading vocalists a ...
's simple notes, to ensure an efficient way of communication emotions. In ''Maa Hobby'' (''With Love'') talk show, Angham said that "singing in a low voice is far much more difficult than screaming in high pitch notes. There are not so many artists today that are capable of doing so." Angham's vocal trademark is her ability to sing in the
whistle register
The whistle register (also called the flute register or flageolet register) is the highest register of the human voice, lying above the modal register and falsetto register. This register has a specific physiological production that is different ...
and to transfer true emotions through her songs.
Discography
Studio albums
* 1987: ''Fil Rokn elBaeed elHady'' (In The Far Distant Corner)
* 1988: ''Awal Gawab'' (First Letter)
* 1989: ''Lalili Lali''
* 1989: ''Layeg'' (It Suits)
* 1989: ''Shokran'' (Thank You)
* 1990: ''Ettafakna'' (We Agreed)
* 1991: ''Bibasata Kida'' (As Simple As That)
* 1992: ''Inta El A'alam'' (You Are The World)
* 1992: ''Shayfak'' (I See You)
* 1993: ''Ella Ana'' (Except Me)
* 1994: ''Inta Mahboubi'' (You Are My Beloved, love)
* 1995: ''Baollak Eih'' (Tell You What)
* 1996: ''Akdar'' (I Can Make It Through)
* 1996: ''Shey Daa (Something Lost)
* 1997: ''Betheb Meen'' (Who Do You Love)
* 1998: ''Khally Bokra li Bokra'' (Leave Tomorrow for the Future)
* 1999: ''Wahdaniya'' (Lonely Woman)
* 2001: ''
Leih Sebtaha'' (Why Did You Leave Her)
* 2003: ''
Omry Maak'' (My Life With You)
* 2005: ''
Bahibbik Wahashteeny
''Bahibbik Wahashteeny'' (''I Love You, I Miss You'') is the seventeenth full-length Arabic studio album from Egyptian pop singer Angham, launched in Egypt on 25 July 2005 (see 2005 in music) by Rotana Production Company. It was her second recor ...
'' (Loving You, I Miss You)
* 2007: ''
Kolma Ni Arrab'' (Whenever We Come Closer)
* 2009: ''
Nefsy Ahebbak'' (I'd Like to Love You)
* 2010: ''
Alhekaya Almohamadia'' (Prophet Mohammad' Story)
* 2010: ''
Mahaddesh Yehasebni'' (Don'the Judge Me)
* 2015: ''
Ahlam Barea'a'' (Innocent Dreams)
* 2018: ''
Rah Tezkerny'' (You will remember me)
* 2019: ''
Hala Khassa Geddan'' (Very Special Case)
* 2020 : mazh
Singles
* Nehlam Eih (What Should We Dream Of?)
ft. Thekra
* Mahabba (Love)
ft. Talal Salama
* Le Soal (I Have A Question)
ft. Abdalla Rweished
* Maizza (Preciousness)
ft. Abdalla Rweished
* Khaleeny Maak (Keep Me With You)
ft. Fahd
* El Ard Hiya Hiya (The Land Will Stay)
tribute to Kuwait's liberation
* Azeez We Ghali (Dear and Precious)
* elAmaken (The Places)
tribute to Mohammad Abdo
* Ana Mnel Balad Dee (I Am From This Country)
tribute to Egypt
* Mitel elAwal (Like The First)
released on the Internet
* Hadeeth elSabah Wel Masaa (Talks Of the Mornings and the Nights)
intro for episode
* Ra' w Ein (R and N)
released for princess Reem elWaleed's wedding
* Ya Rab (Oh God)
released for Holy Month of Ramadan
* Hekayat elGharam (Love Stories)
* Ma Bataallemsh (I'll Never Learn)
* Ynayer (January) 25 January 2011
* Sebto (I've left him) 2011
* `Aeish Galby (Staying in the heart) (Khaliji song) 2012
* Law Kont (If You Were) 2012
* Ajmal Makan (The Most Beautiful Place) 2014
* Ann Farh Ghayeb 2017
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Angham
1972 births
Living people
People from Alexandria
21st-century Egyptian women singers
Singers who perform in Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian actors
Egyptian actresses
Egyptian stage actresses
Egyptian film actresses
Egyptian television actresses
20th-century Egyptian women singers
Singers who perform in Classical Arabic