"" ( arz, حلوة يا بلدي, ; "Oh Sweet, My Homeland") is an Egyptian Arabic song by
Dalida from 1979, enjoying great popularity in the
Middle East and the Arab diaspora. The song is an
homage
Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to:
History
*Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance
*Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts
*Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...
to
Egypt, Dalida's birthplace, and is considered representative of the nationalistic pride felt by many Egyptians.
It was sung by tens to hundreds of thousands of Egyptians who demonstrated in
Tahrir Square
Tahrir Square ( ar, ميدان التحرير ', , English language, English: Liberation Square), also known as "Martyr Square", is a major public town square in downtown Cairo, Egypt. The square has been the location and focus for political dem ...
during the
Egyptian Revolution of 2011
The 2011 Egyptian revolution, also known as the 25 January revolution ( ar, ثورة ٢٥ يناير; ), began on 25 January 2011 and spread across Egypt. The date was set by various youth groups to coincide with the annual Egyptian "Police ho ...
.
Background and significance
The song is composed in the key of
C minor, although the chorus is in
F minor. It is the second song in
Arabic language for Dalida after her hit "". Dalida sang it during French television broadcasts.
Versions
The song was also registered in French as "" in 1981, in Spanish (despite the Italian title) as "" in 1984 and remixed in Spanish for the album in 1998.
The song has been covered many times notably by French-Israeli singer
Ishtar in 2005 in the album in Arabic and Spanish. It was also recorded by the Lebanese singer
Elissa in 2014 in her album .
References
{{authority control
Dalida songs
Egyptian songs
1979 songs
Patriotic songs