Mohammad Jamal ( ar, مُحمَّد جمال; 24 May 1934 – 26 May 2023), stage name of Jamaluddin Tiffaha ( ar, جمال الدين مُحمَّد تُفَّاحة), was a Lebanese singer, composer and actor.
Life and career
Born in Tripoli, Lebanon, to a Greek mother and to a music teacher who was of Palestinian origin, owned a shop selling and repairing musical instruments, Jamal was trained in singing since childhood. Between 1949 and 1951 he moved in Iraq with his family, and there he was introduced to the
Iraqi maqam
Iraqi Maqam ( ar, المقام العراقي) is a genre of Arabic maqam music found in Iraq. The roots of modern Iraqi maqam can be traced as far back as the Abbasid Caliphate, when that large empire was controlled from Baghdad. The ensemble of ...
style. After failing to graduate in electrical engineering, in 1954 he started his professional musical career, working for
Radio Lebanon
Radio Lebanon (better known by the official French term Radio Liban or ar, إذاعة لبنان, pronounced Iza'at Lubnan) is one of the pioneering and one of the oldest Arab radio stations. While performing at Casino Ajram, he was noted by film director
Helmy Rafla
Helmy Rafla (May 15, 1909 – April 22, 1978; ar, حلمي رفلة) was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter, film producer, and make-up artist. He is considered one the most prominent Egyptian filmmakers.
Biography
Helmy Rafla was born ...
, and made his acting debut in the 1956 Egyptian film ''El-Armala el-Taroub'', in which he also performed two songs.
In 1957, Jamal married the singer , and formed with her a successful musical duo, singing in both Lebanese and Egyptian accents. Best known for the song "Oul Kaman", their professional partnership was interrupted by their 1964 divorce. In the following years Jamal got several hits, notably "Ah Ya Emm Hamada", a highly successful cover in Arabic of " Darla dirladada" in which he also served as producer, and continued to appear in local musical films. He also collaborated with Rahbani brothers, appearing in several of their musicals and TV-shows.
Following the
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
, Jamal decided to move from Lebanon and in 1981 he settled in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
. Following the 1985 release of the album ''Allimni el-Hobb'' he basically retired from showbusiness. He died on 26 May 2023, at the age of 89.