Tablah drumming to Abdel Halim Hafez singing “Zai El Hawa” (translates to “Like Love”).
Although my mom was Lebanese, she was particularly fond of Mr. Hafez, who was an Egyptian singer. Mama used to sing his songs while in the kitchen cooking, or cleaning around the house. When one of her favorite songs by Halim came on the radio, the whole house stopped and we all knew better than to interrupt Mama until the song ended. As soon as I became a teenager, and started listening to Mr. Hafez’s romantic songs, I started to understand why my mama admired him so. Halim was very popular in Egypt and the Arab region, particularly in the 1950s to 1970s. He was referred to as the “Arab Frank Sinatra,” and the “King of Emotions” due to his many romantic songs. Mr. Hafez started singing at age 7, and at 11 years old he became a member of the Arabic Music Institute in Cairo. He always sang from his heart, which captivated his audience.