Raised by a Catholic-Italian mother, and a Russian-Jewish father, both born in the U.S., as was I, I was once the national marketing director for Arab Film Distribution, AFD, Seattle, WA, when the documentary, Umm Kulthum: A Voice Like Egypt, was first released in the U.S. Exclusively distributed by AFD, Yahya Sinno, president of AFD, was responsible for the home division or Internet orders. I was responsibile for the institutional division of AFD, first, watching the films and documentaries in our library,..
This is a documentary that covers the history of Egypt during the first three quarters of this century through the life of Umm Kolthum. The film depicts numerous changes in Umm Kolthum's life that paralleled changes that took place in the Middle East. From small-time gigs in the country side to the big city; from an outstandingly talented vocalist to a legend that shaped a culture lasting until today and many decades to come; and from a musician to an influential politician. This happens as Egypt exp..
in my young age i did not appreciate umm kulthum nor Arabic music in general, but as i grew older, the songs, words and especially the performance of umm kulthum opened my eyes to great works of art and Arabic music. Umm Kulthum transcended time, goverments, generation and geographical boundries. she captured the hearts and minds of people. she is a great example for all man kind of a women who cared about her family, people and country, and presented the best to them. This documentary captures all that, an..
