Hikayet Hob, Original Soundtrack [IMPORT] [SOUNDTRACK] [IMPORT]

Abdel Halim Hafez

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 15, 1998)
• Original Release Date: July 15, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack, Import
• Label: EMI Arabia
• ASIN: B00004LMOZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,050,952 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist
Abdel Halim Hafez was born in 1929 in the village of Al-Hilwat in the Province of Al-Sharkia. His mother died during his delivery, and his father died five years after. He had a difficult childhood and early adulthood.

His work includes sixteen feature films, the first being "Lahn al-afa" and the last "Abi foq al Shargara" He starred in the first Egyptian color Cinema Scope picture "Delilah". He made seventeen films and produced seven programs for television. There were ninety-three songs for the films as well as fifty filmed songs. He took part in several broadcasts and radio serials. He left a legacy of over 260 songs. Towards the end of his career he entered into contracts for five films but was unable to release any of them due to his failing health. His teaming with Baligh Hamdi produced many lengthy and vibrant songs whose music is used in belly dance performances worldwide. Many of these later songs were written by the famous poet Nizar Qabbani.

Abdel Halim died at the age of 48 in 1977, having dedicated half his life to the songs that were to remain in the hearts of his fans forever. He was one of the most famous performing artists of this era. He sang always with an honesty of style and with manifest through feelings. Now over 20 years after his death, we are able to perceive that his popularity remains undiminished through every Arab country and in the hearts of all Arabs and lovers of Arabic

Product Description
An original soundtrack from the Movie Clollection Series published by EMI, including a booklet with text in both Arabic and English. Adbel Halim stars with the famous Egyptian actress Maryam Fakhreddine. A total of 5 songs, 42 minutes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful singing, not-so-wonderful CD quality, November 2, 2000

By	Wendy Steward (Columbia, MD United States) - See all my reviews

Anyone who's heard Abdel Halim Hafez knows his voice and skillful musical interpretion are faultless. He will always "own" every song he sang.

I was very excited about having this CD of classics from his movie "Hikayat Hob," since I long ago wore out an Egyptian "Randaphone" cassette of these songs purchased at a street kiosk in Cairo. I rushed to play the CD when it arrived, hoping to relax and enjoy Abdul Halim's wonderful singing (and all the memories of Egypt it brings back) without the distractions of poor recording quality.

When I couldn't get the first track to play (having just removed it from the factory wrapping), I knew all was not well. Sure enough, I had to sit by my CD player for the length of the CD, coaxing it past skips and repeats and bizarre spurts of speed. Not the experience I hoped for!

Luckily, the best track (#4: Fi Yom Fi Shar Fi Sana) was mostly fault-free on my particular copy. I don't dare return the CD and ask for another, so long as I have a good version of that track.

So, 'caveat emptor' about the quality - even if you're buying it as a gift for someone, unwrap it and test it out first.

That said, three cheers to EMI for bringing us this music! What better way to honor Abdel Halim Hafez than to bring us these recordings from when he was still young, and a generation grew up adoring him.

EMI: if you reissue this, perhaps you could use more stringent quality control standards in the factory? Also, a summary of the plot of the movie from which this soundtrack derived might help those who never saw the movie (to their great loss). It would set the songs in context.