Karem Mahmoud
Encyclopedia
Karem Mahmoud (March 16, 1922 – January 15, 1995), also known as "the Melodious Knight", was a popular Egypt
ian singer and actor
, also popular in the Arab world.
Karem was born on March 16, 1922 in the city of Damanhur
, el-Buhayrah Governorate
, northern Egypt
, 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from Alexandria
.
As a child, Karem accompanied his elder brother Mohammed in singing religious verses, thereby developing his talent for singing Arabic poetry with precise pronunciation and phonetic discipline.
Even at elementary school, Karem's teachers noted his strong voice and by the time he was seven he had mastered the difficult songs of Sayed Darwish and Mohammed Abdel Wahab.
Despite his youth, Karem was admitted while still a child to the Institute of Arabic Music in Cairo
. Karem was tutored by some of the greats of Egyptian music, including Fouad Mahfouz, Darwish el-Hariri, Sheikh Badawi, composer Safar Ali, and oud
ist Hassan Gharib.
In graduating from the Institute, he achieved the highest grades ever, with an unprecedented distinction.
Karem Mahmoud went on to become a star both as a singer and as an actor.
Karem died on January 15, 1995, in the intensive care unit of Saint Mary's Hospital in London
. His last words were to his surgeon, prior to surgery: "Please guard my vocal cords throughout the surgery".
He was survived by his wife and two children.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian singer and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, also popular in the Arab world.
Karem was born on March 16, 1922 in the city of Damanhur
Damanhur
Damanhur is a city in Lower Egypt, and the capital of the Beheira Governorate. It is located northwest of Cairo, and E.S.E. of Alexandria, in the middle of the western Nile Delta....
, el-Buhayrah Governorate
Al Buhayrah Governorate
Beheira Governorate is a coastal governorate in Egypt. Located in the northern part of the country in the Nile Delta, its capital is Damanhur.-Overview:Beheira governorate enjoys an important strategical place, west of the Rosetta branch of the Nile...
, northern Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
.
As a child, Karem accompanied his elder brother Mohammed in singing religious verses, thereby developing his talent for singing Arabic poetry with precise pronunciation and phonetic discipline.
Even at elementary school, Karem's teachers noted his strong voice and by the time he was seven he had mastered the difficult songs of Sayed Darwish and Mohammed Abdel Wahab.
Despite his youth, Karem was admitted while still a child to the Institute of Arabic Music in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. Karem was tutored by some of the greats of Egyptian music, including Fouad Mahfouz, Darwish el-Hariri, Sheikh Badawi, composer Safar Ali, and oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
ist Hassan Gharib.
In graduating from the Institute, he achieved the highest grades ever, with an unprecedented distinction.
Karem Mahmoud went on to become a star both as a singer and as an actor.
Karem died on January 15, 1995, in the intensive care unit of Saint Mary's Hospital in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His last words were to his surgeon, prior to surgery: "Please guard my vocal cords throughout the surgery".
He was survived by his wife and two children.