Abdo al-Hamooli- عبدو الحمولي

Abdo El Hamouli

Abdo El Hamouli was an Egyptian singer and innovator in Arabic music, and the most prominent name in the world of singing in the 19th century, whose influence extended to the singers of the 20th century. He was born in 1836 and died on May 12, 1901. His name is associated with the singer Almaz, whom he married, and together they formed a successful duo that gained widespread fame.
The Beginning
He was born in the city of Tanta, in the town of Hamoul, hence his nickname El Hamouli. He worked in the coffee trade. He had an older brother who one day had a disagreement with their father, so he took his younger brother and fled at dawn. They spent the day walking until they found someone to take them in at sunset. The host, whose name was Sha’ban, played the qanun and sang, and he quickly noticed the child’s interest in this art and his occasional participation in singing. He began to train and teach him, then brought him to Cairo and worked with him in Osman Agha’s café, which was located where Al-Azbakeya Garden is now.
He coincidentally met Shaker Effendi Al-Halabi, one of the masters of musical forms and muwashahat (Andalusian songs), and received training in the fundamentals of singing from him. He achieved widespread fame in the world of singing and formed his own musical ensemble. Mohamed Osman and Sheikh Mohamed Abdel Rahim Al-Masloub were responsible for composing his songs.
When Khedive Ismail heard him, he was impressed and included him in his entourage, taking him to Istanbul. This gave him the opportunity to listen to Turkish music, and he was able to present melodies that combined Egyptian and Turkish styles while retaining an Eastern character. His Artistic Life
He used musical scales that were not common in Egypt, such as Hijaz Kar, Nahawand, Kurd, and Ajam. He was known for his refined choice of lyrics, and unlike the singers of his time, he collaborated with prominent statesmen who wrote poetry, such as Mahmoud Sami al-Baroudi, Ismail Sabri Pasha, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Qara’a, the Grand Mufti of Egypt at the time, and Aisha al-Taymouriya. He also commissioned some poets and intellectuals to translate a collection of Turkish songs into Arabic, and he was one of the first to compose music for traditional poems such as “I See You Resisting Tears” by Abu Firas al-Hamdani.
Although his musical legacy belongs to the 19th century, his influence was strong on all the singers of the first two decades of the 20th century, such as Saleh Abdel Hay, Youssef El Menilawy, Abdel Hay Helmy, and Salama Hegazy.
He sang with Abu Khalil al-Qabbani’s theatrical troupe and married the singer Sukaina, known as “Almaz”.
Some of his most famous songs:
• May God Protect the State of Your Beauty
• Love Has Tormented Me
• Enjoy Your Life with Loved Ones
• You Are Unique in Beauty
• Where Were You and Where Was Love?
After His Death
In Cinema and Television
In the 1960s, Egyptian cinema produced a film titled “Almaz and Abdo El Hamouly,” starring the singer Adel Mamoun as Abdo El Hamouly and the singer Warda Al-Jazairia as Almaz. However, the film neglected the artistic works and did not pay much attention to them, instead assigning the two protagonists to perform new melodies, which deprived the content of much of its heritage value. A television series was also produced that dealt with the couple’s story, titled “Bab Al-Halawani” (TV series). The roles were played by Sherine Wagdy and Ali El Hagar. In music,
Abdo El-Hamouli’s melodies and songs reappeared about seventy years after his death through the Arab Music Ensemble, which was founded in Cairo by Abdel Halim Noueira in 1967. These melodies were recorded on records again and were met with great acceptance.