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Umm Kulthum (1898-1975) was a singer, songwriter, and actress from Tamay Ez-Zahayra, Egypt. She began performing with her family ensemble at the age of 12. During this time, she had to dress as a boy to stop her father from facing backlash for having a girl performing with them. At the age of 16, she began studying under Mohamed Abo Al-Ela and was eventually noticed by the famous composer Zakariyya Ahmad, who introduced her into the Cairo music scene. She became one of the most famous Egyptian singers of all time, selling more than 80 million records worldwide.
A documentary film production of the Filmmakers Collaborative; produced, directed, and written by Michal Goldman.
Based on "The Voice of Egypt" written by Virginia Danielson (1997); narrated by Omar Sharif.
Titles and performers (in addition to Umm Kulthum) of the 21 songs excerpted in the film are listed in the end credits.