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Om kalthoum كوكب الشرق ام كلثوم
May 4, 1904 – February 3, 1975
was born in a small rural village to a poor family. Her background typified that of the mashayikh and did not differ substantially
from that of many of her contemporaries. Her father, al-Shaykh Ibrahim al-Sayyid al-Baltaji (d. 1932), was the imam of the
most reliable suggestion is May 4, 1904, given on a page from the Daqahliyah provincial birth records for Tammay
al-Zahayrah
Her father augmented his meager income from the mosque by singing religious songs for weddings and other celebrations
in his own and neighboring villages. Upon meeting him in 1917, Zakariya Ahmad remarked that he was "an extremely devout
and pious man"
When Om Kalthoum was 12 years old, her father disguised her as a young boy and entered her in a small performing troupe
that he directed. At the age of 16 she was noticed by Abol Ela Mohamed, a modestly famous singer, and by the famous oudist
Zakariyya Ahmad, who invited her to come to Cairo.
A number of people encouraged Om Kalthoum and her father to consider going to Cairo to further her career in the center of
the entertainment business. Her family was reluctant to do this, saying they did not know the city and had no close relatives
nor any assurance of work there. The subject of Cairo remained under discussion for several years.
She waited until 1923 before accepting the invitation. She was invited on several occasions to the house of Amin Beh Al
Mahdy, who taught her how to play the oud. She developed a very close relationship to Rawyeha Al Mahdi, daughter of Amin,
and became her closest friend. Kulthum even attended Rawheya's daughter's wedding, although she has always tried to
avoid public appearances.
