Baligh Hamdi, Time Defying Melodies

Baligh Hamdi (بليغ حمدي) (Oct 7, 1932 - Sept 17, 1993) was an Egyptian composer who created hit songs for many prominent Arabic singers, during the 1960s and 1970s especially. Chances are if you like a song in the 70s or form the 70s, then Baligh has put his touches on it to make it better. A lawyer by training, a composer by career.

Baligh Hamdi frequently said that he drew upon musical ideas and aesthetics in Egyptian folk melodies and rhythms in composing his songs just like the house of the Rahbanis in Lebanon, taking the village music and make it it urban. He also drew on ideas that were floating around in the contemporary music of his time. His sound has a classical flavor due to the heavy use of the string orchestra, back when they used to keep it real and when the computer did not ruin it for everyone.

But that's not to say that he also made some use of electronic keyboards and guitars in harmony with the strings, or alternating with the strings, in many songs. He was a product of his time.

His best work is published as recordings under the name of the singer. The singers include Oum Kalthoum, Abdel Halim Hafez, Shadia, Layla Murad, Fayza Ahmed, Aziza Jalal, Warda (he was married to Warda for about a decade), Sabah (Sabah married seven times, and he was one of her husbands), Mayada Al-Henawy, and other singers of the golden age of Arabic music. Back then he was the young gun and the next big thing, many chased him to get his music.

When he was not composing love and romance songs, Baligh Hamdi has another love. Making him one of the most frequent composer for songs for Egypt and his love to it ,even he sang some of it personally (Uday El Nahar / El Bondokia Atkelmt / Law Aadit / Abarna El Hazimah / Fedai / Besm El Lah / Ya Habibty Ya Masr / Ash Elly Kal ). He was one of the last great composers of Arabic music who introduce fresh, original and exciting melodies.


بليغ حمدي يغني " أول و آخر حبيب "