Remembering my grandfather: Omar Khalil reflects on Mohamed Abdelwahab's legacy before London tribute concert

On November 23, a major symphonic concert will pay tribute to the timeless songs of legendary Egyptian musician, singer and composer Mohamed Abdelwahab, dubbed the 'father of modern Arabic music,' at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London.

The revival concert, co-produced by the Saudi theatre producer Mona Khashoggi, will be led by conductor Nader Abbassi and soprano Fatma Said, accompanied by the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, comprised of 52 musicians, as well as five members of the London Arab Orchestra.   

One of the key organisers of the event is Barcelona-based music manager Omar Khalil, for whom the concert is a personal affair, as he is Abdelwahab's grandson.

"The idea is to make a dream that Abdelwahab had come true," Omar, who heads the Abdelwahab Estate, told The New Arab.

"He was a huge enthusiast and lover of classical music, and it can be seen and heard in the music that he composed from the 1930s until the last days of his life."

Born in Cairo in 1901, Abdelwahab was destined for greatness, becoming a pioneering figure in modern and classical Arabic music. He was active as a music man since the late 1920s, composing songs for the giants of Arabic music, from Umm Kulthum to Fairuz.

He famously introduced Western musical styles and instruments (such as the piano and electric guitar) to Arabic music through his travels.

"He completely revolutionised and modernised Arabic music. He pushed it further," Omar added. 

Paris, the capital of art and culture, particularly inspired him with his first visit there in 1927, and he would go on to visit it nearly every year for the rest of his life.  

"He was able to bring Western music back to Egypt and adapt it to Arabic music. People sometimes mistakenly think Abdelwahab westernised Arabic music, but that wasn’t the case. What he did was introduce styles that weren’t necessarily traditional Arabic and turn them into Arabic music,” continued Omar. 

"In the 1930s, for instance, he incorporated the exciting sounds of tango and rumba (a first in the repertoire of Arabic music) into his pieces Sahirtou and Jafnoho Alama El Ghazal, respectively."

Omar also described his grandfather as a "workaholic" who is believed to have composed more than 1,000 songs during his long and illustrious career. He was a "smart businessman and trendsetter," advising how Egyptian and Arab music labels should function.

"One of the things that surprised me about him was his work ethic," Omar shared. "He didn’t stop composing. He felt a sense of responsibility to create and did so until he died. He was someone who never stopped.”

Omar, who was only five years old when Abdelwahab passed away in 1991, said that he visited his grandfather for family lunches on Fridays, but what he clearly remembers was how “strict” he was.

"I remember being a little afraid of him," he said. "He did not like noise and chaos, and of course, children are exactly that. So, whenever he was surrounded by children, running around and screaming and knocking things over, it brought out his serious side, and of course, we always saw it. It was not in any way mean or aggressive, but we could feel that he did not like us to be too noisy or loud around him."

Abdelwahab was also a man who cared about his health to a great, even obsessive, extent, according to Omar. 

"People don’t know it, but Abdelwahab was someone who was a germaphobe and a hypochondriac. He was always very worried about his health and only ate boiled foods, proteins, and vegetables. But he actually loved to eat and was what you would call a gourmand, yet he had strong willpower that kept him from eating things that would have made him unhealthy. His number one priority was to be healthy so that he could keep creating."

Through the Abdelwahab Estate, Omar is attempting to revive the artist’s legacy through events, musical releases, and special projects, including a planned television biopic revolving around Abdelwahab’s life and career.

For the upcoming concert in London, Omar said that it will present "a different concept that shows how versatile Abdelwahab was and how much his music can be reimagined, reinterpreted without losing its incredible identity."

He also hopes that younger and Western audiences can appreciate Abdelwahab’s revered music. 

"It just has to be offered to them in a way that isn’t intimidating," Omar said. "We believe that any generation of music listeners can listen to Abdelwahab."

For more details about the Abdelwahab concert, click here.

Rawaa Talass is a freelance journalist focusing on art and culture emerging from the Middle East. Her work has been published in Art Dubai, Arab News, Al Arabiya English, Artsy, The Art Newspaper, Kayhan Life, Dubai Collection, and The National

Follow her on Instagram: @byrawaatalass