Egyptian artists contribute in 6 Arab national anthems

CAIRO –9 June 2017: Number of Egyptian composers and singers participated in composing many Arab countries’ National anthems like Palestine, Libya, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, Algeria and Iraq.

The Emirati National anthem was written by the poet Adel El Sheikh and composed by the Egyptian singer and composer Saad Abdelwahab. The Tunisian National Anthem titled ‘’Homat el-Homa’’ (The homeland protectors) was written by the Egyptian poet Mostafa Sadek el-Rafei and composed by Ahmed Khair Eldin.

Homat El Homa was the official Tunisian National anthem after the ousted of the ex-Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba. It was expected that the great late Egyptian singer and composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab to re-distribute the Tunisian National Anthem but this did not happen, but they added two verses written by the famous Tunisian poet Aboul- Qacem Echebbi.

The well-known Egyptian singer and composer Mohamed Fawzy granted the Tune of the Algerian National Anthem to the Algerian nation in 1963. The Algerian National anthem was written by the poet Mofdy Zakaria.

Since the founding of modern Iraq in 1921 and with every major change in the regime, the Iraqi national anthem was in turn subject to change.

After the coup against Abd al- Karim Qasim and the rise of the Ba’ath Party to power on February 8, 1963, a new national anthem was released. ‘’ Wala Zaman Ya Selahy (It is the time of my weapon) was the name of the National anthem composed by the Egyptian composer Kamal al-Tawil and written by the Egyptian genuine poet Salah Jahin. Wala Zaman ya Selahy song was performed by the legendary late singer Umm Kulthum in 1956, and was adopted as a National anthem of the Egyptian Arab Republic for the period from 1960 to 1979. In 1963 it was the Iraqi National anthem.

In Palestine, the song of Fedai (Fedai is the one who sacrifices his life for the sake of his country) was adopted as the Palestinian National anthem in 1972. Fedai song was written by the Palestinian poet Said Al-Muzain and composed by the Egyptian musician Ali Ismail in 1965. Mohamed Abdel Wahab composed the Libyan National anthem.