Loading ...Remembering Qasabgi: Master of Masters
Akram Rayess
Ahram Online
As the Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers of the Arabic Republic of Egypt (SACERAU) celebrates 70 years since its establishment this week, Ahram Online commemorates some of the 16 music and poetry pillars to be honoured by SACERAU on Monday 21 December.
We start with El-Qasabgi, the Master of Masters.
Mohamed El-Qasabgi (1892-1966), born on 15 April in the Abdeen district in Cairo, was greatly influenced by his father who was a Munshid (Sufi Chanter) reciter of Quran and an independent music composer/teacher who played oud. He learned the music metre and how to play oud before his father sent him to Al-Azhar to study science, logic, fiqh, the Arabic language and Quran chanting (Tajweed).
After completing his Al-Azhar studies, he joined the Higher Institute of Teachers to be an educator in 1914. However, his passion for music prevailed and he quit teaching to focus on music composition, starting off as a musician with the Al-Aqadd Takht music troupe. The Akkad Takht boasted music stars of the time such as Sheikh Youssef El-Manyalawi and Sheikh Abu El-Eila Mohammed, who sang to the tunes of famous music composers such as Abdou Al-Hamouli, Ibrahim El-Qabani and Dawood Hosney. However, Qasabgi’s first song was recorded by Bidafoun records and was titled Malish Malik fi el Qalb Gheirak (There is no one in my heart but you), and the enchanting musical journey begins.
His style
El-Qasabgi started a unique school of music composition, singing and oud playing. He managed to create a balanced canvas that had the authenticity of oriental music side by side with Western music techniques in the first quarter of the 20th century. Hence, he was a pioneer who sailed oriental music into a new horizon. He always paid attention to the music composition that is balanced and not open to improvisation, for he aimed to renovate, which he did.
In all the songs he composed, there was always an instrumental introduction that had acquired a new role in paving the way towards the emotions and meaning conveyed by the lyrics, thus becoming by itself an expressive vehicle.
The Master of Masters
He composed numerous music pieces as well as taught some music icons of the time such as Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, Riad El-Sonbati, Om Kalthoum, Asmahan, and Farid El-Atrash, to name a few. He was also a great professor of oriental music and the oud instrument at the Arabic Music Institute. Abdel-Wahab admits that Qasabgi was a pioneer in mastering the usage of harmony and polyphonic in a scientifically proper technique.
Even El-Sonbati was influenced by Qasabgi’s style in composing his first songs. Moreover, Qasabgi’s influence knew no borders, with his impact reaching artists in other Arab countries such as Zaki Nasif and Tawfik Basha in Lebanon. According to Victor Sahab’s book The Great Seven, “The fact that a music institute in Istanbul is named after Qasabgi is an admitting of his great impact on music.”
His work
Qasabgi is considered among the pioneers in the realm of music composition, where he has worked with music divas such as Monira El-Mahdeia, Fathia Ahmed, Om Kalthoum, Asmahan, Saleh Abdel Hai, Soaad Mohamed, Nazik, Laila Murad and Shahrazad.
He composed some 360 music pieces, as stated by Mahmoud Kamel in his book titled Mohamed El-Qasabgi Biography and Music, published by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture in 1971. However, his music was more famous than he himself was; a rather unusual status that some relate to the fact that he never sang his own songs, unlike his peers Said Darwish and Zakaria Ahmed.
However, his songs are classic Arabic music gems. Who can forget songs such as Emta hateeraf emta (When will you know, when?) by Asmahan, or Ya Sabah El-Kheir (Good morning) by Om Kalthoum, and Ana Albi Dalili (My heart is my guide) by Laila Murad in 1948, a song that composer Mohamed Fawzi said will live to the year 2000, and rightly so.
During his life time, El-Qasabgi recorded several songs with the Bidafon record company and some 35 soundtrack and songs from five plays: El-Mazloma (The innocent, 1926), Haram El-Mofatesh (The wife of the inspector, 1926), Hayat El-Nofous (Precious life, 1928), Kid El-Nisaa (Women’s cunningness, 1928), and Negmet El Sobh (The Morning Star, 1929). Moreover, he composed 91 songs for 38 films between the years 1932 and 1957.
As for his works with the star of the orient, Om Kalthoum, he composed over 70 songs, with lyrics mainly written by Ahmed Rami, the leader of romantic songs.
The first of these was Al Eih Helf Maykalemnish (He swore he won’t speak to me, 1924), and that was right after he listened to one of Om Kalthoum’s concerts in Babkot Bask Teatro. Since then, they worked together for two decades in which he created some of his best tunes. Unfortunately, their collaboration came to an abrupt end after he composed music for her film Fatma in 1948. Since then, he decided to manage her music troupe, gradually becoming one of the musicians in the group until he passed away.
As a tribute to such a great figure, Om Kalthoum always set an empty seat on stage in his honour.
Source: english.ahram.org.eg