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SHERIFA ZUHUR, Asmahan's Secrets: Woman, War, and Song, Middle East Monograph Series No. 13 (Austin: University of Texas, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, 2000). Pp. 257. $15.95 paper.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2002

MICHAEL FRISHKOPF
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Extract

The well-deserved success of Virginia Danielson's consummate monograph The Voice of Egypt within an English-language academic culture largely devoid of Arab musical biography has (unintentionally) resulted in the overestimation of Umm Kulthum's centrality in the Arab world within that academic culture. Although Umm Kulthum's mythical reputation has continued to grow since her death in 1975, her legend today is larger than her sound space. Likewise, Umm Kulthum faced stiff competition during her lifetime, particularly in the earlier portion of her career, when her legend loomed less large. Of her competitors none was more formidable than the brilliant and beautiful Druze Princess Amal al-Atrash (1917?–44), better known as Asmahan.

Type
Book Review
Information
International Journal of Middle East Studies , Volume 34 , Issue 4 , November 2002 , pp. 777 - 779
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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