LE CHEIKH IMAM CHANTE NEGM
الشيخ إمام, أحمد فؤاد نجم
LES YEUX DES MOTS
عيون الكلام
SHEIKH IMAM SINGS NAJM
THE EYES OF WORDS
Le Chant du Monde, 1976, LDX 74543
The series ''le nouveau chansonnier international'' was created to introduce French audiences to a range of politically committed singers, in keeping with the spirit of the founders of Le Chant du Monde. Among them Atahualpa Yupanqui, Joan Manuel Serrat or Jose Afonso. Some of these singers have had their work republished but not all as this record shows.
Sheikh Imam (real name : Imam Mohammed Ahmed Issa) has been one of the most powerful voices in the Arab world. Born in 1918 in Egypt he became blind at the age of one. There is lots of information about him in English.
The thing to remember is that he was a kind of moral and political conscience in the Arab world criticising Arab governments on their lack of help to the Palestinians or their submission to the American imperialism. This has landed him in prison more than once. He died in 1995.
All the lyrics are by Ahmed Fouad Najm (1929-2013) who spent eighteen years in jail also in Egypt for his attacks on Egyptian and other political leaders.
The first song of this album (when the sun drowns in a sea of mist) was used as a starter by Sheikh Imam for all his concerts from 1973 onwards.
The recordings were not made in studio but in public although the location is not mentionned.
The presentation text in in French only but the lyrics are also in Arabic.
Thanks so much Hervé for sharing this LP!! I really appreciate the work that a label such as Le Chant du Monde has made with Le Nouveau Chansonnier collection, there was also Moshe Naim label, lot of treasures by exiled artists from different nations. Have a nice week!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure Ulysses; yes Moshe Naïm published ''les uns par les autres'' series with Waskar Amaru among others; a nice week to you too
ReplyDelete