Egyptian singer Najat Al-Saghira (social networking sites)

The "Joy Award" festival, hosted by the Saudi capital, Riyadh, yesterday, Saturday, witnessed the surprise appearance of Egyptian singer Najat Al-Saghira after an absence that extended for many years, as she was honored with a lifetime achievement award.

During the appearance of the artist, nicknamed “The Guitar of Art,” she performed the song “Eyes of the Heart” in the “playback” system, and it seemed clear that she was unable to deliver a speech to the audience, nor was she able to carry the honorary shield.

Najat, born in 1938, is considered one of the stars of the golden era of singing.

During a journey that extended from the late 1940s until the beginning of the new millennium, the Arab artistic library was enriched with songs in which it cooperated with major poets and composers, most notably Nizar Qabbani, Mamoun Al-Shennawi, Abdel-Rahman Al-Abnoudi, Kamal Al-Taweel, Muhammad Abdel-Wahab, Baligh Hamdi, Mahmoud Al-Sharif, and Sayed Makkawi.

The first appearance of the half-sister of the late artist Souad Hosni on screen came in the movie “Hadiya” in the year 1947, when she was not yet ten years old at the time.

After that, she began to memorize Umm Kulthum’s songs, which were distinguished by her performance in some public concerts, which drew attention to her. Generational musician Muhammad Abdel Wahhab also adopted them, and called her “The Loud Silent One.” Among her most famous songs are “Don’t Lie,” “Sakin Qasadi,” and “Sakin Qasadi.” The eyes of the heart".

In addition to singing, Najat Al-Saghira participated in acting in several cinematic films, the most famous of which are “Black Candles,” “My Dear Daughter,” and “Fun Beach.” Her last appearance on screen was as an actress in “The Tears Dried” in the mid-seventies of the last century. After that, she moved away from acting and confined herself to singing.

During her artistic career, Najat received honor from several Arab leaders.

She received a medal from the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser and another from the late Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, and in the mid-eighties, King Hussein of Jordan presented her with the Medal of Independence, First Class.

With the beginning of the millennium and her advancing age, Najat Al-Saghira disappeared from the artistic scene without announcing her retirement, but she remained present with her voice at separate intervals with new songs.

In 2015, she performed a patriotic song written by the late poet Abdel Rahman Al-Abnoudi, “My Country, My Country.”

In 2017, Mazzika released a new song by Najat entitled “Kul Kalam”, written by Abdul Rahman Al-Abnoudi and arranged by Yahya Al-Muji, and the song was filmed by director Hani Lashin.

The last appearance of Najat, who was considered the most prominent female voice in the fifties and sixties of the last century, was through a photo taken of her in 2020, sitting alone next to the building in which she lives, known as the “Sharbatly Building,” after the decision to evacuate the building as a result of the cracks, and the former head of the Musicians Syndicate, Hani Shaker, stated at the time That she moved to live with her son until the building was completed, and reassured the public of her health.

Source: Al Jazeera