These days mark the 47th anniversary of the passing of Abdel Halim Hafez (Getty)

After the popular success of his last film, “My Father is on the Tree” - which was shown at the end of the sixties of the last century - Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez sought to engage in his first radio dramatic experience in Ramadan in 1973 through the series “Please Don’t Understand Me Quickly” by the journalist writer Mahmoud Awad and the director. Muhammad Alwan.

In his radio series, Halim brought together a number of big stars to ensure its success. The most prominent of them was the star Naglaa Fathi and his friend, the comedian Adel Imam, who was at the height of his fame at the time after the success of his famous play “School of the Rioters,” as well as the star Imad Hamdy, Magda Al Khatib, Samir Sabry, Ahmed Marei, and Ashraf Abdel. Al-Ghafoor, and others.

But the winds did not come as the nightingale ships desired. The series - which was broadcast on Middle East Radio - did not achieve the desired public success because it stopped after the outbreak of the October 1973 war, 10 days after the start of the holy month of Ramadan, so those in charge of the work were forced to postpone it until the summer of the year. The next episode was due to the fact that Egyptians and Arabs devoted themselves to following news of the war, but the episodes continued to be recorded because they were broadcast on other Arab radio stations.

The events of "Please Don't Understand Me Too Quickly" revolve around an influential woman who loves the hero, a university student, and tries to harm his friend and lover, forcing her to leave work. Thus, the hero is also forced to leave his home and university and flee to Alexandria. The story deals with the intense conflict between influence and money, the obstacles facing young people, and emotional problems.

The secrets and motives of the series

The late artist Samir Sabry says in his book “Tales of a Whole Lifetime” that Halim presented this radio experience in the context of permanent competition with Umm Kulthum and after she announced the recording of her memoirs with the journalist Wajdi Al-Hakim, indicating that Halim contacted the radio director Muhammad Alwan and asked him to present a radio series in Ramadan, written by Mahmoud Awad.

Samir Sabry describes Nightingale by saying that he "was an institution, a school of intelligence and love for art. From him, I learned precision and mastery in work."

Writer Mahmoud Awad spoke about the series in an article, saying that writing for Abdel Halim was a major responsibility, and over the course of days Abdel Halim began repeatedly calling me from Cairo several times every day after he took me to the Al-Ajami area and left me there until the story was completed. We talked and gossiped every time. About anything but the story project.

When Abdel Halim's car returned me to Cairo after completing the story, Magdy Al Amrousi, his partner and Mohamed Abdel Wahab's partner in the Sawt Al Fan company, was waiting for me with him.

Halim was scheduled to turn the series into a film, but the circumstances of his illness prevented that.

Series songs

The series included a song featuring Halim and Adel Imam, entitled “Student Review,” written by Muhammad Hamza and composed by Mounir Murad. It expressed the different aspirations of these students who had just graduated from the university to begin facing reality and dreaming of changing it.

Halim presented other songs written by Mohamed Hamza and composed by Baligh Hamdi, which are “With a Dream of a Day,” “Mashi Al-Tariq,” and “Who Am I,” composed by Mohamed Al-Moji.

These days mark the 47th anniversary of the passing of Abdel Halim Hafez, who died in a London hospital on March 30, 1977 after a long struggle with illness.

Source: Egyptian press