Karem Mahmoud

Karem Mahmoud ( ar, كارم محمود) (March 16, 1922 – January 15, 1995), also known as "''the Melodious Knight''", was a popular Egyptian singer and actor. He was also popular in the Arab world. Karem was born on March 16, 1922 in the city of Damanhur, el-Buhayrah Governorate, northern

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

, from

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandr ...

. As a child, Karem accompanied his elder brother Mohammed in singing religious verses, thereby developing his talent for singing

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walte ...

poetry with precise pronunciation and phonetic discipline. Even at elementary school, Karem's teachers noted his strong voice and by the time he was seven he had mastered the difficult songs of Sayed Darwish and Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Despite his youth, Karem was admitted while still a child to the Institute of Arabic Music in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo met ...

. Karem was tutored by some of the greats of Egyptian music, including Fouad Mahfouz, Darwish el-Hariri, Sheikh Badawi, composer Safar Ali, and oudist Hassan Gharib. In graduating from the Institute, he achieved the highest grades ever, with an unprecedented distinction. Karem Mahmoud went on to become a star both as a singer and as an actor. Karem died on January 15, 1995, in the intensive care unit of Saint Mary's Hospital in London. His last words were to his surgeon, prior to surgery: "''Please guard my vocal cords throughout the surgery''". He was survived by his wife and two children. 1922 births 1995 deaths 20th-century Egyptian male singers Egyptian male film actors People from Damanhur 20th-century Egyptian male actors {{Egypt-actor-stub