fredlag@noos.fr
19-05-2006, 12:24
Abduh al-Hamuli used to say that the greatest female voice was Almaz’s, and the greatest male voice was Muhammad Saalim’s. He was an old man when commercial recording started in the Orient, and his name is always followed by «el kebir» or «el-3aguz». He nevertheless recorded for Gramophone, Odeon, Baidaphone and Polyphon. The few informations mentioned by Qastandi Rizq and Fikri Butrus do not appear very reliable. Was he a mere servant who became a singer after listening to great vocalists ? Did he enjoy considerable success during a tour of Syria in 1900 ? Was he really born in 1840, or before ? Did he die in 1929 ?
His voice seems used and yet deeply moving, particularly in his ahat and layali. His vibrato is almost syrian-like, almost more Ottoman than Egyptian (the contrary of Manyalawi for instance).
In this clear rendition of the «pre-dor» or «archeo-dor» "Ya hliwa ya msallini", he relies heavily on the madhhabgeyya in the repeated madhhab, but manages alone in the aghsan, and listen to his surprising ahaat at 2:35, to his dying qaraar at 3:40, to his ornaments, to his very imaginative version. The short final layali are remarkable.
I have heard this dor many times by takht-like ensembles in Cairo in the last 15 years, who always managed to turn this piece into pure boredom, playing it repetetively and machine-like. But el-Aguz proves that a great singer can turn this mere ditty into a real work of art.
محمد سالم الكبير / دور بياتي : يا حليوة يا مسليني
dor / Ya hliwa ya msallini
Gramophone 7-212166/67
Recorded Cairo, date unknown (could be found with the matrix nb, but the catalogue nb is not sufficient). Appeared on the catalogue in 1921, which means nothing regarding date of recording.
His voice seems used and yet deeply moving, particularly in his ahat and layali. His vibrato is almost syrian-like, almost more Ottoman than Egyptian (the contrary of Manyalawi for instance).
In this clear rendition of the «pre-dor» or «archeo-dor» "Ya hliwa ya msallini", he relies heavily on the madhhabgeyya in the repeated madhhab, but manages alone in the aghsan, and listen to his surprising ahaat at 2:35, to his dying qaraar at 3:40, to his ornaments, to his very imaginative version. The short final layali are remarkable.
I have heard this dor many times by takht-like ensembles in Cairo in the last 15 years, who always managed to turn this piece into pure boredom, playing it repetetively and machine-like. But el-Aguz proves that a great singer can turn this mere ditty into a real work of art.
محمد سالم الكبير / دور بياتي : يا حليوة يا مسليني
dor / Ya hliwa ya msallini
Gramophone 7-212166/67
Recorded Cairo, date unknown (could be found with the matrix nb, but the catalogue nb is not sufficient). Appeared on the catalogue in 1921, which means nothing regarding date of recording.