Renowned Egyptian Shaabi lyricist Amal El-Taer dies at 66 - Music - Arts & Culture
Renowned Egyptian Shaabi poet and lyricist Amal El-Taer passed away in the early morning hours of Tuesday following a long battle with illness.
El-Taer, born in 1959 in the bustling working-class district of Shubra, Cairo, was deeply inspired by his environment. His surroundings and lyrical talent helped him write hundreds of songs, each reflecting different facets of society and life. His prowess and the sheer volume of songs he wrote earned him the title Sha'er al-Alf Ughniyya (Poet of a Thousand Songs).
He wrote many popular Shaabi songs for famed artists, including Hakim, Tarek El-Sheikh and Abdelbaset Hamouda.
Hamdy Batchan's Kalemny Fahemny (1988) is one of the hits that kickstarted his career and put him on the local music industry map.
His work includes Angham's Sadeket El-Tefolah (1990), Hany Shaker's Shawer (1991), as well as Tarek El-Sheikh's Habibi Ya (1993), Alby Dak (1995), Wafar Demooak (1997), and Kalam W Bas (2000). Additionally, El-Taer wrote Ya Saqeny El-Mor and Eshhad Aleihom Ya Zaman for renowned singer Muharram Fouad.
In 1992, El-Taer started collaborating with Hakim. He penned several songs for Hakim's Nazra album, including the title composition, Ya Helw La, Mawal El-Zaman, El-Wad Da Helw, and El-Boad La. The hit album paved the way for another collaboration between the two legends. El-Taer went on to write most of Hakim's following album, Nar (1994), including Nar, El-Hak Aleih, Mawal El-Sabr, Habibi Law, Khod Ya Helw, and Honna.
He continued writing for Hakim until the early 2000s. He contributed to the 1997 album Efred and wrote hits such as Eh Ely Beyehsal Dah and El-Salamou Aleikom, among others.
El-Taer penned some of Abdelbaset Hamouda's most renowned songs, including Donia Agiba (1985), Hamouda Edeny Albak (2002), and Ana Msh Arefny (2014).
Artists across the industry, including Samo Zain, Khaled Aggag, Magdy Talaat, and Hanan, appreciated El-Taer's lyrical genius and performed his songs.
In an ON TV interview last July, El-Taer discussed his five-year-long battle with illness, which finally claimed his life.
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