Farid Al Atrache

Farid al-Atrash, or in French spelling Farid El-Atrache, (Arabic: فريد الأطرش‎; October 19, 1910 – December 26, 1974) was a Syrian-Egyptian composer, singer, virtuoso oud player, and actor. Having immigrated to Egypt in childhood, Farid embarked on a highly successful career spanning more than four decades — recording 500 songs and starring in 31 movies. Sometimes referred to as 'King of the Oud', he is one of the most important figures of 20th Century Arab music. Farid was born in Suwayda, Syria to the Druze Atrash family who fought the French Colonial armies. His father was Syrian and mother Lebanese. As a child, Farid emigrated with his mother and siblings to Egypt, escaping the French occupation. Later, they were naturalized by the...