The great artist Najah Salam, the singer of Arab nationalism, has passed away at the age of 92. Her daughter, Samar Salman Al-Ateefi, announced her mother's death via her Facebook page, saying: "And the journey has ended, oh Arab mother, in the embrace of God." Prayers will be held for her body the day after tomorrow following the Friday prayer at Al-Khashakji Mosque, and she will be buried in the new Islamic Awqaf cemetery in the Haraj area of Beirut. Condolences can be offered on Saturday, September 30, and Sunday, October 1, at the Radisson Blu hotel - Center Doun, on the first floor, from 3 PM to 7 PM.
**Beginning of the Journey**
The esteemed artist Najah Mohi Eddin Salam was born on March 13, 1931, in Beirut, Lebanon. She derived her artistic culture from her famous father, composer Mohi Eddin Salam, who put her on the path of authentic singing. She has one brother, journalist Abdurrahman Salam. Najah Salam married Lebanese director and actor Muhammad Salman, and the couple had two daughters, Samar and Reem. Her husband passed away in 1997. Najah's brother, journalist Abdurrahman seldi, died on January 9, 2020, after a decline in his health. Lebanese President Elias Al-Hrawi awarded Najah Salam the Medal of Merit at the rank of Knight in recognition of her national contributions.
In 1956, she and her husband Muhammad Salman founded a production company named "Samar Film," after their eldest daughter. Najah Salam is the granddaughter of the Lebanese Mufti of Tripoli, Abdurrahman Salam. After settling in Cairo and performing a large number of national songs for Egypt, she was granted Egyptian citizenship in 1974.
Najah Salam began singing in her childhood by participating in school concerts. In 1949, her artistic journey started in Egypt, where she recorded her first song "Hawl Ya Ghanam Hawl" with lyrics and music by Eli Al-Mathni, followed by "Ya Jarih Qalbi" by Sami Al-Saidawi. After her resounding success with these two songs, she received many offers to perform at major theaters in Damascus, Aleppo, Baghdad, and Ramallah. In 1950, she recorded her first radio song titled "Ala Masrahik Ya Dunya" with lyrics by Sami Al-Saidawi and music by Nicola Al-Matni. After that, she continued to release many successful and timeless songs, including "Mayal Ya Ghazil" by Sami Al-Saidawi and "Wadi Lu Salami Ya Tayr Al-Hamam" by the famous composer Filmoun Wahbi.
Najah Salam entered the world of cinema in 1952 with the Egyptian drama film "Ala Keefak," which featured prominent Egyptian artists such as Laila Fawzy, Tahia Carioca, and Mohsen Sarhan. The film was directed by Helmi Rafla and written by Abu Saud Al-Ibayari. The following year, she shone in a leading role alongside actor Ismail Yassine in the comic film "Al-Dunya Lama Tadhhak" and portrayed the character Najah Hafiz in the musical film "Ibn Dhawat," in which she performed several songs, including "Barhum Hakini" and "Al-Shabab Al-Asmar," both achieving great success.
In 1954, she collaborated again with Ismail Yassine and Karam Mahmoud in the musical film "Dastat Mnadil," directed by Abbas Kamel. The following year, she played the role of Ahlam, the wife of the main character Bahjat, in the comedic drama film "Al-Saad Wa'ad," directed and scripted by Muhammad Abdul Jawad. After the tripartite Aggression in 1956, she presented a song for Egypt titled "Ya Agla Ism Fi Al-Seed," which is considered one of her most famous national songs to date, with lyrics by Ismail Al-Habrouk and music by Muhammad Al-Moji.
Her next film was released in March 1957, titled "Al-Kamsariyat Al-Fatinat," in which she participated alongside a star-studded cast including Ismail Yassine, Ahmed Ramzi, and Raja Youssef. The film addressed the difficulties faced by girls entering the workforce in our Arab societies at that time.
In 1960, she participated in the historical film "Antar Yaghzu Al-Sahara," which depicted the famous story of Antar and Abla and was directed by Niazi Al-Mustafa. That same year, she appeared in the film "Fi Qalbiha Nar" alongside actor Issam Al-Shanawi and actress Nuzha Younes. During this time, Najah Salam's fame reached the Maghreb countries, and the Algerian people sang her songs against French occupation, the most notable being "Mahla Al-Ghina Ba'ad Al-Rasal Ma Atakalam" by poet Salah Jahin and composer Muhammad Al-Moji. As a result, she received an invitation from Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba to perform concerts in Tunisia.
In 1962, she played the role of the singer Hala in the musical film "Marhaban Ayyuha Al-Hubb," alongside Egyptian actress and dancer Samia Jamil and Lebanese actor Abdul Salam Al-Nabulsi. Najah later collaborated with the great artist Fahd Bulan in the musical comedy film "Ya Salam Ala Al-Hubb," which premiered in January 1963 in the United States. She also starred that year alongside Soad Hosny, Shukri Sarhan, and Kamal Al-Shanawi in the thrilling film "Sir Al-Hawiya," directed by Hossam Al-Din Mustafa.
In 1964, she was a guest of honor in the film "Ent Amri," starring Abdul Salam Al-Nabulsi and Jacqueline, directed by George Qaa'i. Her last film was released in 1969, where she appeared with Suhair Zaki and Faraj Al-Arabi in the film "Al-Shaytan," directed by Muhammad Salman and written by Ahmed Tharwat. In 1976, she participated with Fahd Bulan, Leila Hakim, and Elias Rizk in the Lebanese adventure series "Ana Antar," written by Said Al-Maghribi and directed by Elias Matta.
The esteemed artist Najah Salam did not stop delivering distinctive songs, participating in 1973 with artist Muhammad Jamal in the song "Souriya Ya Habibti," written and composed by her husband Muhammad Salman. She presented a large number of famous songs, including "Dakhil Aayunak Hakina," "Qalu Li Walifk Jai," "Ruqit Hasnak wa Jamalak," and many others. Her last album was titled "Zaman Al-Wafa," containing seven songs that achieved great success in Lebanon and the Arab world.
After more than fifty years of continuous artistic contribution, during which she presented more than three thousand songs, at the turn of the millennium, artist Najah Salam decided to stop performing romantic and sentimental songs, continuing only with the performance of Mawashahat and religious hymns. In 1995, Najah received the Oscar award from the Society for Honoring the Giants of Arab Art in the United States.
