Artist Mohammed Abdu shared significant moments from his life with his audience through the podcast "Big Time." He discussed the story of receiving a picture of his father 70 years after his passing, stating: "I never got to see my father; he died when I was only two years old. My father left and didn’t return, and we didn’t know about his death until eight months later. We lost his only picture from our home after it was burned, as it was forbidden to keep photographs during that era."
He continued: "Six months ago, a Yemeni man came to me and presented my father's picture. I was astonished. How could he have obtained it? It turned out his father had worked alongside my father at a shipping company long ago. He managed to return to the very company many years later and some workers there showed him a picture of my father along with another of his own. When he brought it to me, I remembered the picture that was in our home 70 years ago. I finally achieved my long-held wish to see him after decades, and fortunately, it was preserved in high quality, so it remained beautiful. I kept it."
As tears came to his eyes recounting his father, whom he had not seen in a picture until 70 years later, he spoke about parental affection. He also emphasized the importance of the beloved woman who ignited nostalgia in his heart, referring to her as the woman who inspired many of his famous songs. He noted that most of the songs he sang wouldn't have existed without her, expressing that he loved her even more than his mother.
However, social class differences dampened the joy in his heart when he dreamed of marrying her, as those disparities prevented their paths from converging. He described her as exceptionally beautiful and from a prestigious family, but class disparity kept him from attaining her love. He mentioned that the song he dedicated to her the most was "Al-Rasa'il" (The Messages) and "Ma Fi Da'i Min Hananak" (There's No Need for Your Affection), revealing that even after she married, he continued to sing to her with songs like "Ashufak Kulli Yawm Wa Aruh" (I See You Every Day and Leave), and he sang for her after her passing as well.
Mohammed Abdu spoke about the early experience of love in his life, and for the first time, he confessed to it, prompting a reaction from Assala, who commented "Oh God."
In another part of the podcast, Abdu shared behind-the-scenes insights from the music world, mentioning that some melodies he had created were taken from him. He said: "There is a well-known composer—whom he did not name—who was somewhat 'annoyed' with me because I relied heavily on myself in composition and singing. At the same time, he admired my melodies and sang some of them, but whenever my song succeeded, he attributed the melody to himself." He insisted that his artistic repertoire boasts over 2000 songs, denying that he ever claimed work that was not his own.
Abdu recounted the story of the song "Ya Markab Al-Hind Ya Budaqlan," saying it was presented in 1971 and gained notable popularity, with its melodies being shared from the Red Sea coasts to the Suez Canal and reaching Aden's shores. He added that the song was sung in every port in different styles.
About his performance endurance, he explained that there are original voices, exaggerated ones, or limited whispering voices. He emphasized that an original voice must possess human qualities that the audience can hear, such as raspiness and sweet notes, to showcase authenticity in his sound, which ultimately heightens emotional connection.
When discussing his late competitor Talal Maddah, he mentioned: "He is about 12 years older than me and was the dominant figure in the 50s and 60s, with no competitors at the time. He noted that he didn’t preoccupy himself with the late Talal Maddah as he mentioned competing with Abdul Majid Abdullah, as before him, the artist Abadi Al-Johar appeared, but no one could compete with me except the late Talal Maddah."
