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Umm Kalthoum and Christopher Reeve: The Duality of Resurrecting Stars

June 24, 2023
Photo Credits: The Launch of Umm Kalthoum Hologram At Ula / KSA via New Dimensions Productions, Christopher Reeve in ‘Superman III’ (1983) from Warner Bros via IMDB

There always comes a time when an artist gives their final performance. Whether it is their last concert, their last movie, or their last show, the end comes for everyone. Or, at least, it used to. In 1975, legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kalthoum passed away after a 60-year career in music. However, since 2019, technology has brought her back to stages all over the world. Using a hologram and Egyptian actress Sabreen – who once portrayed the iconic singer in a television series – as a body double, the Star of the East, as she was fondly nicknamed, posthumously returned to the stage for the first time at the Winter at Tantora festival in Saudi Arabia. Ever since, the beloved singer’s hologram has made a few appearances in different countries. In 2019, she was projected for a concert at the Dubai Opera House. During a celebration of her life in 2020, a show was also held at the Cairo Opera House for over a thousand Egyptians, many of whom had never had the opportunity to see Umm Kalthoum on stage. Most recently, an even longer concert was held in Jordan…


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