Nearly a century after his untimely death, the voice of Sayed Darwish still reverberates across Egypt in the verses of the national anthem he composed, Belady, Belady (My Homeland, My Homeland, 1923), as well as the countless songs that helped define a modern Egyptian identity. This year, the country chose to honor him by dedicating an annual national day to Egyptian music on 15 September. Egyptian Music Day, inaugurated by the Ministry of Culture and proposed by the National Centre for Theatre, Music, and Folk Arts. Founded in 1980, the centre preserves Egypt’s artistic legacy through archiving, documentation, and research. Darwish, also known as “Fannan Al-Shaab”, meaning the people’s artist, was born in Alexandria in 1892 and died on 15 September 1923 at only 31. He was widely hailed as the father of modern Egyptian music. His genius was evident in his ability to bridge worlds and merge classical Arab musical traditions with the popular melodies of the street and stage. By doing so, he created a sound that was at once deeply rooted and boldly new, laying the groundwork for generations of composers and performers who followed. The event…
Egypt Launches Its First National Music Day in Honor of Sayed Darwish
September 16, 2025
By Nadine Tag
Journalist
