In a family car roaring down a European highway, an Egyptian couple inserts a USB drive into a black adaptor that screams 2010. In the backseat, two teenagers sit, each looking out of their own window. A scratchy sound emanates from the car’s speakers, a few preparatory strokes on a oud, and the deep voice of a man clearing his throat. This was how my brother and I were first introduced to El-Sheikh Emam. A musician, revolutionary artist, and Egyptian icon, Emam Eissa – known far more commonly as El-Sheikh Emam – holds a special place in my family’s collective heart. From intimate, live musical performances at my grandparents’ Maadi home in the 1970s, to sentimental listening sessions at my aunt’s West London apartment with my 24-year-old cousin in 2019, Emam has been a constant in my family for far longer than I have even been alive. From al-Kuttab to University Halls Born in 1918, Emam’s circumstances were as humble as could be. Egyptian researcher, writer, and friend of Emam’s during his lifetime, Kamal Mougheeth, tells Egyptian Streets that Emam suffered an eye infection at a young age, and much…
El-Sheikh Emam: The Story of a Rebel, as Told Through My Family’s Love for his Songs
August 29, 2022
