DUBAI: Google has come out with a doodle to celebrate the 110th birthday of Arab performer Farid Al-Atrash, the so-called King of Oud.
Al-Atrash, considered one of the Arab music worlds’ greatest performers during his time, was a composer, singer, instrumentalist, actor and film producer, and who released more than 220 original songs and acted in 31 musical films.
He earned his nickname after demonstrating an extraordinary prowess in playing the Middle Eastern string instrument, the oud, and his songs are seen as classics of modern Arab music.
Al-Atrash was born on this day in 1910 to a Syrian father and Lebanese mother in the city of Suwayda, Syria, an area is known to be predominantly of Druze religion. He emigrated to Egypt with his mother and siblings to escape the French occupation in Syria, as their family played a big role in the Syrian resistance movement. They later received the Egyptian citizenship.
His mother was a professional singer and musician, which inspired him to purse an education in music. By the time Al-Atrash was in his early 30s, he was already regularly performing on Egyptian radio.
The virtuoso rose to fame after starring in the 1941 film called “Intisar Al-Shabab,” translated to the Triumph of Youth, with his sister Asmahan.
