Fathy Salama

Music

Fathy Salama was born by the Nile, when he was a child he swam there with his friends. He grew up listening to the family radio, which played the music of Oum Kalthoum, Abdelwahab and Farid el Attrash.
Later, when he could tune the radio, he reached beyond the banks of the Nile to Jazz and to a huge variety of world traditional music.

Learning the piano from the age of six was a good beginning and was followed by gigging in Cairo clubs from the age of thirteen. Soon the kid of Shobra, Harlem of Cairo, made it to Europe and to NewYork to learn Jazz with such great artists as Sun Râ or Ossman Kareem.

Progressing to creating many hits in Cairo during 80's, touring the world, and winning two prizes for his film sound tracks, it is with Sharkiat (is own group) that Fathy is making his dreams come true of merging modern and traditional music together, thus expressing both a message from his home country and his love of music. His music reflects his experience from the Orient and from Europe. His "success" on the music market plays a secondary role ; first and foremost he wants to be understood, and so he works tirelessly on this bridge linking traditional and modern music from the Orient.

Today the adventure takes him towards new journeys, allows him to rub itself to other audiance, other musicians. Fathy kept his passion for the discoveries. With a big smile under his beard, Fathy dashes into the electronic adventure with Kouchari... and sacred music with "Allah" latest Youssou N'Dour album (Grammy Award : Best Contemporary World Music Album).

Source: Fathy Salama's website

Contact information

  • Fathy Salama