When the bloodless Egyptian Revolution happened in 1952, Umm Kulthum commissioned the poet Ahmad Rami to write an appropriate national song, which was titled “Egypt, Which Is in My Mind and My Blood.” Umm Kulthum was a strong supporter of Arab Nationalism and her relationship with President Gamal Abdel Nasser proved to be mutually beneficial. Nasser’s speeches were frequently broadcast right after Umm Kulthum’s concerts, taking advantage of a large audience already listening. These monthly concerts cleared the streets across the Arab world as people hurried to tune in their radios.
Two Egyptian national icons.
In 1967, Umm Kulthum embarked on a grand tour across the Arab World to bolster Egypt’s image in the wake of its defeat in the Six-Day War. She served as the president of the Musicians’ Union, as a committee member on the government division of the arts, and as an Egyptian delegate to other Arab countries.
On all her trips, Umm Kulthum was treated like a stateswoman (Danielson, 186). She received a diplomatic passport in April 1968. Presidents, kings, first ladies, and ministers not only attended her concerts and receptions in her honor but also gave her official tours and hosted folkloric concerts for her pleasure. She received numerous state honors, including awards from Tunisia, Lebanon, and Pakistan. As one journalist explained, these awards – normally reserved for heads of state – celebrated her support of “the Arab right and Arab unity”. To honor her further, officials bestowed her name on a street in Tunis and a school in Khartoum.
“…I did not think in terms of money and was not striving to collect donations when I sang from Kuwait to Morocco to Sudan. There was something else that I intended to say through these concerts with an elevated voice and a resounding cry: This is Egypt, and I am one of its people. Her voice is still raised and louder, her battle still continues and is greater, her staying power is still unshakable and stronger.”
– Umm Kulthum (Lohman, 57)