Happy birthday, Farid al-Atrash!

The present Doodle celebrates the 110th birthday celebration of Syrian-born Egyptian composer, singer, instrumentalist, entertainer, and film maker Farid al-Atrash, generally viewed as one of the Arab world’s incredible entertainers of his time.

A virtuosic player of the stringed Middle Eastern instrument called the oud, al-Atrash always left his blemish on music and film in Egypt and past, delivering more than 220 unique songs and featuring in 31 musical movies over his productive career.

Farid al-Atrash was conceived on this day in 1910 into the noticeable al-Atrash family in Jabal Druze in the Syrian territory of Suwayda. As a youngster, al-Atrash emigrated with his mom and kin to Egypt, getting away from the French occupation.

Afterward, they were naturalized by the Egyptian government as residents. There, he proceeded to seek after musical education— inspired by his mom who was an expert singer and musician herself. Showing an uncommon musical ability, by the mid ’30s he was singing consistently on Egyptian radio.

Al-Atrash before long started to release his own music and rose to another degree of distinction with his big-screen debut–close by his sister (Asmahan)– in the 1941 film “Intisar al-Shabab” (“The Triumph of Youth”).

He proceeded to lead an enormously effective movie profession during Egypt’s golden time of film over the next many years. Meanwhile, he composed many songs considered classics of modern Arab music and through his phenomenal instrumental ability procured the nickname “King of the Oud.”