Mohamed Baraka reviews the tale of the legendary singer What propelled her to fame? It was everything about her. Her voice was out of this world, and few women of her time were more alluring. However, it was her enigmatic death that ensured her status as a legend. A diva among divas, Asmahan, aka Amal Al-Atrash, comes to life in a television series now being shown on OTV. Asmahan is played by Syrian actress Solaf Fawakhirgui, and her brother, the great singer Farid Al-Atrash, by Egyptian actor Ahmed Shaker Abdel-Latif. The Tunisian director Shawqi Al-Magri has aimed at a realistic portrayal of the life of Asmahan, with a storyline that sticks as closely as possible to what is on record about the life the diva. Asmahan's life had a fairytale beginning. Born in 1918, Asmahan was a member of the famous Druze family of Al-Atrash, known for its role in resisting the French mandate. Sultan Al-Atrash, her grandfather, was the famous commander of the great Syrian revolution (1925-1927), and leader of a failed revolt in Jabal Al-Arab against the French occupation. When Syria fell to the allies in 1918, her father, Prince Fahd Al-Atrash, feared revenge and fled the country with his two sons and pregnant wife, Aleya Menzer, a Lebanese Druze. The family set sail from Izmir to Beirut, and Amal was born on the boat. Up until her mysterious death in 1944 she was afraid of water. Her parents separated in 1923, and Prince Fahd returned to his hometown in Sweideia where he dies two years later. The rest of the family left for Egypt, where Aleya and her children fell on hard times. The former princess sang at private parties to support herself and her children, and Fouad and Farid had to leave school and go out to work. Amal, the young sister and future star, enrolled in a missionary school. As a singer Amal had to apply herself. Her enunciation was poor and her voice, for all its potential, needed much work, but she was hard-working and willing to learn. The chief of the Egyptian radio in 1936, Medhat Assem, was instrumental in helping both Amal and Farid with their careers. The latter eventually attracted national attention with songs such as Ya Ritni Teir (I Wish I Were A Bird), Kereht Hobbak (I Hated Loving You), and Men Yom Ma Habbak Qalbi (Since the Day I Fell For You). Asmahan (Amal's stage name) soon followed her brother to fame, thanks to songs composed by Dawoud Hosni, Mohamed El-Qasabgui, Zakaria Ahmed and Farid Ghosn. She too became a favourite among radio listeners with songs such as Kelma Ya Nur Al-Ein (One Word. Sweetheart), Kont Al-Amani (You Were My Hope), Hadeitak Qalbi (I Gave You My Heart) and Ya Nar Qalbi (My Heart On Fire). Having made a name for herself as a lead singer, Asmahan decided in 1937 to marry her cousin Prince Hassan Al-Atrash. She could not stay away from the stage for long, however. After just three years living the life of a princess in the Druze Mountains in Syria, during which she gave birth to her only daughter, Camellia, Asmahan returned to Egypt where she met Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, Egypt's most prominent singer and composer, who was about to shoot his fourth film, Yom Said (Happy Day). Abdel-Wahab was looking for a singer for his new operetta Magnun Layla (Besotted With Layla). She starred with him, and the operetta was an immediate success. In Yom Said she also performed her famous song Mahlaha Eishet Al-Fallah (How Lovely To Live Like A Peasant). It was not long before Asmahan made it onto the silver screen. In 1940 Michel Beida, owner of Beidaphone Records, and Jibrayil Talhami, a film producer, turned up on the doorstep of the home shared by Farid Al-Atrash and Asmahan. They proceeded to tempt the already successful singers to appear in their film. The next day, Farid and Asmahan met Hosni Naguib, production manager at Studio Masr. Naguib was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with two of the country's most accomplished singers. Asmahan's first film, Intisar Al-Shabab (Triumph Of Youth), was a hit, mostly due to its memorable songs, Ya Layali Al-Bishr (Nights Of Joy), Ya Bedei Al-Ward (Lovely Roses), Kan Li Amal (I was hoping), and Yalli Hawak (Beloved One). Asmahan and Farid were commissioned to star in Ahlam Al-Shabab (Dreams Of Youth), but Asmahan was obliged to return to Syria, partly because of her involvement in political activities and partly because she was reconciled with her husband, Prince Hassan Al-Atrash. Asmahan's role went to actress Madiha Yosri, who lip-synched the songs, which were written by Beyram El-Tunsi and Youssef Baroud, to the voice of Fathia Ahmed. The film was less of a success than Intisar Al-Shabab. Asmahan's attempt at marital reconciliation did not last long. She came back to Cairo once more and signed a contract for Youssef Wahbi's film Gharam wa Intiqam (Passion and Revenge). On 4 July 1944, Asmahan was leaving for her favourite seaside resort of Ras Al-Barr, having nearly finished filming Gharam Wa Intiqam. Midway there, the driver lost control of the automobile and careered into a ditch, and Asmahan and her best friend, Marie Qelada, were killed. The driver survived and his subsequent disappearance gave rise to accusations of conspiracy. The diva's death was blamed alternately on German intelligence, British intelligence and King Farouk, but the police eventually ruled out foul play. The script left the question open of whether Asmahan's death was homicide. The script left out another small but interesting detail. In the early 1930s, a few days before Amal and Hassan Al-Atrash were wed, a fortuneteller told Amal Al-Atrash that she would "rise to the top, rule people, and have three children of whom only one would survive, then die in water." The fortuneteller, who was speaking in front of other family members, went on to tell Amal that she would die young. His prophesy haunted the diva all her life. With skilful use of make-up and costume, director El-Magri masterfully resuscitates the atmosphere of Syria and Istanbul in the early 1900s. The outdoor scenes are breathtaking and the camera work superb, especially in recording the moments when Prince Fahd Al-Atrash, Asmahan's father, was forced to escape the Turkish army. The chase sequences are shot in forests, valleys and along the coast and are full of suspense and action, while the dialogue among the Turkish troops is conducted in Turkish with subtitles, boosting the sense of realism. A shot of the old steam-powered train roaring in the desert denotes a level of authenticity to which Arab television producers rarely aspire. One is not given the impression that the show's producers skimped on production to pay for superstars, as is often the case. Fawakhirgui gives a powerful presentation of Asmahan's character, her fatalism and hunger for fame, tinged with slight exaggeration of her smoking and drinking habits. Ahmed Shaker Abdel-Latif, who plays Farid Al-Atrash, gives a brilliant performance. Abdel-Latif, whose family has long been involved in the theatre, is capable of elaborate acting that is often misunderstood or considered affected. He had his moments in films in The Yacoubian Building, Cabaret and Al-Jazeera, and landed loner roles in the television productions Faris Al-Romansiya (Knight Of Romance) and Al-Tareq (The Knock). In Asmahan, Abdel-Latif has outdone himself, and perhaps silenced his critics for all time. He comes across as charismatic, commanding, and smooth in his portrayal of Farid Al-Atrash. What made his performance particularly gripping is that he does not just focus on Farid's mannerisms, as other actors might have done. He has captured loneliness in Farid's soul that contrasts with his outward light-heartedness. Thanks to Abdel-Latif's exceptional performance, Farid comes across as caring, ambitious, and selfish too, but also as witty and humble. He may have been the son of a prince, but Farid had no qualms about working as a delivery boy when he needed to. The life of Farid Al-Atrash was the stuff of drama, and Abdel-Latif's portrayal does it justice.
