Gawaher
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Gawaher (جواهر) | |
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جواهر | |
 Gawaher, February 2021 | |
| Born | Gawaher Muhammad Ali Ahmed 1969 (age 55–56) |
| Nationality | Sudanese and Egyptian |
| Occupation(s) | Singer and songwriter |
| Years active | 1995-present |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Sudan |
| Genres | Shaabi, Arabic pop, Folk, Pop-Folk |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar |
| Labels | Ibn Al Khatib, High Quality, Rotana |
Gawaher (Arabic: جواهر [ɡæˈwæːheɾ], born 1969) is a Sudanese singer and songwriter who has been based in Cairo since 1995. She is known for blending Nubian and Shaabi music with sub-Saharan influences. Gawaher holds dual Sudanese and Egyptian nationality.
Biography
[edit]Early Life and First Recordings
[edit]Gawaher was born in Dongola, Sudan. Shortly after her birth, her family moved to Port Sudan, where she spent most of her childhood and teenage years. From a young age, she showed a strong interest in music and regularly performed at school celebrations.[1]
In 1995, Gawaher moved to Egypt, where the local music scene offered more opportunities for artists and music labels.[2] During her early years in Egypt, she performed at a hotel called Aswan as a singer and belly dancer for tourists.[citation needed] She was later introduced to Shaabi music, which she incorporated into her future projects.
Gawaher released her first studio album, Ḥikāyah Gharībah ("Strange Story"), in 1995 under the label Ibn Al Khatib.[3] The album, recorded entirely in Sudanese Arabic, showcased traditional Nubian influences alongside sub-Saharan instrumentation. Although it had limited success, it caught the attention of poets, producers, and publishers, who were impressed by her voice. A local record label later released the album in Saudi Arabia in 1996.
In the same year, Gawaher released her second studio album, Marat al-'ayām. For this project, she collaborated with Sudanese composers and poets and contributed by writing several songs.[4]
Transition to Shaabi
[edit]In 1997, Gawaher left Ibn Al Khatib, her former record label. In 1998, she signed a contract with a larger label that worked with more notable singers of the Egyptian music scene (such as Hamada Helal and Essam Karika). In that new phase of her career, she released "Telefonak", her third album, which is notable for a radical change of style from typical Sudanese melodies to Shaabi music.[5] This album gave the singer her first hit songs, such as "Hamada". The success of these songs enabled her to record music videos and to perform on TV shows.
In 1999, Gawaher released "A Alkornĕyş", her fourth album, known for its titular track. The song was accompanied with a music video that was broadcast on Arabic music TV channels. Since then, her performances on TV shows started becoming more frequent. This release included a collaboration with Ashraf Abdou, a regular producer of singers such as Mohammed Mounir, Latifa, and Hakim.[6] Due to the production and increased media attention, Rotana, a pan-Arabic music giant, released the album in the Levant region and the Gulf states.[7]
In 2001, for her new album "Samara", Gawaher collaborated with new producers such as Saleh Abu al-Dahab, who produced in the past songs for artists such as Mohammed Fouad and Amr Diab.[8] The most successful song of this release is "Haylo", which turned into a hit.[9]
In 2003, the singer released her sixth album, "Ana Laka", which was popular for its titular song and first single, which was also accompanied with a promotional video.[10] This time, she balanced her habitually cheerful and typically Shaabi songs with deeper and more melancholic songs such as "Dawetek yama", dedicated to her mother.[11]
Hiatus and comeback
[edit]From 2004 to 2008, Gawaher took four years of absence from the stage for personal reasons. Afterward, she returned to the music scene with new collaborators such as Tarek Abdel Gaber, who composed songs for artists such as Sherine, Tamer Hosny, Samira Said, and Assala amongst others. "Enday", the title of the release, is notable for its nostalgic sound and its return to African sounds and the Sudanese dialect.[12][13] Gawaher took another hiatus for seven years until 2015. She started releasing new songs such as "Gany alasmarany", a version of a famous hit originally sung by the Saudi singing legend Etab, marking her first song in the Khaleeji Arabic dialect.[14] Her latest single is Yadania w Hadany releasing in 2016.
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]- Ħekaya Ğarib (1995)
- Maret Aleyam (1996)
- Telefonak (1998)
- A Alkornĕyş (1999)
- Samara (2001)
- Ana Laka (2003)
- Enday (2008)
Singles
[edit]- Ħekaya Ğarib (1995)
- Maret Aleyam (1996)
- Hamada (1998)
- Telefonak (1998)
- A Alkornĕyş (1999)
- Heylo (2001)
- Gawzahlo (2001)
- Al Korneish (2001)
- Samara (2001)
- Ana Laka (2003)
- Dawetek Yama (2003)
- Enday (2008)
- Gany el Asmarany (2015)
- Yadania w Hadany (2016)
References
[edit]- ^ "جواهر - ﺃﺩﻭاﺭ ﻣﺘﻌﺪﺩﺓ فيلموجرافيا، صور، فيديو". elCinema.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ "Biography". mohamedsudan.tripod.com. Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- ^ "جواهر = Jawaher* - حكاية غريبة = Strang Story". Discogs (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- ^ "جواهر = Gawaher* - مرت الأيام". Discogs (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- ^ "جواهر - تليفونك". Discogs (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- ^ "أشرف عبده". Discogs (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- ^ "جواهر = Gawaher* - ع الكورنيش = Ala Elkornesh". Discogs (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-11-28.
- ^ "صالح أبو الدهب". Discogs (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- ^ "جواهر = Gawaher* - سماره = Samara". Discogs (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- ^ "جواهر = Gawaher* - أنا لك = Ana Laka". Discogs (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- ^ Gawaher - Dawetk yamah / جواهر - دعوتك ياما, retrieved 2020-02-07
- ^ Gawaher - Enday / جواهر - إندي, retrieved 2020-02-07
- ^ "جواهر = Gawaher* - إندي = Enday". Discogs (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-02-07.
- ^ Gawaher - Gany Al Asmrany | جواهر - جاني الاسمراني, retrieved 2020-02-07