Mohamed Mounir

Mohamed Mounir (Arabic: محمد منير‎) (born October 10, 1954) is an Egyptian singer and actor, with a musical career spanning more than four decades. He incorporates various genres into his music, including classical Egyptian Music, Nubian music, blues, jazz and reggae.[1][2][3][4] His lyrics are noted both for their philosophical content and for their passionate social and political commentary.[1][5] He is affectionately known by his fans as "The King" in reference to his album and play "El Malek Howwa El Malek" (The King is The King).[6] Mounir's family is from Nubia, Southern Aswan, Egypt.

Mohamed Mounir
محمد منير
Mounir Performing
Background information
Birth nameMounir Ouzaghla
Also known asThe King (Al King)
Born (1954-10-10) October 10, 1954
Aswan, Egypt
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, actor
InstrumentsVocals, bendir
Years active1977–present
Labels
  • Sonar
  • Sound of America
  • Digitec
  • FreeMusic
  • Mirage
  • Africana
  • Alam El Phan
  • Arabica Music
Associated actsThe Wailers, Amira, Dalia, Anoushka, Hamid Al-Shairi, Hamid Baroudi
Websitewww.mounirofficial.com

Early life

Born into a Nubian family in Aswan,[1] Mounir spent most of his early childhood in the village of Manshyat Al Nubia,[6] where he shared his father's interests in both music and politics.[1] As a teenager, he and his family were forced to relocate to Cairo when his village was lost in the floods that followed the construction of the Aswan Dam.[7] It was here that he studied photography at the Faculty of Applied Arts at Helwan University.[1] During this period, he would often sing for friends and family at social gatherings. His singing voice was noticed by the lyricist Abdel-Rehim Mansour, who would go on to introduce Mounir to the renowned folk singer Ahmed Mounib.[1][6]

Musical career

Following his graduation, he was called up for military service in 1974,[1] during which he continued his professional musical career by performing in various concerts.[6] He performed his first such concert in 1975.[8] Although the public were initially critical of Mounir for performing in casual attire at a time where many Egyptian singers were expected to wear suits, they eventually warmed to his laidback image.[1]

After completing his military service, Mounir released his 1977 debut solo album Alemony Eneeki on the Sonar record label. Mounir went on to release five more consecutive official albums and featured on one soundtrack album under the Sonar label.[6] To date, Mounir has released a total 22 official albums and featured on six soundtrack albums under a number of different record labels.[6]

Mounir's single "Maddad" from this album caused controversy, as its lyrics could be interpreted as a call for intercession from the prophet Muhammad. Among Muslims, there are differing views as to whether the prophet can provide intercession between Allah and his believers. This resulted in the music video being banned from Egyptian television for a time.[9] Mounir responded by saying "it is this fight against rigid thought that makes something out of you".[9]

On his 2003 follow up album "Ahmar Shafayef" (Lipstick), he returned to his more familiar style of mainly secular lyrics. In the summer of 2003, following the release of his album Mounir toured Austria, Germany and Switzerland alongside the Austrian pop musician Hubert von Goisern, and later that year the duo performed a concert in Asyut.[10]

In May 2004, he held a large concert at the pyramids, during which he was physically attacked by a drunken fan.[11] Despite sustaining minor injuries, he continued his performance until the end of the concert.[11]

He continued his trend of releasing secular albums infused with social commentary with the release of his 2005 album Embareh Kan Omry Eshren (Yesterday I Was Twenty), album Ta'm El Beyout (Taste of Homes), released in 2008. Ta'm El Beyout was noted for its creativity but initially did not perform as well as expected in terms of album sales.[12] In 2012, Mounir released his latest album Ya Ahl El Arab we Tarab.

In 2008, Mounir postponed his New Year's Eve concert at Cairo Opera House in solidarity with the Palestinians suffering the effects of the Gaza War.[13][14] He issued the statement: "delaying the concert is a message sent to the whole world, so that it would move forward and help the people in Gaza."[14]

He headlined the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival 2010 on July 9, at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.[4][15] He is the predecessor to recent musical groups like Black Theama.

Acting career

As well as his singing career, Mounir also has an active acting career. Throughout his career he has appeared in 12 movies, 4 television series and 3 plays.[6]

His movie career began in 1982, when he acted in and featured on the soundtrack album Youssef Chahine film 'Hadouta Masreia (An Egyptian Story).

In 1997 he played the role of the bard in the Youssef Chahine French-Egyptian historical drama Al Maseer (Destiny), which screened out of competition at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.[16]

Mounir played the part of the blind poetry professor "Bashir" in the controversial 2005 film Dunia, which centers around the title character Dunia, a belly dancer and poet played by Egyptian actress Hanan Tork. When the film aired at the 2005 Cairo International Film Festival, it left the audience split between those supporting the film's calls for intellectual freedom and its anti-female circumcision stance, and those disapproved of either the title character's desire to physically express herself through dance, or of the filming of scenes in the Cairo's slums, which could be seen to tarnish Egypt's international image.[17][18]

Discography

Official albums
  • Alemony Eneeki (Your Eyes Taught Me) – 1977
  • Bnetweled (We Are Being Born) – 1978
  • Shababeek (Windows) YKB – 1981
  • Etkalemy (Speak) YKB – 1983
  • Bareea(innocent) YKB – 1986
  • West El Dayra (In The Middle of The Circle) YKB – 1987
  • Shokolata (Chocolate) – 1989
  • Ya Eskenderia (O Alexandria) – 1990
  • Meshwar (Trip) – 1991
  • El Tool We El Loon We El Horya (The Length, Colour, and Freedom) – 1992
  • Eftah Albak (Open Your Heart) – 1994
  • Momken (Maybe) – 1995
  • Men Awel Lamsa (From The First Touch) – 1996
  • El Farha (The Joy) – 1999
  • Fi Eshg El Banat (The Love of Girls) – 2000
  • Ana Alby Masaken Shabya (My Heart is Public housing) – 2001
  • El Ard... El Salam (The Earth... Peace) – 2002
  • Ahmar Shafayef (Lipsticks) – 2003
  • Embareh Kan Omry Eshren (Yesterday I Was Twenty) – 2005
  • Ta'm El Beyout (Taste of Homes) – 2008
  • Ahl El Arab Wel Tarab (People Of Arabs and Music) – 2012
  • El-Rooh Lel-Rooh Dayman Bet'hen (Souls Always Long for Each other) – 2017
  • Watan (Homeland) – 2018
  • Bab El Jamal (Door of Beauty) - 2021 AA

YKB: Featuring Yahia Khalil's band

Filmography

Movies
Year Film Role Notes
1982 Hadouta Masreia (An Egyptian Tale) Mahdi
1986 Al Yawm Al Sades (The Sixth Day) The Boatman
1987 Al Tokk Wa Eswera (Ring and Bracelet) Mr. Mohamed
1988 Youm Mor We Youm Helw (A Bad Day & A Good Day) Oraby
1990 Shabab Ala Kaf Afreet (Youth on the palm of a ghost)
1991 Ishtebah (Suspicion) Medhat
1991 Leih Ya Haram (Why Pyramid) Ahmed Shafek
1992 Hekayat Al Ghareb (Stranger Tale) Saed
1994 Al Bahth An Tut Ankh Amun (Search for Tutankhamen) Gad
1997 Al Maseer (Destiny) Marwan (The Bard)
2005 Kiss Me Not on the EyesDr. Bashir
2006 Mafesh Gher Keda (Nothing but this) Himself

Television
  • Bakkar
  • Ali Elewa
  • Gomhoreyat Zefta (Republic of Zefta)
  • Al Moghani (The Singer)

Theatre
  • El Malek; El Malek
  • Al Shahateen
  • Masa' Al Kheer Ya Masr

References
  1. Al-Ahram Weekly Online, 19–25 July 2007 Archived October 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  2. Biography at Allmusic. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  3. Al-Ahram Weekly Online, 28 March – 3 April 2002 Archived January 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  4. The Liverpool Echo, 18 June 2010 Archived October 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  5. The Daily News Egypt, July 17 2006 Archived December 17, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  6. Biography at Mohamed Mounir's official site. Retrieved June 18, 2010. Archived June 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Hope for the Egyptian Nubians damned by the dam". The Guardian. April 21, 2012. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  8. "Al-Akbar Article". Archived from the original on August 9, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2010.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  9. Biography at Hubert von Goisern official website Archived January 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  10. Interviews at Hubert von Goisern official website Archived January 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  11. "Egypt Today Online, September 2004". Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2010.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  12. The Daily News Egypt, December 23 2008 Archived April 15, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  13. Ya Libnan, 31 December 2008 Archived March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  14. Al-Arabiya Online, 31 December 2008 Archived January 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  15. Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival Official Website Archived September 8, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  16. "Festival de Cannes: Destiny". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
  17. The Daily News Egypt, December 7 2005 Archived April 15, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
  18. Al-Ahram Weekly Online, 15–21 December 2005 Archived April 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 18, 2010.
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