"Planet of the East" or "Neighbor of the Moon"... Who is first?
- Youssef Al-Saeeed: Umm Kulthum is the voice of power, fullness, and majesty... while Fairuz is the voice of clarity, nostalgia, and gentle light.
- Ayoub Khader: Umm Kulthum possesses a wider vocal range... while Fairuz has a distinctiveness in her voice and her musical identity.
- Mohammed Al-Misbah: Each represents an artistic pinnacle and a musical school with its own color and uniqueness.
- Firas Al-Tattan: Fairuz represents a musical path different from Umm Kulthum’s.
- Jamal Abdulqader: I prefer listening to Umm Kulthum... “Because it feels like ours.”
- Mohammed Al-Alali: Fairuz is the morning voice, pure... while Umm Kulthum is heard at night, “in the depth of emotion and majesty.”
- Waleed Tawfiq: Fairuz accompanies me in the morning with a cup of coffee... while I listen in the evening to the musical ecstasy embodied by Umm Kulthum.
- Nour Al-Malaa: Umm Kulthum sings one color... while Fairuz sings all colors.
- Jahda Wahba: The voice of “Our Ambassador to the Stars” is closer to clarity and intimacy... while Umm Kulthum transformed the poem or song into a complete event and a cosmic celebration.
Between “The Star of the East” and “The Moon’s Companion”... a long journey by bus for more than “One Thousand and One Nights,” stopping at “The Ruins” and losing “our names” along the way.
And between those who find Fairuz to be the “morning coffee” and Umm Kulthum the “evening mood,” Al-Rai opened the floor to the question: “Which is better... and to whom does the Arab listener lean? After the voice of the late Umm Kulthum has been immortalized, and the ‘Fairuziyyat’ remain alive, like their owner.”
Stations in Kuwait, Cairo, and Beirut stopped to survey the opinions of critics, academics, musicians, and artists, in an attempt to find an answer to this perplexing question.
The discussion began with the Director General of Kuwait Radio, Dr. Youssef Al-Saeeed, who said: “When we speak of Umm Kulthum and Fairuz, we are not comparing two ordinary voices; rather, we stand before two artistic schools that shaped a significant part of Arab memory. Each has her own world, her distinctive color, and her different ability to reach the listener’s soul. Therefore, it is not appropriate to ask: Which is better? It is more beautiful to ask: When do we need Umm Kulthum, and when do we turn to Fairuz?”
He continued: “Umm Kulthum is the voice of power, fullness, and majesty. She possesses an exceptional vocal presence and a great ability to perform long melodic phrases, control breathing, move between maqamat (musical modes), and repeat a single phrase in various forms, giving it a new feeling each time. She did not content herself with performing the melody as written, but recreated it on stage through improvisation and direct interaction with the audience.”
He pointed out that Umm Kulthum’s voice does not reach only the ear, but imposes on the listener a complete state of concentration and emotion. Her long songs resemble a journey, beginning calmly, then gradually building up until they reach the peak of musical ecstasy. Thus, her concerts were major Arab events, around which crowds gathered and which were followed via radio across the Arab world.
Al-Saeeed added: “Umm Kulthum was also distinguished by her clear articulation of letters and her deep understanding of poetic text. She knew how to give the word its weight and meaning, and how to make the letter part of the music. When she sang poems by Ahmed Shawqi, Ibrahim Naji, or others, the listener felt that the poem was no longer a written text, but had become a heard life.”
Regarding Fairuz, he said: “She is the voice of clarity, nostalgia, and gentle light. Her experience does not rely on vocal display or prolonged musical ecstasy, but on concentration, transparency, and the ability to condense many emotions into a short song. Her voice does not invade the soul, but slips into it gently, like a morning breeze or light entering through an old window.”
He continued: “Fairuz’s voice is distinguished by a unique timbre that is difficult to replicate or imitate. It possesses an evident delicacy, yet it is not a fragile one; rather, it harbors a hidden strength and profound humanity. She can sing about love, the village, the city, the homeland, mother, waiting, and separation, transforming personal experiences into universal emotions in which every listener finds themselves reflected.”
He pointed out that the works of the Rahbani brothers, followed by the compositions and experiments of Ziad Rahbani, contributed to building a comprehensive Fairuzian world that integrates poetry, theater, music, heritage, and modernity. He added, “In her songs, we hear the stories of ordinary people, the sounds of villages, the streets of cities, the memory of Beirut, and the longing for Jerusalem, Damascus, Baghdad, Mecca, and other Arab cities.”
He noted that Umm Kulthum constructs her songs like a massive musical edifice, where maqamat (modal systems), improvisations, poems, and extended phrases coexist. In contrast, Fairuz paints her songs like delicate canvases; they may not require a large space, but they leave a lasting impression on memory. The former takes the listener to the peak of musical ecstasy, while the latter returns them to themselves.
Al-Sariq clarified that in emotional performance, Umm Kulthum reveals her feelings with intensity and crescendo, as if engaged in a battle between love, pride, absence, and yearning. Fairuz, on the other hand, presents sorrow with a calm tone, as if the pain has become a beautiful, bearable memory. Umm Kulthum’s sorrow is a storm, while Fairuz’s is a gentle rain; both touch the heart, but in different ways.
He believed that Umm Kulthum represented an era of poetry, large orchestras, extended concerts, and direct mass interaction, whereas Fairuz, together with the Rahbanis, established a more concise, theatrical, and narrative vocal form that embodies the spirit of place and the Arab individual. Therefore, comparing them should not be a search for a winner, as each achieved perfection within her own unique world.
Al-Sariq concluded, “In the end, every beauty has its own sweetness, and every voice has its own time, place, and mood. There are moments that suit only Umm Kulthum, and moments whose meaning is incomplete without Fairuz’s voice. Between the voice of the Star of the East and the voice of the Neighbor of the Moon, stretches a vast expanse of Arab beauty that does not age, whose impact never fades, and which generations cannot do without.”
For his part, Maestro Dr. Ayoub Khader said, “Personally, I enjoy listening to both. Ms. Fairuz and Ms. Umm Kulthum are among the most prominent legends of singing in the Arab world, but on a personal level, I often find myself leaning more toward listening to Fairuz, as she is closer to me in terms of artistic state and feeling.”
He added, “From a purely musical perspective, specifically regarding range and vocal capabilities, Umm Kulthum possesses a wider vocal range and great abilities in performance, musical ecstasy, and vocal control, while Fairuz is distinguished by the uniqueness of her voice, her vocal identity, and her ability to convey emotion in a distinctive style.”
For his part, artist Mohammed Al-Musbah believes that comparing Umm Kulthum and Fairuz does not place the issue in its proper context, as each represents a monumental artistic achievement and a musical school with its own color and specificity. He said, “The issue is not framed correctly, as they are both mountains that should not be compared. Each has a different color, and both are beautiful. These are colors present in the universe—beautiful colors and musical artistic schools. We do not compare them; there is no superiority, only beauty.”
Al-Masbah clarified that the differences between the two artists are also linked to the environments in which each grew up. Fairuz, he noted, is a product of the Lebanese milieu, with its distinctive dialect, heritage, and musical color, whereas Umm Kulthum emerged from the Egyptian environment, which possesses its own distinct vocal and musical heritage. He believes that this diversity between the two settings was reflected in their respective careers, contributing to the emergence of two contrasting artistic styles, each with its own beauty and unique identity.
Al-Masbah emphasized that he loves the voices of both Umm Kulthum and Fairuz and does not favor one over the other, as each possesses her own capabilities and artistic stature. He stated, “I love both voices and do not prefer one over the other,” adding that a precise assessment of vocal potential should be left to specialists in voice science. However, he noted that Umm Kulthum possesses exceptional vocal abilities, a fact acknowledged by figures in the arts and music.
He pointed out that Umm Kulthum’s vocal experience represents a rare phenomenon in the history of Arabic singing, saying, “Umm Kulthum’s vocal prowess is universally recognized; we have never heard anything like it, from her childhood through her mature years.” At the same time, he stressed that this does not diminish Fairuz’s status, affirming, “This does not detract from Fairuz; she is a monumental artist with an exceptional stature.”
From a musical and academic perspective, Dr. Firas Al-Tattan, Head of the Voice Department and Assistant Professor at the Higher Institute of Musical Arts within the Academy of Arts, argued that comparisons between Umm Kulthum and Fairuz should not be based on ranking one above the other, but rather on understanding the differences between the two schools they represent. Each artist has her own background, upbringing, and artistic circumstances that contributed to shaping her singing style.
Al-Tattan stated, “Both represent different schools,” explaining that Umm Kulthum embodies an Eastern school, while Fairuz’s upbringing and artistic experience took a different course. He believes that this difference in background was clearly reflected in the nature of the singing each presented and the musical styles associated with their names.
Al-Tattan clarified that Umm Kulthum’s religious upbringing had a significant impact on her artistic formation, noting that she “had a religious background that deeply influenced her, as she studied Quranic recitation (Tajweed) under scholars.” He views this aspect of her upbringing as contributing to her connection with the Eastern school, which is reflected in her performance style and the nature of the vocal color for which she is known.
In contrast, Al-Tattan indicated that Fairuz’s experience developed within a different framework, explaining that “Fairuz relied on the Rahbani brothers and their compositions, which gave her work a more classical imprint.” Through this, he illustrates that Fairuz represents a musical path distinct from Umm Kulthum’s, making each unique in her own right with her own school and characteristics.
Al-Tattan does not see this difference as implying a conflict between the two schools; rather, he views them as two important experiences in singing, each with its own style and characteristics. He confirms this through his experience teaching Arabic singing, where he integrates both schools and benefits from their differences in instructing students.
From Kuwait, the compass points to Egypt, where art critic Jamal Abdulqader stated that he prefers listening to Umm Kulthum, saying, “She is ours... she sings for me and me alone.”
He added, “Umm Kulthum is one of the most important artists in the world and in the history of singing in general. At the same time, Fairuz is a very important singer and one of the most significant in the history of Arabic singing; they are two phenomena that will not be repeated.”
He continued, “Umm Kulthum is a phenomenon that has been and will never be repeated. Fairuz has a beautiful voice and refined sensitivity, but I chose Umm Kulthum because her voice was raised within me. I memorized her songs, sang them, and played them since I was a child.”
For his part, singer and composer Dr. Mohamed Al-Alali, who holds a PhD in Arabic music, said that he listens to both, of course, clarifying that “Fairuz’s morning voice... is pure, beautiful, and sensitive.”
For his part, Egyptian artist Mohamed Ashmawy said, “This duo is timeless. For me, Umm Kulthum is not just a singer; she is a school of feeling and performance. Her voice possesses strength and majesty, yet it is interwoven with details and emotions that make you feel, every time you hear the same song, as if you are hearing it for the first time.” He added that “Umm Kulthum’s greatness lies in the fact that she did not merely sing the song; she lived it.”
He continued, “Fairuz is a completely different case. Her voice embodies calmness, nostalgia, and warmth, and it has a strange ability to change your mood from the very first minute. For me, Fairuz’s voice is connected to memories, moods, and quiet moments, especially in the morning.”
Ashmawy said, “I choose Umm Kulthum, perhaps because I love songs that take me on a journey. With Umm Kulthum, I feel as though I have time to live with the lyrics, the music, and the voice, discovering a new emotion each time. But honestly... Fairuz has her time, and Umm Kulthum has hers.”
In Lebanon, artist Walid Toufic points out that the comparison between Fairuz and Umm Kulthum should not be based on preferring one over the other. He explains, “Each of them represents a towering artistic figure and a unique school that is difficult to replicate in the Arab world. From this perspective, I choose to listen to both according to my mood and the time of day; Fairuz accompanies me during the day, especially in the morning with a cup of coffee, while I listen to the musical enchantment represented by Umm Kulthum in the evening.”
Toufic places vocal personality at the heart of artistic distinction, considering that an artist who lacks a distinctive personality becomes merely an ordinary artist who resembles others. He says, “What specifically distinguishes Fairuz’s voice is its uniqueness. During my vocal studies in Paris, my trainer was French and did not know Arabic. She had taught Warda, Charles Aznavour, and others. Once, she asked me to bring her some Arabic voices to listen to, so I chose Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Wadih El Safi, Umm Kulthum, and Fairuz. Two months later, she asked me why I hadn’t told her anything about those voices. She replied, ‘Fairuz’s voice is church-like; it can simultaneously perform Eastern singing. This is a trait found in no other singer’s voice in the world.’ She added that Mohammed Abdel Wahab sings with ‘technique,’ meaning he is a master of recitation and singing. He possessed the ability to control his voice, allowing him to alter the delivery of words and phrases according to his will, a style associated with the techniques of Quranic recitation and Tajweed.”
He added, “Regarding Umm Kulthum, she said that she sings with her entire body. However, I did not understand what she meant until I watched her on the small screen while I was staying at the Hilton Hotel. She truly sings with her whole body. She also told me that there are two layers in her voice: a male layer and a female layer. As for Wadih El Safi, she said that everything we know about singing, he was gifted with in his voice. When I asked my teacher, Wadih El Safi, about this, he told me that his vocal formation stems from the Quran, specifically from the school of Sheikh El-Menshawi, along with his influence by Abdel Wahab.”
For his part, Lebanese composer Nour Al-Mallah believed that Umm Kulthum and Fairuz have become benchmarks for those who see them as talented, saying, “If one of them possesses a beautiful voice, they compare her either to Umm Kulthum’s voice or to Fairuz’s voice. But they are different from each other in terms of color, meaning in terms of song and style.”
She added, “Umm Kulthum is distinguished by authentic tarab and poetry, while Fairuz is distinguished by classical song. Both reign supreme on the throne of Arabic song, but each in a different way, and we cannot compare them directly. The difference between the two artists, in my view, is that Umm Kulthum sings in one color, while Fairuz sings in all colors.”
She continued, “Personally, I feel that (Our Ambassador to the Stars) has a voice closer to clarity and intimacy, and to a certain sublime spirituality that lifts us to a transparent, almost ethereal time, even when she sings about the everyday or the ordinary. She can be heard in many moods and settings. As for Mrs. Umm Kulthum, she is a pillar and a monument in the history of Arabic singing, possessing an exceptional aura of presence in her performance, recitation, vocal delivery, and repertoire choices. I love her very much, perhaps because she transformed the poem or the song into a complete event and a cosmic celebration, and I adore poetry.”
Wahba added, “But if the question is: who possesses the greater vocal and tarab capabilities? I would say: Umm Kulthum’s strength lies in her astonishing control over her voice: long breath, extreme clarity in articulation, and the ability to color a single phrase multiple times, along with a strong command of maqamat and improvisation. Most importantly, she did not merely perform a melody; she could make a single poetic verse live for more than a lifetime, and with each rendition, she imbued it with different meaning and emotion. Thus, her concerts were akin to a dialogue between her and the audience, and composers left her with wide spaces for improvisation and vocal embellishment. Fairuz, on the other hand, possesses a completely different kind of strength. Her voice is not primarily based on display or long vocal embellishments, but on purity, profound impact, a unique vocal personality, and economy of expression, all executed with unmatched mastery.” Wahba clarified, “Fairuz can create a complete, sublime, luminous, and expansive feeling with a small nuance or the extension of a simple word. There is something in her voice that is difficult to measure technically: a blend of distance and closeness, sadness and tranquility, nostalgia and melancholy. A voice possessed by luminous wings that pierce us and carry us aloft. Thus, it becomes, without asking permission, part of the listener’s memory, place, and time. Of course, this genius cannot be entirely separated from the world of the Rahbani brothers and Ziad Rahbani, who knew how to write for her voice in a way that reveals its various shades.”
Mohammed Al-Musbah believed that differences in environment, school of thought, and artistic style are what give each experience its unique value, stating, “Fairuz was linked to the Rahbani school and presented a distinctive style rooted in the specificity of the Lebanese environment, while Umm Kulthum came from a different Egyptian musical school, with a steadfast foundation in Eastern musical culture and tradition. This created a rich diversity in the Arabic musical landscape. Therefore, placing them in direct competition is not accurate, because the value of both experiences does not lie in superiority, but in their differences and each one’s ability to leave its own unique imprint.”
Waleed Tawfiq linked vocal strength to practice and “technique,” emphasizing that “maintaining the voice requires continuous training.” He recalled his personal experience in this regard, noting that he used to reach a state of exhaustion after an hour of singing, but became capable of singing for four hours without feeling tired, thanks to “technique” and continuous practice. From this, he indirectly criticized certain practices he believes have imposed themselves on some female singers today: “Attention is now focused on appearance, clothing, and the style of the dress at the expense of the voice, even though the voice is ultimately a muscle that requires training and continuous care.”
Jahida Wahba considered that “the most beautiful aspect of the comparison, although in my view it is illogical due to the differences in their voices and trajectories, is that they represent two nearly opposite schools: Umm Kulthum tells you, ‘Sit and listen to me,’ while Fairuz can sing while you go about your day, and you suddenly find yourself stopping to listen to her. If we delve into greater detail: in terms of power, control, embellishment, and improvisation, I choose Umm Kulthum; in terms of purity, intimacy, closeness, and the charm of the tone, I choose Fairuz. As for historical impact, both are phenomena that are difficult to replicate.”
