Afifa Iskandar
Afifa Iskandar | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Afifa Iskandar Estefan |
Born | Mosul, Mandatory Iraq | 10 December 1921
Origin | Armenian |
Died | 21 October 2012 Baghdad, Iraq | (aged 90)
Genres | Iraqi Maqams |
Occupation(s) | Singer, actress |
Instruments | Vocal |
Years active | 1935–2011 |
Labels | Shahrora, monologist |
Associated acts | Badia Masabni, Taheyya Kariokka, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Faten Hamama, Ahmed Badrakhan, Ibrahim Nagi, Salima Pasha |
Afifa Iskandar Estefan (Arabic: عفيفة إسكندر إصطيفان) was an Iraqi singer throughout the middle of the 20th century. She was born on 10 December 1921[1] in Mosul, Iraq. She was considered one of the best female singers in Iraqi history. She was nicknamed the "Iraqi Blackbird".[2]
Biography[]
Afifa Iskandar was born in Mosul to an Armenian father and a Greek mother. She lived in Baghdad, and started singing at the age of 5. At her first party in 1935,[3] she sang Al maqam. At the age of 12, she married an Armenian man named Iskandar Estefan and took his last name. She also worked as an actress and appeared in many productions.[4] In 1938, she traveled to Egypt to work with Badia Masabni, Taheyya Kariokka, and Mohamed Abdel Wahab. She died of cancer on 21 October 2012 in Baghdad.[5]
Tribute[]
On December 10, 2019, Google celebrated her 98th birthday with a Google Doodle.[6]
Singles[]
This section does not cite any sources. (December 2019) |
Iskandr sang nearly 1500 songs. These include:
- "Ya aqqid alhajibayn"
- "Ikhlas meni"
- "Ya sokari ya assali"
- "Ared Allah yebain hobty behom"
- "Qaleb qaleb'"
- "Jani alhlo labs sobhyat aledd"
- "Nem wa sadek sadri"
- "Msafren"
- "Qsma"
- "Helal eid"
References[]
- ^ ""شحرورة العراق"... تعيش أوضاعاً صحية مأسوية". Alraimedia.com. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ "Afifa iskandar عفيفة اسكندر – MP3 Écouter et Télécharger GRATUITEMENT en format MP3". Maghrebspace.net. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ "ما لايعرفه الناس عن عفيفة إسكندر – ملاحق جريدة المدى اليومية 9.ز". Almadasupplements.com. 23 September 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ "موسوعة أعلام الموصل في القرن العشرين للدكتور عمر محمد الطالب / حرف العين". Omaraltaleb.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ "The Common Ills: Afifa Iskandar passes away, the political crisis continues". Thecommonills.blogspot.com. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
- ^ "Afifa Iskandar's 98th Birthday". Google. 10 December 2019.
- 1921 births
- 2012 deaths
- People from Mosul
- Iraqi women singers
- Iraqi writers
- Iraqi people of Armenian descent
- Iraqi Christians
- Iraqi people of Greek descent
- People from Baghdad
- Iraqi musicians