Marrakech – Beirut is celebrating the legacy of Arab music’s greatest voices with the arrival of “Diva: From Umm Kulthum to Dalida,” a multimedia exhibition curated by the Arab World Institute in Paris.
After successful runs in Paris, Amsterdam, and Amman, the exhibition now lights up the halls of the Sursock Museum, paying tribute to the enduring impact of the Arab world’s most iconic divas.
The exhibition is organized into four sections, tracing the evolution of musical icons from the 1920s, 1940s, and 1970s to the contemporary era.
Visitors can explore the lives and careers of legendary performers, including Umm Kulthum, Warda, Fayrouz, Asmahan, Laila Mourad, Samia Gamal, Sabah, Taheyya Kariokka, Hind Rostom, and Dalida.
Black-and-white photographs capture these women during social, cultural, and professional events, reflecting their prominence in a period marked by artistic and intellectual vitality.
Beyond their musical achievements, these divas reshaped perceptions of femininity, contributed to political renewal, and played key roles in movements for Arab nationalism and independence.
Karina El-Helou, Director of the Sursock Museum, told Arab News, “In the 1960s, Beirut, alongside Cairo, was a capital of Arab music.”
“Here, divas such as Umm Kulthum, the ‘Star of the East,’ who performed memorably at the Baalbeck Festival, and Fayrouz, the ‘Ambassador of Lebanon to the Stars,’ who gained worldwide recognition, shaped modern Arab music. Artists like Warda and Asmahan, of Lebanese origin, also helped bring this music to an international audience,” she added.
In the section devoted to Fayrouz, visitors can see original dresses from her 1973 play Qasidet Hub (A Poem of Love) at the Baalbeck International Festival, designed by Lebanese Armenian couturier Jean-Pierre Delifer.
Rare footage from Fayrouz’s South American tour in Rio de Janeiro (1961) and her US tour (1972) is also screened.
Other highlights include a tribute to Lebanese star Sabah’s enduring influence on popular culture and the 2011 documentary “The Three Disappearances of Soad Hosni,” chronicling the life of the beloved actress from the 1960s to the 1990s.
With its rich mix of music, history, and artistry, “Diva: From Umm Kulthum to Dalida” offers a vibrant celebration of Arab women who shaped both the cultural and social landscapes of the 20th century, a legacy that continues to resonate today.
