Omar Khorshid (Arabic: عمر خورشيد‎; April 9, 1945 â€" May
29, 1981) was an Egyptian guitarist, musician, composer, accompanist,
and actor. Born in Cairo, Khorshid was a well-known guitarist who
accompanied many singers, including Farid Al Atrash, Umm Kulthum,
Mohamed Abdel Wahab, and Abdel Halim Hafez.As a child, Khorshid taught
himself the violin, guitar and piano, which eventually led him to a
private music institute in downtown Cairo for further education. In
1966, Khorshid formed a band with friends called "Les Petits Chats"
(The Small Cats), a band that played music influenced by Western
sounds. The group played in small venues and eventually worked their
way up in terms of fame in Egypt.Following Egyptian political turmoil;
and for four years from 1973 to 1977, Khorshid was forced to leave and
move to Lebanon and he then began recording albums under his own name
for Lebanese record labels such as Voice of the Orient and Voice of
Lebanon. Working with audio engineer Nabil Moumtaz at Polysound
Studios in Beirut, Khorshid worked harder to progress his musical
style. In 1977, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat invited Khorshid to
perform in the United States at the White House for American president
Jimmy Carter, during one of the ceremonies of the peace treaty between
Egypt and Israel, where Korshid happily accepted the invitation and
was one of the guitarists at the ceremony. Though many saw this
performance as peaceful, conservatives in the Middle-East who saw the
United States as Zionist viewed it as a wrong act and many countries
cut ties with Egypt following its peace treaty.In 1978, Khorshid spent
a year in Syria, acting in films and performing at various venues. In
1979, driven by a bigger desire for cinematic fulfillment, Khorshid
returned to his home country Egypt to pursue a film career. He
directed and acted in films and performed live until his death in
1981.
29, 1981) was an Egyptian guitarist, musician, composer, accompanist,
and actor. Born in Cairo, Khorshid was a well-known guitarist who
accompanied many singers, including Farid Al Atrash, Umm Kulthum,
Mohamed Abdel Wahab, and Abdel Halim Hafez.As a child, Khorshid taught
himself the violin, guitar and piano, which eventually led him to a
private music institute in downtown Cairo for further education. In
1966, Khorshid formed a band with friends called "Les Petits Chats"
(The Small Cats), a band that played music influenced by Western
sounds. The group played in small venues and eventually worked their
way up in terms of fame in Egypt.Following Egyptian political turmoil;
and for four years from 1973 to 1977, Khorshid was forced to leave and
move to Lebanon and he then began recording albums under his own name
for Lebanese record labels such as Voice of the Orient and Voice of
Lebanon. Working with audio engineer Nabil Moumtaz at Polysound
Studios in Beirut, Khorshid worked harder to progress his musical
style. In 1977, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat invited Khorshid to
perform in the United States at the White House for American president
Jimmy Carter, during one of the ceremonies of the peace treaty between
Egypt and Israel, where Korshid happily accepted the invitation and
was one of the guitarists at the ceremony. Though many saw this
performance as peaceful, conservatives in the Middle-East who saw the
United States as Zionist viewed it as a wrong act and many countries
cut ties with Egypt following its peace treaty.In 1978, Khorshid spent
a year in Syria, acting in films and performing at various venues. In
1979, driven by a bigger desire for cinematic fulfillment, Khorshid
returned to his home country Egypt to pursue a film career. He
directed and acted in films and performed live until his death in
1981.
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