Asmahan

Amal al-Atrash  , or better known as Asmahan was a Syrian singer , active from 1918s to 1944s.

Asmahan was born to Fahd al-Atrash, a Syrian Druze from Suwayda, and ‘Alia al-Mundhir, a Lebanese Druze from Hasbaya. she born in 25 November 1918.

Asmahan’s father supposedly served as governor of the district of Demirci in Turkey, during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, when he fled the country with his children and pregnant wife. On 25 November 1912, they embarked on a ship from İzmir to Beirut, and Asmahan was born on board. She was named “Amal”, meaning “hope”. She was also called “Emily”, but always preferred the name “Amal”. After the French came into power, the family returned to Jabal al-druze.

Amal’s vocal talent was discovered at an early age. Once, when her brother Farid received one of Egypt’s most famous composers, Dawood Hosni, in their home, the latter overheard her singing in her room, and insisted on seeing her immediately. He then asked her to sing again. He was much impressed by the performance, and suggested the stage name of Asmahan to her. Amal began using that name

Asmahan rose to fame quickly: she was not even fourteen  years old when she was introduced to the public at a concert at the prestigious Cairo Opera House.

She sang and recorded songs composed by Farid Ghosn, Dawood Hosni, Mohamed El Qasabgi, and Zakariyya Ahmad. At fourteen, Asmahan was invited by an Egyptian record company to make her first album, featuring her first song “Ya Nar Fouadi” by Farid Ghosn.

On 14 July 1944, a car carrying Asmahan and a female friend crashed and went into a canal at the side of the road, after the driver lost control near the city of Mansoura, Egypt. The car was a two-door model and the women were sitting in the backseat. They were presumed to be rendered unconscious and subsequently drowned. The driver, however, managed to escape. These circumstances gave rise to many suspicions.