For the first time, Abdeen Palace in Cairo, one of the most famous historical palaces in Egypt, hosted a series of concerts of the legend diva Umm Kulthum using hologram technology for three magical nights starting Friday 20 November.
The concert was one of a series of events presented through the hologram technology of Umm Kulthum in a number of Arab countries, including the UAE, Egypt, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq. RMC Consulting and Marketing, which organized the event, had initially planned two concerts on 20 and 21 November before all tickets were sold out, pushing the company to organize the third concert on 22 November to meet the fans’ demand.
The organizing company had chosen Abdeen Palace to blend the strength and beauty of Umm Kulthum’s voice with the grandeur and nobility of the place, allowing authentic music lovers to be part of a unique unforgettable night. The hologram technology has helped many to achieve their dream of attending an Umm Kulthum concert by creating hologram images of the late Arab art icon, turning their fantasies into a reality.
Each concert saw Umm Kulthum perform several of her most famous pieces, including Enta Omry, Sirt el Hob, Amal Haiaty, and Lessa Faker.
Although this was the first time Abdeen Palace hosted a hologram concert, the historical palace, which was the seat of the rule of Egypt from 1872 to 1952, had been a stage for artists in the past century, including Abdel Halim Hafez and Umm Kulthum, who first sang in public at the birthday party of the child King Farouk when his father Fouad the First was the king of Egypt. On his birthday 11 February 1937, Umm Kulthum presented 14 pieces, all bearing the name of King Farouk, which have later been branded as the Faroukiyat and earned Umm Kulthum the title of the royal court singer.
In September 1944, King Farouk I granted Umm Kulthum the highest level of Order of the Virtues, upon which, earned her the privileges of the princesses of the royal family and the wives of prime ministers in an unprecedented gesture. In 1945, Umm Kulthum sang Zahr al-Rabi and Ghanili Shwe in Abdeen Palace on the occasion of the establishment of the Arab League.