Umm Kulthum (Arabic: أم كلثوم‎, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [ʊm kʊlˈsuːm]; French: Oum Kalthoum; born Fāṭima ʾIbrāhīm es-Sayyid el-Beltāǧī فاطمة إبراهيم السيد البلتاجي on 31 December 1898, or 4 May 1904; died 3 February 1975) was an Egyptian singer, songwriter, and film actress active from the 1920s to the 1970s. She was given the honorific title Kawkab al-Sharq (كوكب الشرق, “Star of the East”).

Umm Kulthum was known for her vocal ability and unique style. She sold over 80 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling Middle Eastern singers of all time. She is considered a national icon in her native Egypt; she has been dubbed “The voice of Egypt” and “Egypt’s fourth pyramid”.

Umm Kulthum was born in the village of Tamay e-Zahayra, belonging to the city of Senbellawein, Dakahlia Governorate, in the Nile Delta. Her birth date is unconfirmed, as birth registration was not enforced throughout Egypt at that time. Some sources claim that she was born either on 31 December 1898; 31 December 1904; or 4 May 1904. She learned how to sing by listening to her father teach her older brother, Khalid. From a young age she showed exceptional singing talent. Her father, an imam at the local mosque, taught her to recite the Qur’an, and she is said to have memorized the entire book. When she was 12 years old, her father noticed her strength in singing so he asked her to join the family ensemble. She dressed as a boy for her father to not face disapprobation due to having a girl on stage. At the age of 16, she was noticed by Mohamed Abo Al-Ela, a modestly famous singer, who taught her the old classical Arabic repertoire. A few years later, she met the famous composer and oudist Zakariyya Ahmad, who invited her to come to Cairo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4z3bxEUICg