The arabic mega star Ehab Tawfik's Full Biography

Ehab Tawfik's Full Biography

Ehab Tawfik is an outstanding Egyptian singer, who is endowed with a wonderful and unique voice, as well as refined artistic taste.

Since the early beginnings of his career in 1990, he has captivated the different streams of Arab and international audiences with the remarkable beauty of his singing technique and picturesque songs, which portray the authentic Egyptian culture.

Ehab Tawfik sings poems about love, personal relationships and human experiences in the Egyptian dialect, which is understood everywhere in the Middle-East.

Those who watch the Arabic music scene do not only consider Ehab Tawfik to be an icon and exceptionally talented singer, but also an accomplished artist who has reconciled the Arab youth and the more composed audience to their heritage of songs – which had become mummified in rigid forms and burdened with badly integrated foreign elements.

It is actually Ehab Tawfik´s choice of original themes of lyrics, as well as the introduction of exquisite additions to the arrangement of music compositions which has enriched the contemporary Arabic song.

Furthermore, it is the merit of this outstanding artist, that the traditional classic music styles of Tarab – and even Egyptian folklore – have been enabled to break-out of the captivity of their regional boundaries and been made available to Non-Arabs, while preserving their cultural authenticity.

At this stage, it would be an unforgivable omission to attempt to honor of Ehab Tawfik, while ignoring to whom he owes his status as an acclaimed star and much-appreciated artist.

Ehab is fortunate to have been born and raised in a family, who has had the necessary cultural refinement, so as to recognize their son´s talent very early on. Ehab´s parents have gone out of their way, in order to preserve and polish their son´s gift without ever pressuring him for success and have gone even further when they decided to support his endeavors as an artist, instead of attempting to convince him to pursue a more traditional career path that would befit his family´s social background.

Therefore, Ehab Tawfik had – since the age of nine – benefited from lessons of playing the "oud" (the Mid-Eastern version of the lute) and the marvelous richness of this instrument has flavored Ehab Tawfik´s voice with a gusto that leaves it hardly possible, for even a truly accomplished singer, to reach the niveau and beauty of his unique performance.

Being very demanding towards himself, Ehab Tawfik has made it a point to polish his talent through profound academic studies which he crowned on April the 6th, 2002 when he attained his Doctorate, the subject matter of which had been "The Modes of Arab Singing Techniques in Egypt During the Second Half of the 20th Century", with cum laude honors.

Despite the fact, that Ehab Tawfik is a considerable player in the music scene who masters all the mechanisms of this field, he has – since the very beginning of his career – insisted to establish his success and status upon the rock-sold foundations of genuine merits.
Therefore, he had turned his back upon the going practice of "bought" media recognition, to which all aspiring singers, as well as most stars have recourse in order to remain on the scene within the cut-throat environment of the music production sector.

Contrary to the advice Ehab had been receiving at different stages of his career, his insistence to apply this policy has proven to be the magic formula with which he has always managed to cut his jealous enemies down to size until they fade into their natural insignificance!

I can not but feel great pride in being acquainted with this person of integrity, when I notice how talk-masters – who are stars in their own right – as well as presenters of important TV programmes and journalists of popular magazines do consider an interview with Ehab as a gemstone for their references.

To speak the truth, when I established the "News Forum For Ehab Tawfik" I never thought that I would be rewarded with so much personal satisfaction through all the media professionals who have been contacting me, as well as artists who have expressed to me their SINCERE appreciation for Ehab Tawfik.

In addition to his accomplishments, Ehab Tawfik´s charisma and enchanting attitude have turned him into an idol – not only in his homeland Egypt, or the Arab world, where he is always invited to participate at prestigious festivals and gala events at the opéra houses – but also in Australia, the USA and Europe where his fans eagerly await his successful tours and Ehab has become renowned, not only for sweeping his audience off their feet at his packed live concerts, but also for honoring the love of his fans with his sincere dedication to his audience and art.

As a consequence, it is quite natural that the talent and authenticity of Ehab Tawfik´s art have attracted the major labels that produce Arabic music in the Middle East, so as to benefit from his status as a star.

Furthermore, Ehab Tawfik´s merits have gained him various official honors and decorations from different countries, in recognition of his remarkable achievements, as well as model function as an artist who has achieved his stardom through his merits and personal integrity.

But the decoration which Ehab Tawfik personally cherishes most – because he had received it after a fierce slandering campaign which had been staged against him by vicious people in most newspapers, magazines and TV stations, in order to ban him from ever appearing again at important international festivals – is his distinction as a "Commander of the Order of National Merit for Culture" which H.E. Mr. Zein El-Abedine Ben Ali, The President of Tunisia, had bestowed upon him in July 2003. What is exceptional in this case is the fact that – although Ehab Tawfik is a foreigner – the President of Tunisia had furthermore honored Ehab Tawfik, by granting him the additional neck-band as the insignum of the Second Level, which is reserved to outstanding Tunisian personalities, instead of the regular Fifth Level, as would have been the custom with a Non-Tunisian person!

Being aware of the important exposure and recognition value which Ehab Tawfik commands, some international organizations – such as the UNESCO – have approached him with their desire that he employ his art to raise public awareness to human suffering in the Middle-East and elsewhere. In this regard, one of the dearest issues to Ehab´s heart has been to raise donations for the benefit of schooling the Iraqi children who had been victimized by the former regime and a war which they are too young to understand.

On a more personal level, Ehab Tawfik has managed to balance the very work-intensive periods of his life, with times in which he "vanishes into thin air", in order to replenish his inner wells and pamper himself. During such periods, Ehab´s whereabouts are "off-limits" to anyone who would interfere with his amusement and rejuvenation!

Although Ehab Tawfik has gained the appreciation of his surroundings and enjoys social success – which is not merely attributed to his shining stardom, but rather to himself as a truly charming person – nevertheless, he has become adamant in regard to his desire to shield his privacy, family and trusted friends.

But whoever gets the chance to catch a glimpse from behind the iron curtains of Ehab Tawfik´s apparent distance, will surely be impressed by the beauty of his personality and will come to cherish his protective attitude towards the persons who genuinely care for him.

Therefore, I deem that the safe haven of peaceful quietness – which Ehab has build for himself, his family and tested friends – would only ever be disturbed by the probing inquisitiveness of insensitive and disloyal individuals, who aim at furthering their own interests when they seek media attention for the petty "stories" they pretend to be revealing!

When evaluating Ehab Tawfik and his achievements, one has to agree with prominent art critics that – while most of his peers have long since passed the zenith of their creativity – the exquisite artistic value and huge popular success of his works indicate that he still has a lot to contribute to the scene.

Not only have his latest albums marked important milestones in the Arabic music sector, but the vidéo-clips for his hits have also revealed a hidden actor, which has tempted producers to approach him with various projects for a cinema début.

But what most regular fans are not aware of is the fact that the composers and other music professionals – with whom he has cooperated until to date – have come to agree that Ehab Tawfik should put to use his inborn artistic sense of a composer and which he could marvelously combine with the meticulousness of a perfectionist, for which he has become renowned and even feared!

Ehab Tawfik had announced that he intends to retire from the lights of fame within a period of ten years, because he deems that the circus – into which the music scene has turned – deducts from the position and image of any serious artist.

When comparing the social fabric and the values of the established families, which used to reside at Cairo´s center where Ehab had spent his childhood and early youth, with the parvenus who have come to infest the scene – under the pretext of presenting creations of doubtful quality, in order to make "a fast buck" – one comes to appreciate Ehab Tawfik´s wish to distance himself from the audacity of such "wanna-be artists"!

Although it is not my place to step forward and release any projects – which Ehab is still considering – to public discussion, I can still assure all of Ehab Tawfik´s fans that he shall not entirely turn his back upon music as his sure love!

In this regard, Ehab is currently evaluating whether he should accept to shoulder the responsibility of a new role he has been offered recently and through which he would be participating with his academic status and value as a great star at a project, which aims at educating and polishing aspiring, serious young singers.

Furthermore – and in keeping with Ehab Tawfik´s very down-to-earth character – he is considering the launch of an extremely smart project, for which he deserves all the luck and good-wishes of his family and friends.

So, in all cases, this outstanding star shall continue to bewitch his audience with the lovely surprises of his albums for a while to come, as well as enrich the Arab music world with new and creative contributions.

Posted August 16, 2009 by carlos500 .
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