Afifa Iskandar Explained

Afifa Iskandar
Birth Name:Afifa Iskandar Estefan
Birth Date:1921 12, df=y
Birth Place:Mosul, Mandatory Iraq
Origin:Armenian
Death Place:Baghdad, Iraq
Genre:Iraqi Maqams
Occupation:Singer, actress
Instrument:Vocal
Years Active:1935–2011
Label:Shahrora, monologist

Afifa Iskandar Estefan (Arabic: عفيفة إسكندر إصطيفان, 10 December 1921[1] in Mosul, Iraq - 21 October 2012) was an Iraqi singer throughout the middle of the 20th century. She was considered one of the best female singers in Iraqi history. She was nicknamed the "Iraqi Blackbird".[2]

Biography

Afifa Iskandar was born in Mosul to an Armenian father and a Greek mother. She lived in Baghdad, and started singing at the age of 5. At her first party in 1935,[3] she sang Al maqam. At the age of 12, she married an Armenian man named Iskandar Estefan and took his last name. She also worked as an actress and appeared in many productions.[4] In 1938, she traveled to Egypt to work with Badia Masabni, Taheyya Kariokka, and Mohamed Abdel Wahab. She died of cancer on 21 October 2012 in Baghdad.[5]

Tribute

On 10 December 2019, Google celebrated her 98th birthday with a Google Doodle.[6]

Singles

Iskandr sang nearly 1500 songs.[7] These include:

Notes and References

  1. Web site: "شحرورة العراق"... تعيش أوضاعاً صحية مأسوية . 27 September 2015 . Alrai Media .
  2. Web site: Afifa iskandar عفيفة اسكندر – MP3 Écouter et Télécharger GRATUITEMENT en format MP3 . 27 September 2015 . Maghreb Space .
  3. Web site: 23 September 2015 . ما لايعرفه الناس عن عفيفة إسكندر – ملاحق جريدة المدى اليومية 9.ز . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150929144714/http://almadasupplements.com/news.php?action=view&id=817 . 29 September 2015 . 27 September 2015 .
  4. Web site: Taleb . Omaral . موسوعة أعلام الموصل في القرن العشرين للدكتور عمر محمد الطالب / حرف العين . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160527063925/http://www.omaraltaleb.com/KOTOB/maosoaa/17ein.htm#_Toc21278804 . 27 May 2016 . 27 September 2015 .
  5. Web site: 22 October 2012 . The Common Ills: Afifa Iskandar passes away, the political crisis continues . 27 September 2015 . The Common Ills .
  6. Web site: Afifa Iskandar's 98th Birthday. Google. 10 December 2019.
  7. Web site: Google Honours Afifa Iskandar - But Who Was She? . 2023-04-30 . CairoScene.
  8. Web site: Aidasani . Naina . 2019-12-12 . Today's Google Doodle celebrates this Iraqi singer . 2023-04-30 . Mashable ME . en-ae.
  9. Web site: Google Doodle Celebrates Affifa Iskandar's Birthday Sada Elbalad . 2023-04-30 . see.news . en.