Afifa Iskandar

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

Afifa Iskandar
Afifa Iskandar at an Alshaab Hall party in Baghdad in the 1950s
Background information
Birth nameAfifa Iskandar Estefan
Born(1921-12-10)10 December 1921
Mosul, Mandatory Iraq
OriginArmenian
Died21 October 2012(2012-10-21) (aged 90)
Baghdad, Iraq
GenresIraqi Maqams
Occupation(s)Singer, actress
Instrument(s)Vocal
Years active1935–2011
LabelsShahrora, monologist

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:

  • "Ya aqqid alhajibayn"[8]
  • "Ikhlas meni"[8]
  • "Ya sokari ya assali"[9]
  • "Ared Allah yebain hobty behom"[9]
  • "Qaleb qaleb'"[7]
  • "Jani alhlo labs sobhyat aledd"[9]
  • "Nem wa sadek sadri"[9]
  • "Msafren"[9]
  • "Qsma"[9]
  • "Helal eid"[9]

References
  1. ""شحرورة العراق"... تعيش أوضاعاً صحية مأسوية". Alrai Media. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  2. "Afifa iskandar عفيفة اسكندر – MP3 Écouter et Télécharger GRATUITEMENT en format MP3". Maghreb Space. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. "ما لايعرفه الناس عن عفيفة إسكندر – ملاحق جريدة المدى اليومية 9.ز". 23 September 2015. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  4. Taleb, Omaral. "موسوعة أعلام الموصل في القرن العشرين للدكتور عمر محمد الطالب / حرف العين". Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  5. "The Common Ills: Afifa Iskandar passes away, the political crisis continues". The Common Ills. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  6. "Afifa Iskandar's 98th Birthday". Google. 10 December 2019.
  7. "Google Honours Afifa Iskandar - But Who Was She?". CairoScene. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  8. Aidasani, Naina (12 December 2019). "Today's Google Doodle celebrates this Iraqi singer". Mashable ME. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  9. "Google Doodle Celebrates Affifa Iskandar's Birthday | Sada Elbalad". see.news. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
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