The departure of Najah Salam
Najah Salam has departed, and with her departed one of the last jewels of singing in the beautiful artistic era. A human being, an artist, a singer, exceptional in melody, in singing, in kindness, in dignity, in tact, and wisdom, even in a smile...
The rhymes will miss their friend, singer, and beautifier. She was cultured, aware, proud, and loved the fine arts, words, and melodies. She was enthusiastic about Arab issues, and she sang for them throughout generations. She sang (Oh, the most beautiful name in existence, oh Egypt), and (I am the Nile, the cemetery of invaders). In Algeria, she sang (How beautiful singing is after bullets), and in Syria, she sang from the melodies of... Her husband was the late director Mohammed Salman, and his lyrics are (Syria, my love). She sang about love, and her most famous songs are: Hawwal Ya Ghannam, Barhoum Hakini, I want your answers, and Mile Ya Ghazal, among many other masterpieces.
My father, Badih Serbey, and Najah Salam's friendship goes back to before he published Al-Mawed magazine. Her father, Mohie Al-Din Salam, was the director of the Lebanese radio station, and she had just started her career in art. Over the years, she and her late husband, Mohamed Salman, were close friends of my father and mother.
I knew Najah Salam or "habibita", as I used to call her, when she was separated from her husband (Abu Samar), but I was amazed by the elegance and beauty of their relationship, and with their two daughters, Samar and Reem. Our family gatherings together were a pleasure for the mind and a walk for the heart. We were in Egypt, Paris and Beirut, in constant meetings, where artistic, political, cultural and poetic conversations were mixed, all crowned with endless humor.
She loved elegance, and I remember when we were in Paris, how she was keen to choose the most beautiful fabrics to sew her dresses. One of the funny stories that I still remember is when Abu Samar invited us to have lunch at Al Dar Restaurant in Paris with the musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab and his wife Nahla in the late eighties, and she said to me: "What is this, May? Why didn't you wear any makeup, so your face looked pale?" I told her I put on some light colors, and she said to me: "I will handle this."
The next day when we met, she gave me some blush and some makeup. I kept this box for many years after I finished it, as a memory of it. When I took over as editor-in-chief of Al-Maw’ed, I made sure to conduct a press interview with her that lasted for several parts, in which I talked about her love for her art, her fans, her family, and her enthusiasm for every Lebanese and Arab cause.
I remember at the time that my husband, Professor Ghassan Chehab, may God have mercy on him, and I invited her, my mother, and the family to dinner at Burj Al-Hamam Restaurant in the Movenpick Hotel Beirut. With her usual lightheartedness, when I welcomed her, she said to me while kissing me, “Where’s the lipstick?” We laughed heartily and recalled memories of my father and his lifelong friend, Mohammed Salman, who were present with us at every session. The attached photo was taken at that session. As for our phone conversations, they would last for hours, and when I hung up with her, I would be loaded with dozens of life tips.
And in the last tribute in Beirut, I was there applauding her with all my love until she fell ill. How sad I was when I went to her house for the last time to offer my condolences for her brother, but she was sick in her room so I couldn’t meet her. Today she leaves us and we cry for her, but her memory will remain precious and immortal in the hearts of her fans and admirers. Fate wills that she depart in the same month in which the love of her life and her husband, director Mohammed Salman, departed, who passed away on September 24, 1997. They will remain in the heart and memory.
This image has been converted from the original medium format film, resulting in a sharp and detailed image.
By May Serbey Chehab, from the Book "Boulevard of Stars: The Golden Age of Arab Entertainment".
By May Serbey Chehab, from the Book "Boulevard of Stars: The Golden Age of Arab Entertainment".