Mohamed Mounir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mohamed Mounir
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Official poster of Mohamed Mounir, known as The King.
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
محمد منير
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| Birth name | Mohamed Mounir |
| Also known as | The King |
| Born | October 10, 1954 Aswan, Egypt |
| Origin | Egypt |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
| Instruments | Vocals, bendir |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | The Wailers, Amira, Dalia, Anoushka, Hamid El Shairy, Hamid Baroudi |
Mohamed Mounir (Arabic: محمد منير), born on October 10, 1954, is a famous Egyptian singer and actor. He has been making music for over forty years! His fans lovingly call him "El King" (The King). This nickname comes from his album and play called "El Malek Howwa El Malek" (The King is The King).
Mohamed Mounir's music is a cool mix of different styles. He blends classical Egyptian music, traditional Nubian sounds, blues, jazz, and reggae. His songs often share deep thoughts and talk about important social and political topics. His family comes from Nubia, a region in Southern Aswan, Egypt.
In April 2021, he was part of a special event called the Pharaohs' Golden Parade. He sang from an Egyptian boat on a lake in front of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Where Did Mohamed Mounir Grow Up?
Mohamed Mounir was born into a Nubian family in Aswan, Egypt. He spent his early childhood in a village called Manshyat Al Nubia. There, he shared his father's love for both music and politics.
When he was a teenager, his family had to move to Cairo. This happened because his village was flooded after the Aswan Dam was built. In Cairo, he studied photography at Helwan University.
How Did He Start Singing?
While studying, Mohamed Mounir often sang for his friends and family. People quickly noticed his amazing voice. A lyricist named Abdel-Rehim Mansour heard him sing. He then introduced Mounir to the famous folk singer Ahmed Mounib. This meeting was a big step for Mounir's music career.
Mohamed Mounir's Music Journey
When Did Mohamed Mounir Start His Career?
After finishing college, Mohamed Mounir joined the military in 1974. Even during this time, he kept singing and performing in concerts. His first big concert was in 1975. At first, some people didn't like that he wore casual clothes. Most Egyptian singers at that time wore suits. But soon, fans loved his relaxed style.
What Are His Famous Albums?
In 1977, after his military service, Mounir released his first solo album. It was called Alemony Eneeki. He went on to release many more albums. So far, he has released 22 official albums and appeared on six movie soundtrack albums.
One of his songs, "Maddad," caused some talk. Its lyrics could be seen as asking for help from Muhammad. Muslims have different ideas about this. Because of this, the music video was banned from Egyptian TV for a while. Mounir said, "It is this fight against rigid thought that makes something out of you."
In 2003, he released "Ahmar Shafayef" (Red Lipstick). This album went back to his usual style of songs about everyday life. That summer, Mounir toured Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. He performed with Austrian pop musician Hubert von Goisern. They also had a concert together in Asyut.
What Are Some Memorable Concerts?
In May 2004, Mohamed Mounir held a huge concert at the pyramids of Giza. Even after a fan accidentally hurt him, he kept singing until the end!
In 2008, he postponed his New Year's Eve concert in Cairo. He did this to show support for the Palestinians during the Gaza War. He said, "Delaying the concert is a message sent to the whole world, so that it would move forward and help the people in Gaza."
He was the main performer at the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival in 2010. In February 2021, Mounir announced plans to perform in Palestinian cities like Ramallah and Gaza City.
Mohamed Mounir's Acting Career
What Movies Has He Been In?
Besides being a popular singer, Mohamed Mounir is also an active actor. He has appeared in 12 movies, 4 TV series, and 3 plays. His first movie role was in 1982. He acted in Youssef Chahine's film Hadouta Masreia (An Egyptian Story). He also sang on the movie's soundtrack.
In 1997, he played a bard (a poet and singer) in another Youssef Chahine movie. This was the historical drama Al Maseer (Destiny). This movie was shown at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2005, Mounir played a blind poetry professor named "Bashir" in the movie Dunia.
Discography
Official Albums
- Alemony Eneeki (Your Eyes Taught Me) – 1977
- Bnetweled (We Are Being Born) – 1978
- Shababeek (Windows) YKB – 1981
- Etkalemy (Speak) YKB – 1983
- Bareea(Innocent) YKB – 1986
- West El Dayra (In The Middle of The Circle) YKB – 1987
- Shokolata (Chocolate) – 1989
- Ya Eskenderia (O Alexandria) – 1990
- Meshwar (Trip) – 1991
- El Tool We El Loon We El Horya (The Length, Colour, and Freedom) – 1992
- Eftah Albak (Open Your Heart) – 1994
- Momken (Maybe) – 1995
- Men Awel Lamsa (From The First Touch) – 1996
- El Farha (The Joy) – 1999
- Fi Eshg El Banat (The Love of Girls) – 2000
- Ana Alby Masaken Shabya (My Heart is Public Housing) – 2001
- El Ard... El Salam (The Earth... Peace) – 2002
- Ahmar Shafayef (Lipsticks) – 2003
- Hawadeet (Stories) - 2004
- Embareh Kan Omry Eshren (Yesterday I Was Twenty) – 2005
- Ta'm El Beyout (Taste of Homes) – 2008
- Ahl El Arab Wel Tarab (People Of Arabs and Music) – 2012
- El-Rooh Lel-Rooh Dayman Bet'hen (Souls Always Long for Each Other) – 2017
- Watan (Homeland) – 2018
- Bab El Jamal (Door of Beauty) - 2021 AA
YKB: Featuring Yahia Khalil's band
Filmography
Movies
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Hadouta Masreia (An Egyptian Tale) | Mahdi | |
| 1986 | Al Yawm Al Sades (The Sixth Day) | The Boatman | |
| 1987 | Al Tokk Wa Eswera (Ring and Bracelet) | Mr. Mohamed | |
| 1988 | Youm Mor We Youm Helw (A Bad Day & A Good Day) | Oraby | |
| 1990 | Shabab Ala Kaf Afreet (Youth on the Palm of a Ghost) | ||
| 1991 | Ishtebah (Suspicion) | Medhat | |
| 1991 | Leih Ya Haram (Why Pyramid) | Ahmed Shafek | |
| 1992 | Hekayat Al Ghareb (Stranger Tale) | Saed | |
| 1994 | Al Bahth An Tut Ankh Amun (Search for Tutankhamen) | Gad | |
| 1997 | Al Maseer (Destiny) | Marwan (The Bard) | |
| 2005 | Kiss Me Not on the Eyes | Dr. Bashir | |
| 2006 | Mafesh Gher Keda (Nothing but This) | Himself |
Television Shows
- Bakkar
- Ali Elewa
- Gomhoreyat Zefta (Republic of Zefta)
- Al Moghani (The Singer)
Plays
- El Malek; El Malek
- Al Shahateen
- Masa' Al Kheer Ya Masr
Awards and Recognition
Mohamed Mounir has won many awards for his music and acting:
- He received the Peace Award from CNN for his album Earth Peace.
- He won the Diamond Award from "Bama Awards".
- In July 2008, he won the Best Singer award in the MEMA competition.
- The Alexandria Film Festival honored him at the opening of its 30th session.
- He won the Platinum Award for best Egyptian and Arab singer for his song "Yasmina". This song was a collaboration with the international band "Ich und Ich". The song sold 700,000 copies in Germany, which was a huge success!
- For the same song, "Yasmina," he also won third place in a public vote for the best song in Germany.
- His song "El-leila Samra" was chosen as one of the 50 best African songs of the twentieth century in a BBC poll.
- In 2005, he received an Honorable Award for his movie "Dunya".
See also
In Spanish: Mohamed Mounir para niños
