"I speak for the forgotten ones"

Umm Kulthum - Born Fātimah ʾIbrāhīm as-Sayyid al-Biltāǧī , Kulthum was a egiptian songwriter, singer (contralto vocal range), actress and the greatest female singer in Arabic music history. She was born in 1904 and died in 1975. Kulthum is known as Kawkab al-Sharq ("Star of the East") and achieved international fame from 1930s to the 1970s. To this day, her music has a significant influence in numerous musicians, both in the Arabic world and beyond. Maria Callas, Salvador Dali, Jean Paul Sartre and Charles de Gaulle were among her admirers. Bono (U2) and Led Zeppelin also speak highly of her and even today, she has retained a near-mythical status among young Egyptians.

 

 

 

 

Toni Rossi - French Singer (born in Corsica) and film actor (1907 - 1983). He is the only french artist to have sold over 300 million records.

 

Edith Piaf - ................huh? What? Why are you all staring at me? Do I need to introduce this Lady?! Fine! Edith Piaf was born  Édith Giovanna Gassion in 1915 and died in 1963. She is one of France´s greatest international stars (who would have guessed...). Her legacy goes on everytime we hear  "non, je ne regrette rien", "La vie en Rose", "L´Accordéoniste", "Padam...Padam..." ...Do I need to keep going? .....I thought that much!

Charles Trenet - French songwriter and singer (1913-2001). His career reached its zenith from 1930s till 1950s, although he was still active in the 1990s. He fought in World War II in the barracks at Salon-de- Provence. After the war, he decided to move to the United States and began touring in New York, forging a long last friendship with Louis Armstrong and Charles Chaplin. His best known songs include "La mer","Y'a d'la joie","Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?" among others.

 

 

Väinö Eerikki Raitio (1891-1945) - Born in Helsinki, this composer was part of a smal group who appeared in Finland in the 1920s with new ideas and a new music style, far different from the National Romanticism music. He was influenced by Scriabin and his nordic music cicles (which inspired him to compose the famous Joutsenet op. 15 ('The Swans'/'Les Cygnes')

Raition mostly wrote ensembles for piano, violins and orchestra but he is mostly remembered for his eight large symphonic poems. He also wrote 5 operas but they are only known from the composer's hand-written manuscripts.

 

"The people we lost or the dreams that faded...never forget them..."

 

Ana Correia