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Archaeological Site of Carthage *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Tunisia
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, vi
Reference	37
Region **	Arab States
Inscription history
Inscription	1979 (3rd Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Downfall of the Carthaginian Empire

  Lost to Rome in the First Punic War (264BC - 241BC)

  Won after the First Punic War, lost in the Second Punic War

  Lost in the Second Punic War (218BC - 201BC)

  Conquered by Rome in the Third Punic War (149BC - 146BC)

Carthage (Latin: Carthago or Karthago, Greek: Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Arabic: قرطاج Qarṭāj‎, Berber: ⴽⴰⵔⵜⴰⵊⴻⵏ Kartajen, Etruscan: *Carθaza, Modern Hebrew: קרתגו‎ Qartágo, from the Phoenician Qart-ḥadašt^[1] meaning New City (Aramaic: קרתא חדאתא, Qarta Ḥdatha), implying it was a 'new Tyre',^[2] is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC. It is currently a suburb of Tunis, Tunisia, with a population of 20,715 (2004 Census).

The first civilization that developed within the city's sphere of influence is referred to as Punic (a form of the word "Phoenician") or Carthaginian. The city of Carthage is located on the eastern side of Lake Tunis across from the centre of Tunis. According to Greek historians it was founded by Canaanite-speaking Phoenician colonists from Tyre (in modern Lebanon) under the leadership of Elissa who was renamed (Queen Dido) in Virgil's Aeneid. It became a large and rich city and thus a major power in the Mediterranean. The resulting rivalry with Syracuse, Numidia, and Rome was accompanied by several wars with respective invasions of each other's homeland.

Hannibal's invasion of Italy in the Second Punic War culminated in the Carthaginian victory at Cannae and led to a serious threat to the continuation of Roman rule over Italy; however, Carthage emerged from the conflict weaker after Hannibal's defeat at the Battle of Zama in 202 BC. Following the Third Punic War, the city was destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC. However, the Romans refounded Carthage, which became the Empire's fourth most important city and the capital of the short-lived Vandal kingdom. It remained one of the most important Roman cities until the Muslim conquest when it was destroyed a second time in 698.

[edit] Topography

Carthage was built on a promontory with inlets to the sea to the north and south. The city's location made it master of the Mediterranean's maritime trade. All ships crossing the sea had to pass between Sicily and the coast of Tunisia, where Carthage was built, affording it great power and influence.

EO-1

Two large, artificial harbours were built within the city, one for harbouring the city's massive navy of 220 warships and the other for mercantile trade. A walled tower overlooked both harbours.

The city had massive walls, 23 miles (37 kilometres) in length, longer than the walls of comparable cities. Most of the walls were located on the shore and thus could be less impressive, as Carthaginian control of the sea made attack from that direction difficult. The 2.5 to 3 miles (4 to 4.8 kilometres) of wall on the isthmus to the west were truly large and, in fact, were never penetrated.

The city had a huge necropolis or burial ground, religious area, market places, council house, towers and a theatre and was divided into four equally sized residential areas with the same layout. Roughly in the middle of the city stood a high citadel called the Byrsa.

Carthage was one of the largest cities in Hellenistic times (by some estimates only Alexandria was larger)^{[citation needed]} and was among the largest cities in pre-industrial history.

[edit] History

Layout of the city.

The historical study of Carthage is problematic. Because its culture and records were destroyed by the Romans at the end of the Third Punic War, very few Carthaginian primary historical sources survive. While there are a few ancient translations of Punic texts into Greek and Latin, as well as inscriptions on monuments and buildings discovered in North Africa,^[3] the main sources are Greek and Roman historians, including Livy, Polybius, Appian, Cornelius Nepos, Silius Italicus, Plutarch, Dio Cassius, and Herodotus. These writers belonged to peoples in competition, and often in conflict, with Carthage.^[4] Greek cities contested with Carthage for Sicily,^[5] and the Romans fought three wars against Carthage.^[6] Not surprisingly, their accounts of Carthage are extremely hostile; while there are a few Greek authors who took a favorable view, these works have been lost.^[7]

[edit] Foundation legends

[edit] Queen Elissa (Dido)

Carthage

According to Roman sources, Phoenician colonists from modern-day Lebanon, led by Queen Dido (Elissa) founded Carthage. Queen Elissa (also known as "Alissar"), was an exiled princess of the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. At its peak, the metropolis she founded, Carthage, came to be called the "shining city," ruling 300 other cities around the western Mediterranean and leading the Phoenician (or Punic) world.

Elissa's brother, King Pygmalion of Tyre, had murdered her husband, the high priest. Elissa escaped the tyranny of her own country, founding the "new city" of Carthage and subsequently its later dominions. Details of her life are sketchy and confusing, but the following can be deduced from various sources. According to Justin, Princess Elissa was the daughter of King Matten of Tyre (also known as Muttoial or Belus II). When he died, the throne was jointly bequeathed to her and her brother, Pygmalion. She married her uncle Acherbas (also known as Sychaeus), the High Priest of Melqart, a man with both authority and wealth comparable to the king. This led to increased rivalry between religion and the monarchy. Pygmalion was a tyrant, lover of both gold and intrigue, who desired the authority and fortune enjoyed by Acherbas.^{[citation needed]} Pygmalion assassinated Acherbas in the temple and kept the misdeed concealed from his sister for a long time, deceiving her with lies about her husband's death. At the same time, the people of Tyre called for a single sovereign, causing dissent within the royal family.

[edit] Virgil's Aeneid

In the Roman epic of Virgil, the Aeneid, Queen Dido, the Greek name for Queen Elissa, is first introduced as an extremely respected character. In just seven years, since their exodus from Tyre, the Carthaginians have rebuilt a successful kingdom under her rule. Her subjects adore her and present her with a festival of praise. Her character is perceived by Virgil as even more noble when she offers asylum to Aeneas and his men, who have recently escaped from Troy. A spirit in the form of the messenger god, Mercury, sent by Jupiter, reminds Aeneas that his mission is not to stay in Carthage with his new-found love, Dido, but to sail to Italy to found Rome. Virgil ends his legend of Dido with the story that, when Aeneas tells Dido, her heart broken, she orders a pyre to be built where she falls upon Aeneas' sword. As she lay dying, she predicted eternal strife between Aeneas' people and her own: "rise up from my bones, avenging spirit" (4.625, trans. Fitzgerald) she says, an invocation of Hannibal. The details of Virgil's story do not, however form part of the original legend and are significant mainly as an indication of Rome's attitude towards the city she had destroyed.^[8]

[edit] Carthaginian Republic

Carthaginian held territory in the early 3rd century BC

The Carthaginian Republic was one of the longest-lived and largest states in the ancient Mediterranean. Reports relay several wars with Syracuse and finally, Rome, which eventually resulted in the defeat and destruction of Carthage in the third Punic war. The Carthaginians were Semitic Phoenician settlers originating in the Mediterranean coast of the Near East. They spoke Canaanite and followed a predominantly Canaanite religion.

[edit] Army

According to Polybius, Carthage relied heavily, though not exclusively, on foreign mercenaries,^[9] especially in overseas warfare. The core of its army was from its own territory in north Africa (ethnic Libyans and Numidians (modern northern Algeria), as well as "Liby-Phoenicians" — i.e. Phoenicians proper). These troops were supported by mercenaries from different ethnic groups and geographic locations across the Mediterranean who fought in their own national units; Celtic, Balearic, and Iberian troops were especially common. Later, after the Barcid conquest of Iberia (moddern Spain and Portugal), Iberians came to form an even greater part of the Carthaginian forces. Carthage seems to have fielded a formidable cavalry force, especially in its North African homeland; a significant part of it was composed of Numidian contingents of light cavalry. Other mounted troops included the now extinct North African elephants, trained for war, which, among other uses, were commonly used for frontal assaults or as anti-cavalry protection. An army could field up to several hundred of these animals, but on most reported occasions fewer than a hundred were deployed. The riders of these elephants were armed with a spike and hammer to kill the elephants in case they charged toward their own army.

[edit] Navy

Roman trireme mosaic from Carthage, Bardo Museum, Tunis

The navy of Carthage was one of the largest in the Mediterranean, using serial production to maintain high numbers at moderate cost. The sailors and marines of the Carthaginian navy were predominantly recruited from the Phoenician citizenry, unlike the multi-ethnic allied and mercenary troops of the Carthaginian armies. The navy offered a stable profession and financial security for its sailors. This helped to contribute to the city's political stability, since the unemployed, debt ridden poor in other cities were frequently inclined to support revolutionary leaders in the hope of improving their own lot.^[10] The reputation of her skilled sailors implies that there was in peacetime a training of oarsmen and coxswains, giving their navy a cutting edge in naval matters.

The trade of Carthaginian merchantmen was by land across the Sahara and especially by sea throughout the Mediterranean and far into the Atlantic to the tin-rich islands of Britain and also to North West Africa. There is evidence that at least one Punic expedition under Hanno sailed along the West African coast to regions south of the Tropic of Cancer, describing how the sun was in the north at noon.^{[citation needed]}

Polybius wrote in the sixth book of his History that the Carthaginians were "more exercised in maritime affairs than any other people."^[11] Their navy included some 300 to 350 warships. The Romans, who had little experience in naval warfare prior to the First Punic War, managed to finally defeat Carthage with a combination of reverse engineering captured Carthaginian ships, recruitment of experienced Greek sailors from the ranks of its conquered cities, the unorthodox corvus device, and their superior numbers in marines and rowers. In the Third Punic War Polybius describes a tactical innovation of the Carthaginians, augmenting their few triremes with small vessels that carried hooks (to attack the oars) and fire (to attack the hulls). With this new combination, they were able to stand their ground against the superior Roman numbers for a whole day.

[edit] Fall

Ruins of Carthage

The fall of Carthage came at the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BC at the Battle of Carthage.^[12] Despite initial devastating Roman naval losses and Rome's recovery from the brink of defeat after the terror of a 15-year occupation of much of Italy by Hannibal, the end of the series of wars resulted in the end of Carthaginian power and the complete destruction of the city by Scipio Aemilianus. The Romans pulled the Phoenician warships out into the harbor and burned them before the city, and went from house to house, capturing, raping and enslaving the people. Fifty thousand Carthaginians were sold into slavery.^[13] The city was set ablaze, and razed to the ground, leaving only ruins and rubble. After the fall of Carthage, Rome annexed the majority of the Carthaginian colonies, including other North African locations such as Volubilis, Lixus, Chellah, and Mogador.^[14] The legend that the city was sown with salt is not mentioned by the ancient sources; R.T. Ridley suggested that the story originated from 1930 in section of the Cambridge Ancient History written by B Hallward whose influence might be an account of Abimelech's salting of Shechem in Judges 9:45.^[15][16] Warmington admitted his fault in repeating Hallward's error but mentions an example of the story that goes back to 1299 when Bonaface VIII destroyed Palestrina.^[17]

[edit] City of survivors

[edit] Byrsa

Punic ruins in Byrsa

On top of Byrsa hill, the location of the Roman Forum, a residential area from the last century of existence (early 2nd century) of the Punic city was excavated by the French archaeologist Serge Lancel. The neighborhood, with its houses, shops and private spaces, is significant for what it reveals about daily life there over twenty-one hundred years ago. .^[18]

The habitat is typical, even stereotypical. The street was often used as a storefront; cistern tanks were installed in basements to collect water for domestic use, and a long corridor on the right side of each residence led to a courtyard containing a sump, around which various other elements may be found. In some places the ground is covered with mosaics called punica pavement, sometimes using a characteristic red mortar.

The remains have been preserved under embankments, the substructures of the later Roman forum, whose foundation piles dot the district. The housing blocks are separated by a grid of straight streets approximately six metres wide, with a roadway consisting of clay; there are in situ stairs to compensate for the slope of the hill. Construction of this type presupposes organization and political will, and has inspired the name of the neighborhood, "Hannibal district", referring to the Punic general or Suffete at the beginning of the 2nd century BC.

[edit] Roman period

Roman Carthage

When Carthage fell, its nearby rival Utica, a Roman ally, was made capital of the region and replaced Carthage as the leading center of Punic trade and leadership. It had the advantageous position of being situated on the Lake of Tunis and the outlet of the Majardah River, Tunisia's only river that flowed all year long. However, grain cultivation in the Tunisian mountains caused large amounts of silt to erode into the river. This silt was accumulated in the harbor until it was made useless, and Rome was forced to rebuild Carthage.

By 122 BC Gaius Gracchus founded a short-lived colony, called Colonia Iunonia, after the Latin name for the punic goddess Tanit, Iuno caelestis. The purpose was to obtain arable lands for impoverished farmers. The Senate abolished the colony some time later, in order to undermine Gracchus' power.

After this ill-fated attempt a new city of Carthage was built on the same land by Julius Caesar in 49-44 BC period, and by the 1st century A.D. it had grown to be the second largest city in the western half of the Roman Empire, with a peak population of 500,000^{[citation needed]}. It was the center of the Roman province of Africa, which was a major breadbasket of the Empire.

Carthage also became a centre of early Christianity. In the first of a string of rather poorly reported councils at Carthage a few years later, no fewer than seventy bishops attended. Tertullian later broke with the mainstream that was represented more and more in the west by the bishop of Rome, but a more serious rift among Christians was the Donatist controversy, which Augustine of Hippo spent much time and parchment arguing against. In 397 at the Council at Carthage, the biblical canon for the western Church was confirmed.

Vandal Empire in 500 AD, centered in Carthage.

The political fallout from the deep disaffection of African Christians is supposedly a crucial factor in the ease with which Carthage and the other centres were captured in the 5th century by Gaiseric, king of the Vandals, who defeated the Roman general Bonifacius and made the city his capital. Gaiseric was considered a heretic too, an Arian, and though Arians commonly despised orthodox Catholic Christians, a mere promise of toleration might have caused the city's population to accept him. After a failed attempt to recapture the city in the 5th century, the Eastern Roman empire finally subdued the Vandals in 533-534.

Thereafter the city became the seat of the praetorian prefecture of Africa, which during the emperor Maurice's reign, was made into an Exarchate, as was Ravenna in Italy. These two exarchates were the western bulwarks of the Roman empire, all that remained of its power in the west. In the early 7th century it was the exarch of Carthage who overthrew emperor Phocas.

[edit] Islamic conquests

The Roman Exarchate of Africa was not able to withstand the Muslim conquerors of the 7th century. Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik in 686 AD sent a force led by Zuhayr ibn Qais who won a battle over Romans and Berbers led by Kusaila, on the Qairawan plain; but could not follow that up. In 695 AD Hasan ibn al-Nu'man captured Carthage and advanced into the Atlas Mountains. An imperial fleet arrived and retook Carthage, but in 698 AD Hasan ibn al-Nu'man returned and defeated emperor Tiberios III at the Battle of Carthage. Roman imperial forces withdrew from all Africa except Ceuta. Roman Carthage was destroyed, just as the Romans had destroyed the Carthaginian republic in 146 BC. Carthage was replaced by Tunis as the major regional centre. The destruction of the Exarchate of Africa marked a permanent end to the influence there of the eastern Roman empire.

[edit] Modern times

In the mid-19th century Nathan Davis and other European archaeologists were given permission to excavate the ancient city.

Carthage remains a popular tourist attraction and residential suburb of Tunis. The Tunisian presidential palace is located in the city.^[19]

In February 1985, Ugo Vetere, the mayor of Rome, and Chedly Klibi, the mayor of Carthage, signed a symbolic treaty "officially" ending the conflict between their cities, which had been supposedly extended by the lack of a peace treaty for more than 2,100 years.^[20]

[edit] Portrayals in fiction

Carthage features in Gustave Flaubert's historical novel Salammbô (1862). Set around the time of the Mercenaries' War, it includes a dramatic description of child sacrifice, and the boy Hannibal narrowly avoiding being sacrificed.

In The Dead Past, a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov, a leading character is an ancient historian who is trying to disprove the allegation that the Carthaginians carried out child sacrifice.

In Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey, Carthage is a conquering nation that is geographically and culturally based on the historical Carthage.

The Purple Quest by Frank G. Slaughter is about the founding of Carthage.

The TV Series Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which are set in ancient Rome, feature a gladiator named Barca who is also known as "The Beast of Carthage" and was present at its fall.

[edit] See also

Tunisia portal

• List of Kings of Carthage
• Carthaginian Republic
• History of Tunisia
• Phoenician languages
• Umayyad conquest of North Africa
• Phoenicians and wine
• Punics

[edit] Sources

[edit] Religion

• Polybius^[21]
• Hannibal's Campaigns. Tony Bath. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Books, 1981.
• La vie quotidienne à Carthage au temps d'Hannibal. Gilbert et Colette Charles-Picard. Paris: Hachette, 1958.
• La légende de Carthage. Azedine Beschaouch. Paris: Gallimard, 1993.
• Carthage: Uncovering the Mysteries and Splendors of Ancient Tunisia. David Soren, Aicha Ben Abed Ben Kader, Heidi Slim. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990.
• The Phoenicians and the West: Politics, colonies and trade. Maria Eugenia Aubet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987.
• Itineraria Phoenicia.Edward Lipinski. Leuven: Uitgeverij Peeters en Department Oosterse Studies, 2004. "Aeneid" Virgil

[edit] Navy

• Polybius. Ancient History Sourcebook: Polybius (c 200–118 BC): Rome at the End of the Punic Wars History, Book 6.

[edit] Further reading

• Richard Miles. Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization (Viking; 2011) 521 pages
• J. Freed, Bringing Carthage Home The Excavations of Nathan Davis, 1856-1859 (2011)
• S. Raven, Rome in Africa (3rd. ed., 2002)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Carthage

• Ancient History Encyclopedia: Carthage
• Municipality of Carthage (French)
• Ancient History Sourcebook: Aristotle: On the Constitution of Carthage, c. 340 BC
• Carthage Timeline on Ancient History Encylcopedia
• Ancient Places TV: HD video of Carthage
• Brian K. Garnand: "From infant sacrifice to the ABC'S: ancient Phoenicians and modern identities" - (University of Chicago). Earlier version presented in Standford Colloquium "Past Narratives / Narratives Pasts"
• Hannibal: Published by Decapo Books, an excellent source of military history about ancient Carthage and the tactics of Hannibal and the Roman Republic
• Livius.org: Carthage
• In Our Time: The Destruction of Carthage (may be audible in UK only)
• Carthage Time Line
• Satellite view of the old harbor

Coordinates: 36°51′11″N 10°19′23″E / 36.85306°N 10.32306°E / 36.85306; 10.32306

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v t e Communes of Tunisia Ariana Governorate Aryanah (seat) Ettadhamen-Mnihla Kalâat el-Andalous Raoued Sidi Thabet La Soukra Béja Governorate Béja (seat) El Maâgoula Goubellat Medjez el-Bab Nefza Téboursouk Testour Zahret Mediou Ben Arous Governorate Ben Arous (seat) Bou Mhel el-Bassatine El Mourouj Ezzahra Hammam Chott Hammam Lif Khalidia Mégrine Mohamedia-Fouchana Mornag Rades Bizerte Governorate Bizerte (seat) Aousja El Alia Ghar El Melh Mateur Menzel Bourguiba Menzel Jemil Menzel Abderrahmane Metline Raf Raf Ras Jebel Sejenane Tinja Gabes Governorate Gabes (seat) Chenini Nahal El Hamma Ghannouch Mareth Matmata Métouia Nouvelle Matmata Oudhref Zarat Gafsa Governorate Gafsa (seat) El Guettar El Ksar Mdhila Métlaoui Moulares Redeyef Sened Jendouba Governorate Jendouba (seat) Ain Draham Beni M'Tir Bou Salem Fernana Ghardimaou Oued Melliz Tabarka Kairouan Governorate Kairouan (seat) Ain Djeloula Alaâ Bou Hajla Chebika Echrarda Oueslatia Haffouz Hajeb El Ayoun Menzel Mehiri Nasrallah Sbikha Kébili Governorate Kébili (seat) Douz El Golâa Djemna Souk Lahad Kef Governorate Le Kef (seat) Dahmani Jérissa El Ksour Kalaat Senan Kalâat Khasba Menzel Salem Nebeur Sakiet Sidi Youssef Sers Tajerouine Touiref Mahdia Governorate Mahdia (seat) Bou Merdes Chebba Chorbane El Bradâa El Jem Essouassi Hebira Hiboun Kerker Ksour Essef Mellouleche Ouled Chamekh Rejiche Sidi Alouane Manouba Governorate La Manouba (seat) Borj El Amri Den Den Douar Hicher Djedeida El Battan Oued Ellil Mornaguia Tebourba Médenine Governorate Médenine (seat) Ajim Ben Gardane Beni Khedache Houmt Souk Midoun Zarzis Monastir Governorate Monastir (seat) Amiret El Fhoul Amiret El Hojjaj Amiret Touazra Bekalta Bembla Beni Hassen Bennane Bouhjar Cherahil El Masdour Ghenada Jemmal Khniss Ksar Hellal Ksibet el-Médiouni Lamta Menzel Ennour Menzel Farsi Menzel Hayet Menzel Kamel Moknine Ouerdanin Nabeul Governorate Nabeul (seat) Azmour Béni Khalled Béni Khiar Bou Argoub Dar Allouch Dar Chaabane El Haouaria El Maâmoura El Mida Grombalia Hammam Ghezeze Hammamet Kélibia Kerkouane Korba Korbous Menzel Bouzelfa Menzel Horr Menzel Temime Soliman Somâa Takelsa Tazerka Zaouiet Djedidi Sfax Governorate Sfax (seat) Agareb Bir Ali Ben Khélifa Bir Salah Chihia El Ain Graiba Gremda Jebiniana Kerkennah El Hencha Mahres Menzel Chaker Sakiet Eddaier Sakiet Ezzit Skhira Thyna Sidi Bouzid Governorate Sidi Bouzid (seat) Bir El Hafey Cebbala Ouled Asker Jilma Menzel Bouzaiane Meknassy Mezzouna Ouled Haffouz Regueb Sidi Ali Ben Aoun Siliana Governorate Siliana (seat) Bargou Bou Arada El Aroussa El Krib Gaâfour Kesra Makthar Rouhia Sidi Bou Rouis Sousse Governorate Sousse (seat) Akouda Bouficha Enfida Ezzouhour Hammam Sousse Hergla Kalâa Kebira Kalâa Seghira Kondar Ksibet Thrayet Messaadine M'saken Sidi Bou Ali Sidi El Hani Zaouiet Sousse Tataouine Governorate Tataouine (seat) Bir Lahmar Dehiba Ghomrassen Remada Tozeur Governorate Tozeur (seat) Degache El Hamma du Jérid Nefta Tamerza Tunis Governorate Tunis (seat) Carthage La Goulette La Marsa Le Bardo Le Kram Sidi Bou Said Sidi Hassine Zaghouan Governorate Zaghouan (seat) El Fahs Djebel Oust Bir Mcherga Nadhour Zriba

Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor. He is best known for starring in multiple action and western films (so-called spaghetti westerns) together with his longtime film partner Bud Spencer.

[edit] Biography

Hill was born in Venice, Italy. As a child, he lived in the small town of Lommatzsch, Germany from 1943 to 1945 during World War II, surviving the Dresden Bombing. His mother was German, his father an Italian chemist. After being discovered by Italian filmmaker Dino Risi for Vacanze col Gangster (Holiday with the Gangster, 1951) at an early age of 12, he had, after 27 movies in Italy (including Gli sbandati), a major film role in Luchino Visconti's The Leopard (Il Gattopardo, 1963). In 1964, he returned to Germany and there, appeared in a series of Heimatfilmen, adventure and western films, made after novels by German author Karl May. In 1967, he returned to Italy to act in God Forgives... I Don't! (Dio perdona... Io no!, 1968). He changed his name to Terence Hill in the same year. The name was made up, as a publicity stunt, by the film producers; he had to choose from a list of twenty names and picked the one with his mother's initials. In a Q&A,^[1] he dismissed as a journalist's invention the rumour that it might have been taken from the Roman playwright Terence and his wife's surname (his wife was Lori Zwicklbauer; she later took her husband's surname).

In the following years, he starred in many action and Spaghetti Westerns together with his longtime partner Bud Spencer. The pair were notable for their comedy films, successful not only in Italy, but also abroad. They made a large number of Italian Westerns and other films together. Many of these have alternate titles, depending upon the country and distributor. Possibly their most famous film is the 1971 western Lo chiamavano Trinità (They Call Me Trinity) and the 1972 sequel Continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità (Trinity Is STILL My Name!). He has stated in interviews that Il mio nome è Nessuno (My Name Is Nobody, 1973), in which he co-starred with the American Henry Fonda, is his personal favorite of all his films.

His first American films were Mr. Billion and March or Die (both 1977), after which he divided his time between Italy and the US.

Hill's adopted son Ross was killed in an accident in Stockbridge, Massachusetts in 1990 while the actor was preparing to film Lucky Luke on the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe. Hill later went on to a successful television career in Italy. In 2000, he landed the leading role in the Italian television series Don Matteo, as a crimefighting parish priest.

[edit] Filmography

• Vacanze col gangster (1951)
• Un Amore per te (1952)
• Villa Borghese (1953)
• La voce del silenzio (1953)
• Divisione Folgore (1954)
• Gli sbandati (1955)
• La vena d'oro (1955)
• I vagabondi delle stelle (1956)
• Mamma sconosciuta (1956)
• Lazzarella (1957)
• Guaglione (1957)
• La grande strada azzurra (1957)
• La spada e la croce (1958)
• Novelliere: The picture of Dorian Gray, Il (1958, TV)
• Anna di Brooklyn (1958)
• Cerasella (1959, as Mario Girotti)
• Spavaldi e innamorati (1959)
• Padrone delle ferriere, Il (1959)
• Primo Amore (1959
• Giuseppe venduto dai fratelli (1960)
• Militare e mezzo, Un (1960)
• Cartagine in fiamme (1960)
• Annibale (1960)
• Juke box urli d'amore (1960)
• Pecado de amor
• Le meraviglie di Aladino(1961)
• Il Giorno più corto(1962)
• Il Dominatore dei sette mari (1962)
• Il Gattopardo (1963)
• Winnetou - 2. Teil (1964)
• Among Vultures (1964)
• Duell vor Sonnenuntergang (1965)
• Schüsse im Dreivierteltakt (1965)
• Der Ölprinz (1965)
• Ruf der Wälder (1965)
• Old Surehand (1965)
• Die Nibelungen, Teil 1: Siegfried (1966)
• Rita nel West (1967)
• La feldmarescialla (1967)
• Io non protesto, io amo (1967, as Mario Girotti)
• Die Nibelungen, Teil 2: Kriemhilds Rache (1967)
• Dio perdona... Io no! (1967)
• Preparati la bara! (1968)
• I quattro dell'Ave Maria(Ace High, 1968)
• Barbagia (1969)
• La collina degli stivali (Boot Hill,1969)
• La collera del vento (1970)
• Lo chiamavano Trinità (They Call Me Trinity, 1970)
• Il corsaro nero (Blackie the Pirate, 1971)
• ...continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità (Trinity Is Still My Name, 1971)
• Più forte, ragazzi! (All the Way, Boys, 1972)
• Il vero e il falso (1972)
• E poi lo chiamarono il magnifico (Man of the East, 1972)
• Il mio nome è Nessuno (My Name Is Nobody, 1973)
• Porgi l'altra guancia (Two Missionaries, 1974)
• ...altrimenti ci arrabbiamo (Watch Out, We're Mad!, 1974)
• Un genio, due compari, un pollo (A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe, 1975)
• I due superpiedi quasi piatti (Crime Busters, 1976)
• Mr. Billion (1977)
• March or Die (1977)
• Pari e dispari (Odds and Evens, 1978)
• Io sto con gli ippopotami (1979)
• Poliziotto superpiù (Super Fuzz, 1980)
• Chi trova un amico, trova un tesoro (A Friend Is a Treasure, 1981)
• Nati con la camicia (Go for It, 1983)
• Non c'è due senza quattro (Double Trouble, 1984)
• Don Camillo (1983)
• Miami Supercops - I poliziotti dell'ottava strada (1985)
• Renegade - Un osso troppo duro (They Call Me Renegade, 1987)
• Lucky Luke (1991)
• Lucky Luke (8 episodes, 1992)
• Botte di Natale (1994)
• Potenza virtuale (1997)
• Don Matteo (8 seasons/168 episodes, 2000–2011)
• L'uomo che sognava con le aquile (2006, TV)
• L'uomo che cavalcava nel buio (2009)
• Doc West (2009)
• Un passo dal cielo (12 episodes, 2010–2011)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Terence Hill at the Internet Movie Database
• Terence Hill official international website

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José Suárez (1919–1981) was a Spanish film actor.

[edit] Career

José Suárez made his debut in a short role in Altar Mayor (1944), a very conventional film, whose director, Gonzalo Delgrás, had paid attention to him in his work as a train conductor in Asturias. He played increasingly important roles in following Delgrás's movies and by 1948 he was already a lead actor.

He then became very popular in Spain along the late 40s and early 50s, as one of the main heartthrobs of the Spanish cinema, along with his contemporaries Francisco Rabal, Jorge Mistral and Alfredo Mayo. Nevertheless he performed remarkably in three outstanding dramas, namely Brigada criminal (1950), Condenados (1953) and Así es Madrid (1953), in the screen version of Buero Vallejo`s most famous play, Historia de una escalera (1950), and in the historical superproduction (for Spanish standards) Alba de América (Dawn of America, 1951), playing King Fernando el Católico. He portrayed Zorro in the film La montaña sin ley (Lawless mountain) (1953), making him the first Spanish actor in the role.^[1][2] He also co-starred with the popular Andalusian gipsy singer and dancer Lola Flores in La danza de los deseos (1954), directed by the most prestigious veteran Spanish film-maker, Florián Rey.

In 1956, his lead role in the internationally acclaimed Calle Mayor (undoubtedly his best role, his best performance and his best film, although he always preferred Condenados) provided him with the opportunity to work in Italy with well-known film directors as Luigi Zampa in The Magistrate, starring with Claudia Cardinale, and Francesco Rosi in La sfida, starring with Rosanna Schiaffino, while he gradually lost his popularity in his home country, despite still appearing in the 60s in some interesting Spanish movies, such as A tiro limpio (1963) or La boda (1964).

Despite appearing too in two successful mainstream Italian films: Scano Boa (1961) and Sette uomini d'oro (1965), eventually he was almost confined to the Spanish-Italian sword and sandal and spaghetti westerns movies, the most interesting of all them being The Price of Power (1969), also known as Il Prezzo del potere or La Muerte de un Presidente. And he even played the lead in El Llanero (1964), one of the first films directed by the (in)famous master of the sexually-charged horror films, Jesús Franco.

In the 70's he played too for the National Spanish television in a few series, including a Spanish-Italian coproduction on the life of Cristóbal Colón.

His last film was La trastienda (1975), an artistically dispensable but sociologically significant Spanish picture, coincident with the end of Franco era in Spain.

Suárez was for many years president of the Spanish Actors Union.

He died of natural causes on August 6, 1981, in Moreda, Asturias.

[edit] Selected filmography

• 1975 La Trastienda 
• 1974 Los Caballeros del Botón de Ancla 
• 1972 A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die 
• 1972 Marianela
• 1971 La Montaña rebelde
• 1971 El Cristo del Océano· 
• 1969 La muerte de un presidente
• 1969 Il Pistolero dell'Ave Maria
• 1969 El Taxi de los conflictos
• 1967 Mister Dynamit - morgen küßt Euch der Tod
• 1966 El Primer cuartel
• 1966 Texas, addio
• 1965 Sette uomini d'oro
• 1964 El llanero
• 1964 La Boda
• 1964 Le Verdi bandiere di Allah
• 1963 A tiro limpio
• 1961 Scano Boa
• 1959 Cartagine in fiamme
• 1959 Il magistrato
• 1958 La sfida
• 1958 Gli italiani sono matti
• 1957 Las aeroguapas
• 1956 Calle mayor
• 1954 Once pares de botas· 
• 1954 La Danza de los deseos
• 1953 La montaña sin ley
• 1953 Condenados
• 1953 Así es Madrid· 
• 1952 Ronda española 
• 1951 Alba de América· 
• 1950 Historia de una escalera
• 1950 Aquel hombre de Tánger
• 1950 Brigada criminal
• 1949 La Mujer de nadie
• 1947 Oro y marfil· 
• 1947 Trece onzas de oro
• 1944 Altar mayor

[edit] Bibliography

• Torres, Augusto M. (1994). Diccionario del cine español. Madrid: Espasa Calpe. ISBN 84-239-9203-9. 

[edit] See also

• Spanish cinema

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• José Suárez at the Internet Movie Database

v t e Cinema of Spain Actors · Directors · Cinematographers · Editors · Films A-Z · Score composers  · Producers · Screenwriters 1897–1929 · 1930s · 1940s · 1950 · 1951 · 1952 · 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 · 1960 · 1961 · 1962 · 1963 · 1964 · 1965 · 1966 · 1967 · 1968 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996 · 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

Anne Heywood (born 11 December 1932) is a British film actress. Born as Violet Pretty in Handsworth, Birmingham, England, she won the Miss Great Britain title under her real name in 1950, At one time she was the personal assistant of Radio's Talent Spotter Carroll Levis, a show which toured the countries main Theatres throughout Great Britain. Later she also attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She began acting in films in the early 1950s, first in supporting roles but gradually evolving into a leading lady.

One of her more prominent film roles was in a film adaptation of a D. H. Lawrence novel, The Fox, co-starring Sandy Dennis, made in 1967, which caused controversy at the time due to its lesbian themes.^[1] In the 1970s, she appeared in several giallo-type thrillers made in Italy.

Her career declined in the 1980s. Her penultimate role was on the United States television series The Equalizer, which starred actor Edward Woodward, in 1988 as Manon Brevard Marcel. The following year she appeared in a television movie, Memories of Manon, based on this same character. After this role she retired. She resides in California.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Anne Heywood at the Internet Movie Database

Amr Diab عمرو دياب
Background information
Birth name	Amr Abdel Basset Abdel Azeez Diab
Also known as	Father of Mediterranean music, The Plateau (الهضبة)
Born	(1961-10-11) October 11, 1961 (age 50)
Origin	Port Said, Egypt
Genres	Arab pop, dance, folk dance, latin pop
Occupations	Singer, composer, actor
Instruments	Vocal, Guitar
Years active	1983–present
Website	Official Website/

Amr Abdol-Basset Abdol-Azeez Diab (Arabic: عمرو عبد الباسط عبد العزيز دياب‎; born October 11, 1961)^[1] is an Egyptian singer and composer of geel music; the contemporary face of Egyptian el-geel pop music, according to World Music. Diab is the best-selling Arab recording artist of all time, according to Let's Go Egypt. He was awarded the World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist four times: 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2009.He is currently one of the top singers in the Arab world, and considered a living legend by many of his fans in the Arab world.

Amr Diab is known as the Father of Mediterranean Music.^[2][3][4] He has created his own style which is often termed "Mediterranean Music" or "Mediterranean Sound", a blend of Western and Egyptian rhythms.^[5]

In The Mediterranean in Music, David Cooper and Kevin Dawe referred to his music as "the new breed of Mediterranean music".^[6]

According to author Michael Frishkopf, Amr Diab has produced a new concept of Mediterranean music, especially in his international hit, "Nour El Ain".^[5]

In his analysis of The Very Best of Amr Diab album, Victor W. Valdivia of Allmusic said: "His music melded traditional Arabic sounds and textures with Western rhythms and instruments. The mesh was dubbed Mediterranean music, and The Very Best of Amr Diab displays Diab's superb skill in creating it."^[7]

According to the BBC, Diab "has ruled the Arab music world, especially Egypt and the Middle East, since the mid '80s, continually breaking sales records".^[8]

[edit] Musical career

In 1983, Diab released his first studio album, Ya Tareeq. Diab released three more albums between 1984 and 1987. 1988's "Mayaal" garnered huge success all around the Middle East. It was produced, arranged and remixed by German musicians, Frank Von Dem Bottlenberg and Jörg Evers, with various releases. More success followed in the following years including the albums Shawakkna, Matkhafesh, and We Yloumouni.

Amr Diab quickly developed fame for his new style of "Pan-Mediterranean" Arabic music, fusing touches of flamenco and raï with western pop with traditional Arabic rhythms. B1992, he became the first Arabic artist to start making high-tech music videos.^[5]

"Habibi" from Diab's 1996 album, Nour El Ain became a hit worldwide, and was remixed by many of the world's top DJs at the time.^{[citation needed]} A special CD named Habibi: The Remix Album was released later with all of these remixes. Since then, Diab has remained at the top of the Arabic music scene, expanding reach to all parts of the Mediterranean with his 1999 release, Amarain, that featured duets with Algeria's king of rai Khaled in a song called "Qalbi" and Greece's Angela Dimitriou in "Ana Bahibak Aktar" and "Eleos". "Tamally Maak" from Diab's 2000 album became a huge success. Leily Nahari, Diab's first album with Rotana Records, was released in 2004. Diab's album El Leila De was released in the summer of 2007 and topped the Arabic music charts for 22 weeks. Diab received a World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist for the album. In 2008, Diab renewed his contract with Rotana for five more years.^{[citation needed]} In 2009, Diab released a new album Wayah.

[edit] Influences and contributions

Diab revolutionized Egyptian show business in several respects,^{[citation needed]} and some of his biographers have referred to him as rebellious, because he challenged everything in Middle Eastern show business, from hairstyle and appearance to music style, presentation, and the financial scale of his projects.

Diab’s blending of Western rhythms with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern music styles created a new music style, referred to as Mediterranean music. His song “Tamalli Ma’ak”/“Always With You,” wherein he introduced classical guitar, is a good example of the genre.

[edit] The world's perspective

Diab is one of the most popular and acclaimed Arab pop singers of the modern age.^{[citation needed]} In 1997 he won three awards at the Annual Arabic Festival; one for Best Video, for Best Song, and for Best Artist of the Year. The following year Diab received a Triple Platinum Award for the sales of Nour El Ain and also received a World Music Award in Monaco.

[edit] Albums

[edit] Nour El Ain

In 1996, Nour El Ain (Light of The Eye – Sight) was released, becoming a tremendous success not only in the Middle East but throughout the entire world. The song was composed by Nasser el-Mizdawi, lyrics were written by Ahmed Sheta and it was arranged by Hameed Elshaery. The title track, and its English version "Habibi", was an international phenomenon, becoming a massive crossover hit in countries such as Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka (performed by Sangeeth Wickremasinghe) and Malaysia (Malay version sung by Datuk Sharifah Aini). The song was remade with Malayalam lyrics, a south Indian language, in the Malayalam movie Chandralekha. In a style reminiscent of the Aldo (musician) Franco-Arabic style, the song was remixed by several top European arrangers and has become a big pull on the dance floors of Europe. The video clip, also produced by Alam El Phan for the song "Nour El Ain", was one of the most lavish and expensive productions in the field of Egyptian song, and set a new standard for his contemporaries to aspire to. This album sold 3 million copies. In 1997, Amr Diab won three Awards at the Annual Arabic Festival (for Best Video, Best Song and Artist of the Year). In the following year, he received a Triple Platinum Award for the sales of Nour El Ain, and received a World Music Award in Monaco on 6 May 1998, under the patronage of H.S.H. Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and attended by Gloria Estefan, Céline Dion, Mariah Carey, The Backstreet Boys, Steven Seagal and others. This award was the first of its kind for an Egyptian artist, emphasizing that his appeal is not just confined to the Middle East unlike the majority of his contemporaries.

[edit] Awedooni

His follow-up studio album entitled Awedooni (they made me used to...) was released in July 1998, and as with Nour El Ain (the light of the eye) it was produced with Hamid El Shaery and recorded in Cairo, Egypt. The first video from the album, the title track "Awedooni" (they made me used to...), was shot by the river Nile in Egypt and directed by Tareq Al Aryan. Like its predecessor, this album was a huge success for Amr and reinforced his popularity in the Arab world and abroad.

[edit] Amarain "Two Moons" in English

Diab released his July 1999 new studio album Amarain (two moons), which is hailed as the best work of his career to date.^{[citation needed]} Amr is working on eagerly anticipated duets with the France-based international Rai superstar, Khaled of "Didi" fame, and with the Greek singer, Angela Dimitrou, whose crossover smash "Marguerites" was a huge hit across the Middle East in 1998. The title track "Amarain" was the first video to be broadcast.

[edit] Tamally Ma'ak

In July 2000, Diab revolutionized Arab music when he issued Tamally Ma'ak (I'm Always With You). The song was composed by Sherif Tag, a modern Egyptian Composer. He introduced the Spanish guitar in his song "Tamally Ma'ak" and in other songs. The clip of this song was made in the Czech Republic with much success. The album contained songs like "El Allem Alla" (Only God Knows), "Ba'terf" (I Confess) which were composed by Amr Mostafa the best middle-eastern composer, "Sa'ban Alaea" (It Makes Me Feel Sorry) and "We Heya Amla Eih" (And How Is She?). The song "Tamally Ma'ak" was even copied in the hit Bollywood song "Kaho Na Kaho" from the film Murder and also "I'm Calling U" by the group, Outlandish.

[edit] Aktar Wahed

Aktar Wahed was released on August 1, 2001. The album's name is short for one of the songs, "Aktar Wahed Beyhebbak" (One loves you the most). It contains 10 tracks and received the World Music Award for the best-selling album in the Middle East for 2001.

[edit] Allem Albi

In February 2003, Diab released Allem Alby (Teach My Heart). The album's release date was arranged to be with the debut broadcast of Alam El Phan's (Allem Alby's production company, owned by Mohsen Gaber) music channel "Mazzika".

The album was a great success, with the release of the video "Ana Ayesh" (I'm Alive) which was directed by Stuart Gosling. The video was intensely broadcast on Mazzika. The album contains other songs, like the R&B-influenced hit, "Allem Albi". Others that tend to be more distinctively Arabic-sounding are songs like "Kolohom" (All of Them), "Law Ash'any" (If You Adore Me), and "Alli El Wadaa'" (Goodbye To Me).

[edit] Leily Nahary

In late summer 2004, Diab's first album with Rotana was released, titled Leily Nahary (My Nights, My Days). The album's cover was from the promotional photo shoot of Pepsi. The video "Leily Nahari" directed by Cameron Casey provided aid to give Diab his space in the record-exclusive music channels. It was criticized because of its similarity to his previously unreleased video for "El Alem Allah" from the album Tamally Ma'ak. This album sold over 1.5 million copies.

[edit] Kammel Kalamak

Diab's album Kammel Kalamak, released on December 14, 2005, was the follow-up to Leily Nahary. The album cost a reported $4 million to record, and was Rotana's biggest album of 2005. The love ballad "We Malo" was released as the single of the album, Kammel Kalamak. The music video was shot in London and was released on a late notice after the release of the album. Rumors surfaced in late 2005 and early 2006 stated that Amr is considering terminating his contract with Rotana due to the poor promotion of his latest album, Kammel Kalamak.

[edit] El Leila De (Tonight)

The album El Leila De was originally set to be released after Ramadan 2006. However, it was pushed back several times due to Diab's repeated changes in the musical producers he was dealing with. Diab attributes the changes to the producer's lack of new and strong styles. In early 2006, Music Arranger Fahd was supposed to work on this album; however, later that year Tarek Madkour joined Amr Diab, and they started together to work on it. On March 25, 2007, Madkour's official website announced that Amr Diab and Madkour had decided jointly to skip the collaboration on the album due to the lack of time and conflicting working schedules. Fahd and a new producer called Hasan Al Shafei are elected to produce the music in the album, which is supposed to hit the markets in July 2007. The title of the album was changed from Khaleek Ma'aya to El Leila De. After the release Amr, shot a new Pepsi advertisement in Europe. On June 21, 2007, two of the biggest sites (AmrDiabWorld.com & AmrDiab.info) for Amr Diab announced that the album, now entitled El Lilady, would hit the market on July 7, 2007. The album would contain 10 tracks; AL Shafei and Fahd shared the production Al Shaei 7 songs & Fahd 3 Songs. Before releasing his album, Diab traveled to Portugal to shoot the new Pepsi ad choosing "Inta El Ghaly" song from his upcoming album El Leila De as the ad music. Amr then traveled to the USA to film the music video for his upcoming album.

The album master copy was given to Rotana, Amr Diab's CD production company, on the last week of June to meet the July 7, 2007 release date he had planned earlier. Rotana, however, has delayed the release of the new CD for a couple of days for unknown reasons. The album has also been leaked. The album was officially released on July 11, 2007. The album has already become a huge hit in Egypt and all over the Middle East. The album sold over 1,000,000 copies in only 5 days of release. The video clip has been slated for a July 27 release. The song that Diab chose to film was "N'eoul Eih", which is in the new style of House Music mixed with oriental Arabic music. The video clip was filmed in Santa Monica and Malibu, and also near Hollywood.

On July 27, Rotana News announced that El Leila De had sold over 5 million copies in less than two weeks in the Middle East, which gives the album a good chance to surpass Kammel Kalamak's 3 million copies only. On October 30, 2007, the management of the World Music Awards announced that Amr Diab was to receive an award for best selling artist in the Middle East for this album. Amr Diab received the award in the festival that was held in Monaco, Monte-Carlo, on the November 4, 2007.

[edit] Wayah (With Her) (2009)

The world music award of for the best-selling album in the Middle East 2009 Wayah (With Her) was released for sale on the internet on June 27; however, the album was leaked online and was downloaded illegally amid complaints of slow download speed on the official site. Diab's fans initiated a massive boycott of the sites with the illegal copies^[9] and by July 3, 2009 Wayah had sold more than 1.5 million copies in the first week.^[10] Later on Amr Diab's administration announced that the album has become the highest-selling album in Diab's career. This album sold 3 million copies.^[11]

On October 18, 2009 Amr Diab won four 2009 African Music Awards in the following categories: best artist, best album, best vocalist and best song for "Wayah" and Amr Diab has been nominated by the Big Apple Music Awards^[12]

[edit] Aslaha Betefre' (2010)

Amr Diab has released a mini album for the first time in his career history, produced by Rotana, in July 2010. The mini album contains 1 song with 3 arrangements (Original song + Club Mix + Karaoke).

[edit] Banadeek Ta'ala (2011)

In May 2011, it was announced that Amr Diab's new album (at the time titled Heya Hayati) was slated for an Eid Al Fitr release. Due to the unstable political situation in Egypt, the album was pushed back and delayed until further notice. In late August 2011, Amr Diab's official website announced the new album's final title, "Banadeek Ta'ala" and Rotana slated the album for a September 28 release. The album contains 12 songs that include: Banadeek Ta'ala, Heya Hayaty, Aloomak Leh, Aref Habibi, Maly Enaya, Yaret Sennek, and Tagreba o Addet. The album is arranged by Adel Hakki and is produced by Rotana.

[edit] Music videos

Diab is one of the first singers to popularise music videos in the Arab World, and the first Egyptian singer to appear in music videos.^[5] With the exception of his very early releases, all of his albums have had at least one song shot as a music video. Diab has collaborated with a variety of music video directors in the Middle East, including Tarek El-Erian and Sherif Sabri.

The most anticipated video clip of 2007, N'eoul Eih, was released on August 14 that year on Rotana TV. It was broadcast minutes later on Egyptian television on "El Beit Betak". The video was a great success.

August 6, 2009 witnessed the release of Amr Diab's latest video clip for his smash hit Wayah. Working alongside Cameron Casey and [Leily Nahari] for a second time, Amr Diab presented a fresh video clip which was filmed mostly on Green Screen and in Amr Diab's personal villa in Cairo, Egypt. The biggest surprise was the appearance of Amr Diab's children alongside his niece, who represented the younger generation of children who are still inspired by the music of Amr Diab.

Diab also filmed "Ba2dem Alby" which was released on Valentine's Day.

[edit] El Helm/The Dream

The Dream or El Helm is a biographical TV production produced by Amr Afefy that gives viewers the story of Amr Diab's life. The show consists of 12 episodes and began airing on December 24, 2008. El Helm is narrated by actor Ezzat Abou Ouf and includes interviews with Diab and people he worked with throughout the span of his career. The show, which aired on Rotana TV, saw great success and was preceded by one of the biggest advertising campaigns in the history of Middle Eastern music.

[edit] Film career

Diab's fame in the music industry has led him to experiment with other forms of media, such as film. Amr played himself in his first film, El Afareet, which was released in 1989. The film also starred Madiha Kamel. His second film Ice Cream in Gleam (Ays Krim fi Glym), the 1992 movie in which Diab starred, was chosen as one of the best five Egyptian musical films by the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. The film was also featured in the UCLA Film and Television Archive's new program "Music on the Nile: Fifty Years of Egyptian Musical Films" at James Bridges Theater, UCLA, April 6, 8 and 10. David Chute of the Los Angeles Weekly termed the film "observant" and "a big leap".^[13] His third movie was released in 1993, and was named Deahk We La'ab (Laughter and Fun). The film premiered in the Egyptian Film Festival in 1993. Amr played alongside international Egyptian movie star Omar Sharif (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago) and Yousra in the movie. Overall, Diab did not experience the same level of success in film that he had with his music career. Since 1993, Diab has focused on his singing career.

[edit] Egyptian uprising

A few days after former President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, Amr Diab composed and sang a memorial song, "Masr A'let",^[14] and released it in conjunction with a music video showing pictures of the martyrs who died in the uprising. He also initiated a charity campaign "Masry Begad" ("Real Egyptian"), a social national program aimed at serving and rebuilding Egyptian society. His online radio station Diab FM often presents talks and discussions about what Diab FM team can offer to the community as well as applying it practically by being present in different sites across Egypt with a new humanitarian project each week.^[15]

[edit] Endorsements

Amr Diab has taken part in an internationally known Pepsi commercial featuring four other pop musicians: Beyoncé Knowles, Pink, Jennifer Lopez, and Britney Spears. In the US version, Enrique Iglesias takes the role of Caesar. But in the pan Arab version, the four American singers were retained but the male figure was replaced with Diab. This was not the first Pepsi commercial Diab has done; he also filmed commercials featuring his songs "Ana Aktar Wahed" (I'm the most), "Allem Alby" (teach my heart) and "Khad Alby Ma'aa" (She took my heart with her). Diab also appeared in a commercial alongside Jennifer Lopez, singing The Troggs hit "Wild Thing". In 2009 Pepsi decided not to renew his contract. In 2010 he was the star of "Hayat" bottled water campaign.

[edit] Local record labels

Diab's earliest albums were released by Delta Sound. In 1996 Diab moved to Alam Al Phan where he released his greatest hits. In between 2003 and 2004, and after a long successful career with Alam El Phan, Diab officially announced the termination of his contract with Mohsen Gaber (owner of Alam El Phan) and move to the company that owned by Prince El Waleed Ebn Talal, Rotana Records and the owner of part of media huge muscel [Fox].

[edit] International record labels

Over 18 international companies have produced studio albums, compilations and exclusive music for Amr Diab across the globe.

• Ariola - Germany
• Hot Records - Germany
• EMI Music - Greece
• EMI Music - Arabia
• EMI Music - Turkey
• EMI Music - Canada [Hemisphere]
• EMI Music - Europe
• EMI Music - International
• World Music Network - USA
• George V Records - France
• Putumayo World Music - USA
• Wagram Music - France
• Virgin - International
• Nascent - UK
• Milano 2000 - Italy
• Reverb Music - UK
• Toast Records - Italy
• Warner Bros. - France

[edit] Collaboration with international musicians

Various international musicians have collaborated with Amr Diab:

• Stuart Crichton (The founder of Progressive House)
• Frank Von Dem Bottlenberg - Germany
• Jorg Evers - Germany
• Shazz (Didier Delesalle) - France
• Klubbheads (Koen Groeneveld and Addy van der Zwan) - Dutch
• Phunk Phorce (Leon and Matthew Roberts) - UK
• Rhythm Masters (Robert Bruce Chetcuti and Steve McGuinness) - UK
• Pete Beachill - UK
• Simon Gardner - UK
• Andy Greenwood - UK
• Kevan Gallagher - UK
• Jon Bishop - UK
• Juan Cerro - Spain
• Angela Dimitriou - Greece

[edit] Amr Diab in movies

Amr Diab's songs have appeared in several films, including:

• "Wala Ala Baloh" in Divine Intervention (2002)^[16]
• "Awedouni" in The Dancer Upstairs (2002)^[17]
• "El Alem Alah" and "Nour El Ain" in O Clone (2001)^[18]
• "Nafs El Makan" in Double Whammy (2001)^[19]
• "Tamally Ma'ak" and "Nour El Ain" in the French movie, Coco (2009)
• "Nour El Ain" in Malcolm in the Middle TV series (Season 4, Episode 4, Episode name: Stupid Girl), released on 9 January 2000 (USA)^[20]

[edit] Further reading

• Mediterranean Mosaic by Goffredo Plastino
• Egypt by Virginia Maxwell, Mary Fitzpatrick, Siona Jenkins, Anthony Sattin
• World Music by Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham, Richard Trillo, Orla Duane, Vanessa Dowell
• Teens in Egypt by Barbara A. Somervill
• Syria & Lebanon by Terry Carter, Lara Dunston, Andrew Humphreys, Damien Simonis
• World Music by Richard Nidel
• The Mediterranean in Music by David Cooper, Kevin Dawe
• The Middle East by Library Information and Research Service
• Let's Go Egypt by Let's Go, Inc., Joey Shabot, Dave Newman, Elizabeth Ogburn, Charlotte Houghteling

Official Albums

• 1983: Ya Tareeq (يا طريق - O Road)
• 1985: Ghanny Men Albak (غنّي من قلبك - Sing From Your Heart)
• 1986: Hala Hala (هلا هلا - Welcome, Welcome)
• 1987: Khalseen (خالصين - We're Even)
• 1988: Mayyal (ميّال - In Love)
• 1989: Shawaana (شوقنا - Missing You)
• 1990: Matkhafeesh (متخافيش - Don't Worry)
• 1991: Habiby (حبيبي - My Love)
• 1992: Ayamna (أيامنا - Our Days)
• 1992: Ice Cream Fi Gleam (أيس كريم في جليم - Ice Cream In Gleam)
• 1993: Ya Omrena (يا عمرنا - Our Life)
• 1994: W Ylomoony (و يلوموني - And They Blame Me
• 1994: Zekrayat (ذكريات - Memories)
• 1995: Ragaeen (راجعين - We'll Be Back)
• 1996: Nour El-Ain (نور العين - Light Of The Eye)
• 1998: Awedoony (عوّدوني - They Got Me Used To)
• 1999: Amarein (قمرين - Two Moons)
• 2000: Tamally Maak (تملي معاك - Always With You)
• 2001: Aktar Wahed (أكتر واحد - The Most One)
• 2003: Allem Alby (علم قلبي - Teach My Heart)
• 2004: Leily Nahary (ليلي نهاري - My Night, My Day)
• 2005: Kammel Kalamak (كمّل كلامك - Keep Talking)
• 2007: El Leila De (الليلا دي - This Night)
• 2009: Wayah (ويّاه - With Her)
• 2010: Aslaha Btefre' (اصلها بتفرق - Because She Makes A Difference)
• 2011: Banadeek Ta'ala (بناديك تعالى - I'm calling you come )

Unofficial Albums

• 1984* Forsan Asia ( Asia Knights - فرسان آسيا )
• 1986 Menin Ageeb Nas (Where Can I Get People - منين أجيب ناس ) - ( Yanabee' El Nahr TV Series - مسلسل ينابيع النهار )
• 1986* Ya Helwa ( Sweetie - يا حلوة )
• 1987 Assef ( Sorry - آسف ) - ( Assef la yogad hal akhar TV Series - مسلسل آسف لا يوجد حل آخر )
• 1999 The best of Amr diab ( أحلى ما غنى عمرو دياب )
• 2002 Rewind
• 2004 Amr Diab Greatest Hits (1986–1995)
• 2005 Amr Diab Greatest Hits (1996–2003)
• 2005 Mateftekrish ( Don't Even Think - ماتفتكريش )
• 2009 Henyet El Donya ( Tenderness of Life - حنية الدنيا )

(*/ unconfirmed Date)

[edit] Concerts

Amr Diab held so many concerts in the Arab World and around the world. Every year, one of his main concerts is held by the Mediterranean at the exclusive Egyptian resort city, Marina El Alamein. In addition, he holds an annual spring concert (The Carnival) at the American University in Cairo. In 2011, he held six concerts in the USA and 1 concert in Toronto, Canada.

[edit] References

1. ^ "Bio". IMDb. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0229018/bio. 
2. ^ Lesswing, Bryan (October 2009). "Sounds of the Middle East, Minnesota provide options for listeners". The DePauw. http://www.thedepauw.com/features/sounds-of-the-middle-east-minnesota-provide-options-for-listeners-1.1993168. Retrieved 2009-12-20. 
3. ^ Crane, Kelly (April 2010). "Egyptian superstar Amr Diab is set to rock Dubai". Gulf News. http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainment/music/egyptian-superstar-amr-diab-is-set-to-rock-dubai-1.615728. Retrieved 2010-04-24. 
4. ^ Matt, Ross (January 2011). "Q&A: Amr Diab". Rolling Stone Middle East. http://www.rollingstoneme.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=43. Retrieved 2011-01-05. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d} Frishkopf, Michael (2003). "Some Meanings of the Spanish Tinge in Contemporary Egyptian Music". In Plastino, Goffredo. Mediterranean mosaic: popular music and global sounds. Routledge. pp. 145–148. ISBN 9780415936569. http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/~michaelf/Some%20Meanings%20of%20the%20Spanish%20Tinge.pdf. Retrieved June 4, 2009. 
6. ^ Cooper, David; Kevin Dawe (2005). The Mediterranean in music: Critical perspectives, common concerns, cultural differences. Scarecrow Press. p. 117. ISBN 0810854074. 
7. ^ Valdivia, Victor W.. "The Very Best of Amr Diab". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r565771. Retrieved 2009-06-04. 
8. ^ JJC (August 2005). "Ghana's Tic Tac, Nigeria's Ayetoro and Egypt's Amr Diab". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/africabeyond/africaonyourstreet/hosts/jjc/17911.shtml. Retrieved 2009-06-04. 
9. ^ "Amr Diab's album sweeping cassette market". Musicananet. June 30, 2009. http://www.musicananet.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=831:2009-06-30-21-53-47&catid=55:2009-02-18-21-10-52&Itemid=93. Retrieved 2 July 2009. ^{[dead link]} (Arabic)
10. ^ "Amr Diab sales exceed one million and a half". Musicananet. July 3, 2009. http://www.musicananet.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=851:2009-07-03-20-27-58&catid=55:2009-02-18-21-10-52&Itemid=93. Retrieved 2 July 2009. ^{[dead link]} (Arabic)
11. ^ Salman (April 20, 2010). "Amr Diab in Dubai". DubaiMoves. http://www.dubaimoves.com/9944/amr-diab-in-dubai. 
12. ^ Khaled Taha (October 25, 2009). "Amr Diab wins four African Music Awards" (in Arabic). ART. http://artonline.tv/Entertainment/newsdetails.aspx?newsID=17963. Retrieved 2009-10-28. 
13. ^ Chute, David; Irene G. Behnan (April 8, 1999). "All Singing! All Belly-Dancing". Los Angeles Weekly. http://www.laweekly.com/1999-04-08/film-tv/all-singing-all-belly-dancing/2. Retrieved June 4, 2009. 
14. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsxyHbWY71s
15. ^ http://diabfm.com/masry-begad
16. ^ "Soundtracks for Yadon ilaheyya". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274428/soundtrack. Retrieved 2009-06-11. 
17. ^ "Soundtracks for The Dancer Upstairs". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118926/soundtrack. Retrieved 2009-06-11. 
18. ^ "Soundtracks for O Clone". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289800/soundtrack. Retrieved 2009-06-11. 
19. ^ "Amr Diab Filmography". Yahoo! Movies. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1809493507. Retrieved 2009-06-11. 
20. ^ "Malcolm in the Middle, Season 4, Episode 4 notes". CNET Network: TV.com. http://www.tv.com/malcolm-in-the-middle/stupid-girl/episode/187386/trivia.html. Retrieved 2009-10-12.