Abdel Halim Hafez (عبد الحليم حافظ‎) is one of the most famous and popular Arab singers. He was born on the 21^st of June 1929 to a simple family in a small town called Halawat in the countryside. His real name is Abdel Halim Ismail Shabana (عبدالحليم إسماعيل شبانة). He lost both his parents and before he became one year of age, and he was brought up by his uncle who lived in Cairo along with his two brothers and sister. Abdel Halim is famous and much loved all over the Arab world, not only in Egypt. He started singing at primary school, and at the age of 11 he joined the Arabic Music Institute in Cairo. He graduated from the Higher Theatrical Music Institute as an oboe player

The first famous songs of Halim were about the 1952 Revolution. They gained him immediate fame, and Abdel Halim became one of the most popular singers and actors of his generation.Abdel Halim never married, but there is a sad story in his life as he loved a young woman from a very rich family, but never managed to marry her because of her family’s refusal. She died at a very young age, and Halim spent the rest of his days without marriage to honour his love to her.

Another tragedy in his life is his illness with bowel disease associated with a parasite called Schistosomiasis which he contracted at childhood. Halim died of complications from the disease on the 30^th of March in 1977 at King’s College Hospital in London.

Abdel Halim starred 16 films and left more than 230 songs; only half of them are known while the rest are either missing or kept in personal collections of his family and friends.