Nearly two decades since her untimely passing, Saudi singer Etab continues to inspire Arab women in music. Artists Sawsan Albahiti and Rahma Riad describe the trail blazed by their fearless predecessor. Photo: Nick Thompson This August will mark 17 years since the Arab world lost an unforgettable star: Etab.
Lauded as one of the most talented female singers in the Gulf region — and the first from Saudi Arabia — her indelible impact on the arts scene of her home country and beyond has never been more significant. At a time when the Kingdom is bolstering its culture sector and relaxing some traditionally conservative policies, Etab’s trail- blazing legacy shines bright. Photo: Nick Thompson Born Tarfa Abdel-Kheir Adam in Riyadh, the Afro-Arab singer was raised in the 1950s – an era during which restrictions on social activity held girls like herself back from expressing themselves on public stages.
But that did not stop the young singer, who got her start performing at weddings and other family gatherings at the age of 13. Photo: Nick Thompson Singing her way through subsequent moves to Jeddah and then Kuwait using her newly minted stage name, Etab, the young woman’s big break came in 1972 when she performed at the concert of Egypt’s famed Abdel Halim Hafez. The rising star often honored her Bedouin roots in her songs, never abandoning this side of herself even after settling in Cairo.
It wasn’t long before she achieved bonafide icon status with hits like Gani Al-.
