Damascus History Foundation- Correcting Biography of Rafiq Shykry on Arabic Wikipedia

In accordance with Bilad al-Sham WikiMedia, History of Damascus Foundation continues to improve the digital content related to the history of the city of Damascus on the Global Arabic Encyclopedia –Wikipedia. In this respect, it has corrected the biography of the Syrian singer Rafiq Shukry, who was one of Damascus Broadcast’s founders.

According to Damascus History Foundation, Rafiq Shukry (1923-1969), who was very famous in the fifties of last century, was born in the Damascene neighborhood of Midan. He received his education in Damascene  schools and showed an interest in folk music, playing the oud in the style of Egyptian musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab, which brought him fame in the Damascene community.

Shukry worked with music composer Omar al-Halaby in many songs like O Sun, Go Down, May Lovers Stay Safe, and They Took Maha Away with Them. In 1947, he started work at Damascus Broadcast, singing for love, family and the Syrian national cause. Following the 1948 Nakba war, Shukry made an anthem for the Palestinian people (Repatriation Oath), and (The Strive Anthem) singing lyrics of poet Sulaiman al –Issa.

Afterwards, Shukry worked in acting among the cast of Light and Darkness movie with Lebanese actress Ivette Feghaly. In 1958, he acted in Daughter of the Desert movie with Egyptian singer Mohammad al Kahlawy.

Shukry sang in celebration of the 1958 Egyptian-Syrian unification. He also sang verses by the poet Nizar Qabany. He composed music for senior singers like Karawan and Mary Jubran, and worked with Su’ad Mohammad and Fayza Ahmad when the latter used to sing in Radio cinema, located at the end of Hamidiya Market whose name was changed later on to Nasr cinema.

In 1952, Shukry was invited to Jordan to participate in the inauguration ceremony of King Hussein bin Talal, and to Cairo- Egypt to meet president Jamal Abdul Naser. 

Shukry also worked in Voice of the Arabs in Egypt and Baghdad Radio, in addition to his work at Damascus Broadcast, which he continued with  from 1947 until his death in 1969.

Rayan Faouri