establishment was closed, and their family expelled. They made plans to move to Hamra, a district of Beirut known for its nightlife. However, her mother died before they could arrive. Warda sang in Beirut's cabarets. In 1959, at a casino in Aley, she met the composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab, who taught her the art of classical singing and adapted the poet Ahmed Shawqi's qasida "Bi-Omri Kullo Habbitak" for her. This led to her introduction to the Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, who suggested that she be cast in a pan-Arab opera and perform the song "Al Watan Al Akbar" by Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Warda recorded it, as did other singers such as Abdel Halim Hafez and Fayza Ahmed. The Egyptian director of musicals, Helmy Rafla, signed her to a contract, enabling her to pursue a musical and film career in Egypt. She appeared in two of Rafla's films, "Almaz We Abdo El-Hamouly" and "Amirat al-Arab." Career interruption Warda's father died in 1961. After independence, she went to Algeria for the first time and married an officer who forbade her to sing. She took a ten-year hiatus from music, instead choosing to raise her children. She had a daughter named Widad and a son named Riad, who was named after the composer Riad Al Sunbati. Return to singing In 1972, at the request of Algerian president Houari Boumédiène, Warda took part in the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Algeria's independence by performing in Algiers with an Egyptian orchestra. Following that performance, Warda and her husband divorced by mutual consent, and she decided to resume her career. She returned permanently to Egypt, where she married the composer Baligh Hamdi. She enjoyed great popularity and had the opportunity to work with the greatest Arab composers, such as Helmi Bakr, Riad Al Sunbati, Sadok Thraya, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Mohammed Al-Mougi, and Sayed Mekawy. Egyptian president Anwar Sadat banned her from performing in Egypt because a song from her repertoire, "Inkan el-Ghala Yenzad", praised the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. The ban was lifted thanks to the intervention of his wife Jehan. In 1979, Warda returned to France to give a recital at the Olympia. Since the 1990s In 1990, Warda divorced her second husband, who died in Paris three years later. Her career went into eclipse as new musical styles emerged. However, she was able to return to the forefront due to her popular