Oum Kalthoum, nicknamed "the Star of the Orient," "the Diva," the "People's Singer," the "Nightingale of the Nile," or the "Fourth Pyramid," is one of the greatest singers in the Arab world. Beginning her career in 1922, she recorded several hundred songs accompanied by a traditional orchestra that continues to grow. Through her art, she was able to unite Arabs beyond their divisions, and, as such, is considered the voice of Arab identity and unity. Involved in the evolution of Egyptian society and the Arab nation, Oum Kalthoum sang of the revolution, the evacuation of British forces from Egyptian territory, and became, with Nasser's rise to power, the embodiment of pan-Arabism. Her song, "Wallah Zaman Ya Silahi," became the national anthem of the United Arab Republic in 1960.
