Already a renowned star with decades of success under her belt, Umm Kulthum marked the beginning of an extraordinary creative partnership with emerging composer Baligh Hamdi with Hob Eih, a 1960 smash based on lyrics by Mohamed Abdel Wahab. In this live iteration of the song, she lays her imposing, sorrowful vocals over the orchestra’s glorious melodic flourishes to exuberant reception from the audience. And that was just the start, as the two artists’ powerful alliance would gift Egyptian music and the wider Arabic repertory with some of their most influential and thrilling offerings.