Muḥammad al-Sab‘

Biography

In his 1936 account, Qustandi Rizq places Muhammad al-Sab’s birth in Damietta in 1870.

He says the young man learnt reading and writing and memorized part of the Quran before becoming a professional singer. His maternal grandfather opposed singing as an occupation because of its social stigma. The account distinguishes early education from the objection to his profession; it does not say that the family opposed Quran study. Al-Sab began singing at Khawaga Dilia’s cafe in Mansura, on al-Bahr al-Azam. Rizq describes the support of Nicolas Qassis, a relative of Damietta’s Mansa family, following their recommendation. After hearing him, Abdallah al-Qanunji brought him to Cairo and trained him in singing. The passage identifies his teacher by this professional name; it does not explicitly supply the surname Mansa or say that Qassis introduced them. According to Rizq, he worked at the Jabalaya in Azbakiyya while Muhammad Uthman and Shaykh Yusuf performed in the garden opposite. Hamuli heard him while walking with his children and recruited him to his takht. Al-Sab spent seven years as Hamuli’s assistant, learning rhythmic cycles and timing as well as singing.