Sayyid Shaṭā

Biography

Sayyid Shata combined singing, composition and acting.

Sayyid Ali Ismail documents his work with Amin Sidqi and Mounira al-Mahdiyya, and his joint composition with Ibrahim Fawzi for Ya Rayih Qul lil-Gay. Fathi Zaghanda places his Tunisian theatre career within Sayyid Darwish’s musical influence. He names Cleopatra, Al-‘Ashara al-Tayyiba and the African troupe’s Kawkab. This documents a theatrical tradition, rather than formal studies with Darwish. CMAM dates the Pathé record Al-Bint al-Hilwa Ghamazitni to 1926 and names Shata as composer. Its accompanying biography describes his Tunisian residence and contributions to songs, qasidas and religious music. Specific archive credits document his association with Fathia Khairy: Ma Than-ha, with Abd al-Razzaq Karbaka’s words and Shata’s music, and Ana Bint al-Rif al-Fallaha / Layla wa Zina. These identify composer and performer without turning catalogue numbers into composition dates. AMAR’s transcript documents Shata and Amin Hasanein jointly presenting and performing Ahin al-Nafs on Tunis radio, without fixing the programme’s duration.