Amal al-Atrash was a Druze princess of Syrian-Lebanese origin who grew up in Cairo. The family lived in poverty but regularly hosted influential musicians from the city. It was soon obvious that Amal and her brother Farid were very talented. Under the name Asmahan, ‘the exalted’, Amal started performing in the concert halls of Cairo from the early 1930s. She quickly became a success, thanks to her exceptional voice and her talent for improvisation.
In the eyes of her eldest brother she led a dissolute life. He invoked the Druze tradition and obliged her to marry. She found it impossible to reconcile her life as a housewife and mother in As-Suwayda, in south-west Syria, with her career as an artist, and she suffered from depression. After her divorce, Asmahan returned to Cairo where, during the Second World War, she chose the side of the Allies.
