Halim El Roumi

Halim El Roumi (in Arabic حليم الرومي) (c. 1920 – 1983), born Hanna Baradhy (ﺣﻨﺎ ﺑﺭﺍﺩﻋي), was a Lebanese musician. He was the father of the Lebanese singer, Majida El Roumi.

Born in Nazareth in Palestine, El Roumi started his artistic life as an amateur in 1935 and then enrolled in the High Institute of Arabic Music in Egypt where he acquired his diploma in 1939. He worked in Egyptian radio station and Radio Orient (إذاعة الشرق الأدنى) until the year 1950 when he was offered a job in the Radio Lebanon( إذاعة لبنان)station as the head of the Music section, a job which he retained for 30 years.

El Roumi was the one who discovered Nuhad Hadad (Fairuz). He heard her singing in a school concert and offered her a job at Radio Lebanon in April 1950. He chose the name Fairuz for her and trained her until she was ready to present her first songs like "You left My Heart" (Tarakt Albi), "Love You No Matter What I See From You" (A7ibak Mahma Ashouf Minak). He also worked with several other singers like Nasri Shamseddine, Mary Jubran, Wadih El Safi, Nour El Houda, Sabah, Souad Mohamad, Fayza Ahmed, Najat El Saghera.

He also supported his daughter Majida El Roumi after initially objecting to it. But after hearing her sing "Ya Toyour" in the musical contest program "Studio El Fan", he agreed. He composed "Ounshoudat al Ummahat" for her, followed by a string of hits like "Iter", "La Taghdabi", "Salawna", "Lubnan Qalbi", "Isma3 Albi", "Marart Fi Khayali", "Ya Mkahhal Rimshak","Ya M3azzeb Albi,"Ya La'emi Fi Hawak and "Mimi".

In addition the songs he presented in his own voice, El Roumi participated in few movies such "Moon 14" (Amar 14). He died in 1983 at age 63, after around 10 years of struggling with diabetes.