Cairo: Egyptian folk singer Shaaban Abdul Rahim died on Tuesday at a hospital in Cairo, according to local media reports.
Abdul Rahim, who died at 62, was admitted to the intensive care unit at Maadi Military Hospital following his return from Saudi Arabia, where he appeared on a wheelchair during the Riyadh Season concert due to a bone disease, the local media reported.
Essam, the singer’s son said that his father’s health condition deteriorated on the early morning of Tuesday.
Known for his catchy, politically-themed lyrics, the pop singer recently performed at Riyadh season in Saudi Arabia on a wheelchair due to the severity of his illness.
Abdul Rahim later explained that his leg broke after he slipped and fell at home. When asked why he was performing on the wheelchair, he said: “I sing using my mouth, and when I was invited I told them I was sick, they said we would get a wheelchair for you. The audience was happy but felt sad for me being sick.”
His son revealed that the funeral would be held on Tuesday afternoon at Sayyidah Nafisa Mosque. “I am currently at Maadi military hospital to finish the burial permits,” Essam said in a press statement.
The Musicians Syndicate extended its condolences and sympathies to the late singer’s family, adding that Egypt’s music community has lost one of its most prominent folk artists. The syndicate also stated that it has begun making funeral arrangements for the late singer, whose memorial service is set to take place at the Sayyidah Nafisa Mosque.
Abdul Rahim, also known as Shaabola, was an Egyptian folklore (Shaabi) singer. He was born on March 15, 1957, in Al Sharabiya neighbourhood in Cairo. Before becoming a singer, He worked for many years as a laundry presser before becoming a singer and soon become known for his political lyrics songs.
Abdul Rahim performed a large number of songs that were very popular in the Arab world, most notably “I will stop smoking”, and “I Hate Israel”, which caused a great deal of controversy. He also took part in a number of movies and plays.
