Atrash was part of a musical family: His mother, 'Aliyah,' supported the family by singing, and his sister, Asmahan, appeared with him in many movies. He was born in Syria, but moved to Egypt with his mother, when he was around nine years old. Singer/instrumentalist/composer al-Abash was notable for a deep voice with an evocative quality of poignancy, the fact that within the pop field he sang in styles regarded as 'authentic' in both Egypt and the Levant, and above all for his extensive use of the ud.
