In news that saddened his fans and the artistic community, popular singer Reda El Bahrawy announced the passing of his mother this morning, Tuesday, after a long battle with illness. El Bahrawy shared the heartbreaking news with his fans on his official social media accounts, sparking a wave of condolences and prayers for the deceased and for the artist and his family.

A moving obituary, funeral details, and condolences

In poignant words reflecting the depth of his loss, Reda El Bahrawy mourned his mother, saying, "To God we belong and to Him we shall return. My mother is in God's care… May God have mercy on you, my mother, and make your grave a garden of Paradise, and reunite us with you in the Gardens of Bliss. Please pray for her mercy and forgiveness." El Bahrawy also revealed details of the funeral arrangements, stating that the funeral prayer for the deceased will be held after the noon prayer on Tuesday at the Awara Mosque in Tanta, his hometown, to which he was always deeply attached.

The artist also announced that condolences for his mother will be received tomorrow, Wednesday, in the city of Tanta, in the presence of family, friends and close relatives, so that her fans and relatives can offer their condolences and sympathy for their great loss.

Background about the artist and his career

Reda El Bahrawy is considered one of the most prominent stars of popular Egyptian music in recent years. He launched his career in Tanta, Gharbia Governorate, and with his powerful voice and distinctive performance style, he has built a wide fan base. He is known for his unique blend of authentic Egyptian folk music and modern "festival" rhythms, making him a regular guest at social events and weddings throughout Egypt. His songs, such as "Ibn Dami" (My Blood Son) and "Ana El Malek" (I Am the King), have garnered millions of views on platforms like YouTube, cementing his position as one of the most important voices in his field.

A long struggle with illness and the impact of loss

The late artist's mother had been suffering from a severe health crisis recently, which led to a significant deterioration in her condition, requiring her transfer to intensive care several times for treatment. Despite the doctors' efforts and continuous monitoring, she passed away due to complications from her illness. Bahrawi was always known for his deep bond with his mother and family, which explains the profound grief he is experiencing, reflected in the outpouring of support from his fans who rushed to offer their condolences through thousands of comments and messages.

This event represents a sad turning point in the artist's personal life, and he is expected to step away from the spotlight and artistic activity for a while to mourn his mother, while waiting to overcome this ordeal with the support of his family and fans.

Amidst the cultural events of the Cairo International Book Fair, one of the most prominent cultural gatherings in the Arab world, Egyptian poet and journalist Mohamed Hamida released his new poetry collection, "The Dictionary of Paradise." Published by Shams Publishing and Media Foundation, this work adds a new dimension to the literary scene, blending profound experience with the beauty of Egyptian colloquial Arabic.

Cultural context and the importance of the event

The Cairo International Book Fair, first launched in 1969, is a major platform for writers, publishers, and intellectuals in the Middle East. Launching a new literary work during its events grants it significant media and public attention, placing it at the heart of the annual cultural debate. The poetry collection "Dictionary of Paradise" comes within this context, offering readers a new poetic experience within the tradition of Egyptian colloquial poetry, which has deep roots in the popular consciousness and was championed by great poets such as Salah Jahin and Ahmed Fouad Negm.

A critical reading of "The Dictionary of Paradise"

The collection, the poet's fifth, comprises 39 poems written in Egyptian colloquial Arabic. It received critical attention from art critic Dr. Rehab El-Din El-Hawary, who praised Hamida's poetic language, describing it as "refined colloquial Arabic" whose structures approach classical Arabic while retaining the warmth and intimacy of the Egyptian vernacular. El-Hawary noted that the poet begins his collection with the duality of "book/dictionary" in the poem "The Book Was in My Right Hand," lending the poem a special sanctity and making love a framework that blends dreamy romanticism with mystical symbolism.

Style and internal music

Al-Hawari explained that Hamida's poems rely on a quiet "inner music" that avoids harsh rhyme, making the texts seem like a sincere and spontaneous outpouring of emotion. The poet successfully condensed entire narrative stories, using vocabulary that reflects the stages of human experience, from "beginning" and "dream" to "challenge" and "anxiety," culminating in "surrender to beauty." He also used nature and its elements (trees, fruit, trunks) as a mirror reflecting human emotions, highlighting his ability to adapt colloquial language to serve the profound philosophical meanings of love and existence.

Poetic images and existential questions

The critic noted the collection's richness in visual imagery and the technique of "anthropomorphizing inanimate objects," where streets and doors become sentient beings that feel and move, as in the line: "All the streets in winter lean against the walls." He described this opening as brilliant because it captures a state of "need for warmth" and support. Al-Hawari also delved into the profound existential questions and pain in Hamida's texts, particularly in the poem "Our Neighborhood's Children Don't Sleep," where the poet asks: "And how can the winter night sleep in the arms of naked children?" This brings the text to a peak of anguish, evoking feelings of fear and pity in the reader.

The writer's journey

It is worth mentioning that the poet Mohamed Hamida has several previous publications that varied between poetry, research and travel literature, including the poetry collection “The Homeland’s Garment is Engraved with the Blood of the Poplar” (2011), the research book “The Sacred Killing” (2015), the poetry collection “A Night Dreaming of Solace” (2016), and the book “Cairo/Marrakech – A Journalistic Journey to the Atlas Mountains” (2025), which reflects a rich and diverse literary career.