Google Sets Up Doodle To Celebrate 74Th Birthday Of Singer Warder Al-Jazairia

By Kudzai Muza

Newspoint Africa, July 23, 2013

Algerian singer Warda al-Jazairia performs during the Beirut's music and art festival September 2, 2011.  Image: Mohamed Azakir

The Algerian-Lebanese singer Warda Al-Jazairia was born on this day in 1939. She died at the age of 72 last year after she suffered from cardiac arrest.

She was given a state funeral in Algeria. Google is today celebrating her birthday by setting up a doodle in the countries in the Middle East and North Africa. She was famous for singing patriotic Algerian songs.

Google's Knowledge Graph is also showing some of her works. She was born on July 22, 1939, to a Lebanese mother and an Algerian father in Puteaux. Her real name was Warda Fatouki. She was commonly referred to as `Warda'.

Warda came to Egypt in 1960, after receiving an invitation from producer and director Helmy Rafla. After that, she stayed in Ciaro and has played roles in films like Ah ya leil ya zaman, Hekayti maa al-Zaman, leih ya Donya and Sout al-Hobb.

Gamal abdel Nasser, the Former President, was known to have requested her to sing a part in his famous song `Watani Habibi'.

The singer passed away at her home in Ciaro on May 17, 2012, after suffering from a heart attack. She was transported to the Algerian capital for burial upon the request of Algerian President abdel Aziz Bouteflika.