She grew up in a Saudi family that loved music and appreciated talent. At a time when women singers were few and their names not well-known, she was a sought-after singer all over the Kingdom. For more than two decades, Tuha was the main female singer; she had her own style and presence. She cooperated with famous men singers on some songs and helped to launch the careers of some others. After 42 years as a performer, she continues to sing and contribute to the Saudi music scene. Although she is not in demand as much as in the past and her name is less famous than it was, she still has many fans who want only Tuha and will accept no substitute. Arab News visited her in her home in Bawadi and reminisced with her about the old days and also listened to her opinions about some of the new entertainers.
She was born Fathia Hasan Ahmed Yehya, the youngest child among four sisters and an elder brother. Her father was a financial auditor and was posted to different cities; Tuha was in fact born in the Eastern Province and came to Makkah at age 5. When he noticed his daughter’s aptitude for music, he encouraged her to learn to play the oud. He himself played oud and her brother, her uncle and her cousin all played a musical instrument. Her older brother had the greatest influence on her and it was he who encouraged and nurtured her talent. “Once when my brother was away when I was about nine or ten, I picked up his oud and played it. Of course when he came home, he knew that somebody had used his instrument and was upset. He told my father who then bought me a small oud — a Yamani oud.”
Tuha’s father died when she was young but her passion for music continued. “I saved my pocket money to buy records which cost SR15 in those days. And that was a lot of money then.” Her brother realized how she loved music and so taught her to play oud; he made a condition, however, that she continue her education. She went to elementary school where she learned to read and write and she studied Qur’an at home.
After her father’s death, the family moved to Jeddah. “I began singing at parties when I was 13. The first party was a sabou — the celebration on the seventh day after a birth. I was so small that I sat on several cushions so that people could see me.” There were some well-known singers at the time and older women in the community who loved traditional songs, well-known singers and older women in the community listened to Tuha and taught her what they knew, including the traditonal Hijazi melodies known as danat.
Tuha soon became the family’s main financial support, especially after the death of her brother some 16 years ago. She supported her mother, her sisters and some nephews and nieces. “I didn’t care much for men; I dedicated my life to music and my family.” After performing several times, she found that she was often asked to sing at weddings and charitable events and was pleased to realize that she had quite a few fans. “My immediate family did not object to what I was doing but one of my uncles did. He wanted to disown me and throw me out of the family. Then it happened that his daughter was getting married and she wanted me to sing at the wedding. My uncle came, apologized and treated me with love and respect. He himself escorted me to the wedding which was held on the roof of their house. With that, I got approval from my family and there were no further problems.”
She worked closely with her brother, Amin Yehya, and together they wrote and recorded many songs. Talal Maddah and Fawzi Mahsoon are among the singers Tuha worked with in writing, composing and singing. She looks on Fawzi Mahsoon almost as a brother; they worked on many songs which became very popular. “My compositions always come from traditional music.” She began composing some 30 years ago and one of her songs was made famous by the Kuwaiti singer, Abdullah Al-Rowaished. She also influenced other talented performers such as Abadi Al-Jowhar whose mother was one of her musicians. It was Tuha who taught him to play the oud. “I admit that he is now the best oud player. I have taught women too but none made it to the top as he did. Now I teach a few young men.” She receives many requests for lessons from would-be performers but usually she encourages them to complete their education and focus on that. Music, she pointed out, is very time-consuming and takes real commitment if it is more than a hobby.
When asked about modern music and today’s popular singers, she said, “I don’t like the new songs because they don’t last; some of them don’t even last a month.” She does, however, try to keep up with the latest songs and to sing what people ask her to — but only if she likes the songs and feels that they are worth her time and effort. One of her old songs — ‘He Signaled to Her With a Handkerchief’ — became popular and many sang it though without giving her credit. Abdullah Al-Rowaished, however, credited her and also acknowledged 15 of her songs which he sang.
Tuha does not approve of many of today’s young singers, especially the women. “To me their voices are all the same; you can’t differentiate between them. My advice to them would be that singing is not about the microphone or a loud voice. It is about respect and intelligence and knowing what is right for the singer and the audience.” Neither does she approve of using DJs at parties. “They make so much noise that you can’t hear the singer!” She pointed out, “In the past, there were drums which accompanied the singer but today, people insist on big drums which make a lot of noise and drown out the singer.” She feels too that there are too many musicians accompanying most singers. “If you are confident of your voice, you don’t need so many instruments, especially the loud drums. Many of today’s female singers don’t play any instrument. When I hear them singing traditional songs, I am shocked to hear the words have been changed and they are not singing from the heart. They scream instead of singing and no voice can last if treated that way; they will not last for ten years because of abusing their voices. If it weren’t for the amplifiers and sound engineers altering and enhancing their voices, people wouldn’t listen to them.”
Tuha loves poetry and writes her own poems and lyrics. In her library are many volumes of as well as issues of old newspapers. She has between 300 and 400 songs which have not been recorded. She signed with a production company 3 years ago but although 4 new songs have been produced, she has received the profits for only one. “They say that the market is slow. It is a tiring process for me because I write the songs, compose and sing them.” In her house are all kinds of musical instruments and the miniatures of instruments she collected during her travels all over the world.
“Music gave me love for the audience and people and allowed me to show my love for them. It gave me their respect for me and my respect for them. It developed me. I have never regretted going into music. I made many friends and I know they love me and I still love them.”
