"Helwa ya baladi" (Egyptian Arabic: حلوة يا بلدي; "Oh Sweet, My Homeland") is an Egyptian Arabic song by Dalida from 1979,[1] enjoying great popularity in the Middle East and the Arab diaspora.[2][3][4] The song is an homage to Egypt, Dalida's birthplace, and is considered representative of the nationalistic pride felt by many Egyptians.[5][6][7]
"Helwa ya baladi" | |
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![]() Cover of single | |
Song by Dalida | |
Released | 1979 (1979) |
Recorded | 1979 |
Studio | CBE |
Genre |
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Length | 3:33 |
Label | International Shows |
Composer(s) |
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Lyricist(s) | Marwan Saada |
Producer(s) | Orlando |
It was sung by tens to hundreds of thousands of Egyptians who demonstrated in Tahrir Square during the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.[8]
The song is composed in the key of C minor, although the chorus is in F minor. It is the second song in Arabic language for Dalida after her hit "Salma Ya Salama". Dalida sang it during French television broadcasts.
The song was also registered in French as "Comment l'oublier" in 1982, in Spanish (despite the Italian title) as "Io t'amerò" in 1984 and remixed in Spanish for the album Le rêve oriental in 1998.
The song has been covered many times notably by French-Israeli singer Ishtar in 2005 in the album Je sais d'où je viens in Arabic and Spanish. It was also recorded by the Lebanese singer Elissa in 2014 in her album Halet Hob.