Riad Kossaïri, son of the late artist Warda (July 22, 1939 – May 17, 2012), spoke on the occasion of her 87th birthday about the behind-the-scenes creation of his book, "Voice, Blood, and Life," which includes several personal details he experienced with his mother. He explained that the book is his first literary publication, through which he tried to express the depth of his closeness to his mother in detail. In a phone interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, he also discussed his relationship with the late Egyptian composer Baligh Hamdi, who married his mother when Riad was six years old.

Riad Kossaïri, who resides in Algeria, pointed out that his book "Voice, Blood, and Life" addresses his life with his mother from various angles, alongside her battles with illness. He confirmed that he had thought about writing it 10 years ago, but his respect for literature and doubts about his writing abilities made him hesitate. He added that he had looked for a writer to pen the book, but recounting deeply private details to someone he didn't know didn't feel right. Therefore, his wife and friends encouraged him, and he began writing sentences and ideas, which gradually developed into paragraphs and chapters until he reached the end of the book.

The cover of Warda's son's new book (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Regarding the reason for writing the book in French, he said that his weakness in Arabic led him to write it in French, explaining that it will be translated into Arabic by a publishing house in Lebanon and distributed throughout the Arab world.

Riad Kossaïri emphasized that the book's content is not a biography of Warda Al-Jazairia, but rather a son's memories, things he witnessed and bore witness to, figures he met, places they went together, childhood stories from family members, and reflections on their roots.

Riad Kossaïri revealed that Warda's life was an open book, so he had no "taboos" in recounting details while writing. However, he kept certain private matters and family secrets to himself, as not everything that happened needs to be told. His guiding measure was always: "Would my mother be satisfied with what I am telling or not?" Therefore, he spent a long time ensuring the appropriateness of what he wrote before releasing it to the public.

Speaking about the most prominent figures mentioned in his book, Riad Kossaïri said that being with his mother allowed him to meet several political and artistic figures. Due to her work, she met many composers, including Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Baligh Hamdi, whose marriage to his mother he touched upon, as well as her relationship with artist Nabila Ebeid, whose loyalty and sincerity toward his mother he described as "a rare relationship in the artistic community."

Warda's son says he is proud of her artistic career (Asharq Al-Awsat)

He denied that there are any current plans for a TV series or film about her life, stating: "Egyptian producer Mohsen Gaber, who owns the rights to all my mother's songs, would certainly know. It is impossible to produce any work without referring to him to approve the use of Warda's songs."

Riad Kossaïri added: "I am not against any artistic work about Warda's biography, but it must be produced with international standards in terms of production, direction, and script. I lean toward presenting her story in a feature film, as series usually suffer from unnecessary stretching and padding."

Kossaïri stressed that he is satisfied with everything his mother did in her life: "I am proud of all her decisions; she bore her responsibilities and they were right, so I have no objection to recounting everything that happened in her life," noting that "adapting her biography from his book is a matter for filmmakers to decide."

Warda with her son and grandson (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Riad Kossaïri mentioned that he is pleased with the celebrations honoring his mother in various artistic forums, such as the Egyptian and Algerian Opera Houses, as well as tributes in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. However, he considers the public's engagement with her songs to be the most important tribute. He added: "My mother left behind a colossal artistic legacy and many masterpieces that continue to be played and resonate with the new generation of audiences and singers."

When asked about the most important and influential composer in Warda's life, Kossaïri chose Baligh Hamdi, considering him "the most prolific in terms of quantity, quality, duration, and achievements." He added: "Baligh was a creative genius who provided many immortal tunes and was a source of exclusive creativity for her. At the same time, however, one cannot deny Mohammed Abdel Wahab's imprint on her journey."

The late artist's son confirmed that he was the source of the rumors regarding the tense relationship between him and Baligh Hamdi at the time of his marriage to his mother—rumors that reached the point of him not accepting Baligh, and perhaps even hating him. He added: "I said it publicly and I will repeat it clearly: putting aside Baligh the composer, I was a six-year-old child who saw my mother separate from my father and marry another man, so I simply didn't like him, no matter what."

Baligh and Warda: A love story that lasted for 7 years (The Story of Warda Book)

Riad Kossaïri continued: "I will borrow what my mother said about Baligh in a media appearance when she described him as a husband: he was 'bohemian' and not serious about marriage and stability, which contributed to my lack of affection for him. Yet, I do not deny his genius as a composer; he is the only one comparable to Abdel Wahab in my view. I even noted in my book that they created masterpieces over a very long period without burning out, unlike some other composers. However, his genius did not and will not change my personal feelings toward him," stressing that "their divorce took place when I was 13 years old, and I had nothing to do with it."

Throughout her long artistic career, Warda Al-Jazairia, who passed away 14 years ago, collaborated with a prominent group of composers and presented numerous romantic and national songs, including "Hekayty Ma Al-Zaman" (My Story with Time), "Al-Ouyoun Al-Soud" (Dark Eyes), "Batounes Bik" (I Enjoy Your Company), "Haramt Ahibak" (I Vowed Not to Love You), "Lola Al-Malamah" (Had It Not Been for the Blame), and "Ana Ala Al-Rababa B-aghany" (I Sing on the Rababa). She also starred in cinematic films such as "Almaz and Abdo Al-Hamouli" with Adel Mamoun, "Amirat Al-Arab" (Princess of the Arabs), "Hekayty Ma Al-Zaman," "Ah Ya Leil Ya Zaman" (Oh Night, Oh Time) with Rushdy Abaza, and "Sout Al-Hob" (Voice of Love) with Hassan Youssef, in addition to participating in television dramas such as "Awraq Al-Ward" (Leaves of the Rose) and "Aan Al-Awan" (It Is Time).