Omar Khorshid (Arabic: عمر خورشيد) (October 9, 1945 – May 29, 1981) was an Egyptian musician, composer, accompanist, and actor. Born in Cairo, Khorshid was a well-known guitarist who accompanied many Arabic singers, including Umm Kulthum, Abdel Wahab, and Abdel Halim Hafez.

Biography

As a child, Khorshid taught himself the violin, guitar and piano, which eventually led him to a private music institute in downtown Cairo for further instruction. In 1966, Khorshid formed a band with friends called "Le Petite Chats" (The Small Cats), a band that played music influenced by Western sounds. The group played in small venues and eventually worked their way up in terms of fame.

From 1973 to 1977, Khorshid moved to Lebanon and began recording albums under his own name for Lebanese record labels such as Voice Of The Orient and Voice of Lebanon. Working with audio engineer Nabil Moumtaz at Polysound Studios in Beirut, Khorshid worked harder to progress his musical style. However, due to the Lebanese Civil War, Khorshid was forced to move elsewhere to continue his career. In 1977, Egyptian president Anwar Sadat invited Khorshid to perform in America at the White House for American president Jimmy Carter. Though many saw this performance as peaceful, conservatives in the Middle-East who saw the United States as Zionist viewed it as a betrayal.

In 1978, Khorshid spent a year in Syria, acting in films and performing at various venues. In 1979, driven by a bigger desire for cinematic fulfillment, Khorshid returned to Egypt to pursue a film career. He directed and acted in films and performed live until his death in 1981.