Abu Bakr Salem

Abu Bakr Salem Balfaqih was a Yemeni singer born on March 17, 1939 in Tarim,Hadhramout. He is also nicknamed Abu Aseel, The Father of Khaleeji Music ., and The one with the golden larynx. Abu Bakr is famously known in the Arab world by his unique riveting voice. He is one of the few musicians in the Arab world who succeeded at being a singer, poet, and composer at the same time and thus, he is considered a complete artist. Before drawing his path in the music world, Abu Bakr worked as a teacher for three years, drawing on his training at a teachers’ institute in Yemen. Some of Abu Bakr's patriotic odes to Yemen celebrated the significant historical events such as the abolition of the monarchy in the north in 1962, the independence of the south in 1967, and the unification of both the South and North Yemen in 1990. In addition to the Yemeni nationality, Abu Bakr also held the Saudi nationality after he moved to Saudi Arabia in the 70's. During his musical career, he worked with other pioneers in the Khaleeji music field including Talal Maddah, Tariq Abdul-Hakim and Shadi Gulf. His last release was a duet with young Yemeni singer and winner of the “Khaleeji Star” Fouad Abdulwahed. Abu Bakr Salem died on December 10, 2017.