In the mid-1950s, Egyptian composer, singer, and actor Mohamed Fawzi (1918–1966) envisioned something revolutionary: a truly Egyptian record company that could produce, press, and distribute music independently of foreign control. All labels publishing Egyptian music to that point had been European or only partially owned by Egyptians, including Cairophon, which was founded by the Lebanese Baida family of Baidaphon fame, although composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab owned a significant stake in it.
Fawzi's first step was to launch Misrphon (Misr being the Arabic word for Egypt), a music production company, in partnership with a friend, Hasan Surour al-Sabban. The two produced shellac 78s, but after wooing Philips, which had a longstanding footing in the area as Philips Orient, Fawzi convinced them to help him build Africa and the Arabic world's first-ever local record pressing plant. In 1957, Fawzi launched Masna‘ al-Sharq li al-Ustawanat (The Orient Record Factory) in Cairo. The first record printed was by his sister, the superstar Hoda Sultan.
Fawzi and Sultan were born into a large family in a village near Tanta, and studied music at Tanta Elementary School. Fawzi went on to achieve success in the music and film industries, composing some 400-500 songs for the biggest stars of the era, including, on occasion, himself.
The composer-entrepreneur's gamble paid off: Because printing vinyl locally was so much cheaper than getting things pressed and shipped from Europe, he was able to offer the biggest stars of the day more money than any of his competitors, and quickly rounded up the country's hottest line-up, including Shadia, Sabah, and Oum Kalthoum.
In 1959, Fawzi met again with Philips to forge an official partnership with an eye toward further modernization, and in June, Philips Orient bought out al-Sabban’s share in the press. It was, unfortunately the beginning of the end of Fawzi's career and, soon after, his life.
Beginning in 1961, President Gamal Abdel Nasser’s socialist government began nationalizing key industries. Misrphon was placed under administrative supervision that year, and in 1962, the state took full control. In early 1964, the newly formed Sono Cairo (Sawt al-Qahira, “The Voice of Cairo”) acquired Fawzi’s shares and later that year bought out Philips, dissolving Misrphon for good.
Fawzi was given a small office, a nominal monthly salary of 100 Egyptian pounds (around $65), and no authority -- an ironic fate, given his nationalist vision (and name) for his label, not to mention the fact that he composed numerous popular patriotic songs, including Algeria's national anthem.
Devastated, Fawzi wrote to Nasser:
"You nationalized my company and factory, which I built with my life savings and dreams. I have nothing left."
He died just two years later, in 1966. He was 48 years old.
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