The story behind the Amr Diab song chosen by Malaysia's PM to welcome Sisi

Egyptian pop superstar Amr Diab and his famous song “Tamally Maak” (Always With You) trended on social media after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim selected the track as the background music for photos posted on his official Instagram account.

The photos captured his reception of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi upon the latter’s arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Friday, marking the start of his visit to Malaysia.

The choice of song—originally released on an Amr Diab album in 2000 and still popular with audiences 26 years later— was well-received, while the buzz drew renewed attention to the song’s history and its widespread appeal beyond the Arab world.

Significant Milestone

The album “Tamally Maak” was released in 2000, a period that witnessed shifts in the style of Egyptian music—spanning everything from musical arrangements to the collaborative dynamics between singers, lyricists, and composers.

The album helped popularize a new genre of Egyptian pop by blending Eastern melodies with Western musical arrangements.

The album cover bore the credit “Artistic Vision by Amr Diab and Tarek Madkour,” highlighting the creative partnership that helped shape Diab’s musical identity—one defined by the fusion of Western rhythms and Eastern melodies.

Album Contributors

The album “Tamally Maak” featured a number of lyricists and composers who went on to become renowned figures in the Egyptian music industry, including Amir Teima, Rabie al-Sioufi, and Ahmed Ali Moussa, alongside Ayman Bahgat Kamar, Mohamed Refaei, and Bahaa al-Din Mohamed.

The album also included compositions by Amr Mostafa, Sherif Tag, Walid Saad, and Essam Karika, with Amr Diab himself contributing to the songwriting.

Several of the album’s tracks bore titles phrased as questions—such as “Wa Keda Eini Einak?” (Just Like That, Right in Front of Everyone?), “Weya Amla Eih?” (And How Is She Doing?), “A’mel Eih?” (What Should I Do?), and “Law Kan Yardik?” (If It Pleases You?)—while the song “Qalbi Ikhtarak” (My Heart Chose You) became associated in the minds of some listeners with the phrase “Aref Leih Ana Qalbi Ikhtarak?” (Do You Know Why My Heart Chose You?).

“Tamally Maak”

“Tamally Maak” was the first song Amr Diab recorded for the titular album.

It was composed by Sherif Tag, with lyrics by the late poet Ahmed Ali Moussa—marking his debut as a songwriter.

Ahmed Ali Moussa was just 18 years old when he mailed the lyrics to Amr Diab’s home, including his name and phone number.

This marked the beginning of the journey for a song that would go on to become one of Diab’s most famous works.

The word “Tamally” (meaning “always” or “constantly”) caught Amr Diab’s attention due to its distinctly Egyptian character and rhythmic quality—particularly given that the artist Mohamed Fawzi had previously released a song titled “Tamally Fi Qalbi” (Always in My Heart).

The song’s arrangement blended Latin pop and flamenco, utilizing guitars, electronic rhythms, and live instrumentation, while its musical intro became one of its most recognizable features for audiences.

Sung in Various Languages

The reach of the song “Tamally Maak” extended far beyond the Arab world; numerous artists have covered it in various languages, including Bulgarian, Hindi, Turkish, Spanish, Albanian, Greek, and Armenian.

According to available information regarding the song’s various versions, Bulgarian singer Ivana performed it in Bulgarian in 2002, followed by Amir Jameel in Hindi in 2004 and Erkan Hakan in Turkish in 2006.

In 2007, a Spanish version by Antonio Carmona appeared, alongside versions in other languages—such as Albanian by Gazi, Greek by Lefteris Pantazis, and Armenian by Olga.

Twenty-six years after the album’s release, “Tamally Maak” is now back in the spotlight – highlighting its enduring appeal.