Kamal El-Tawil was born on 11 October 1922, and studied singing at the Higher Institute for Music, graduated in 1949 and turned to composition. He worked in the Egyptian Radio until 1956, when he moved to the Ministry of Education, in which he remained until 1965. For several years, he worked as an adviser to the Ministry of Information in Kuwait.

Although cultured and proficient in several foreign languages, El-Tawil, ironically for a composer, never mastered a musical instrument. He was known to depend on the internal music of the poetry he was trying to set to music.

Among al-Tawil's most famous compositions is Salah Jahin's Wallah Zaman ya Silahi (It's Been Long, My Gun), first sung by diva Umm Kulthoum during the Suez crisis of 1956 and for years afterwards Egypt's national anthem. Indeed, al-Tawil is often remembered for the upbeat melodies to which he set to nationalist songs inspired by the July 1952 Revolution such as Hikayet Shaab (Story of People), al-Mas'uliya (Responsibility), Bustan al- Ishtirakiya (Orchard of Socialism), Sura (Photo) and Khalli el- Silah Sahi (Keep the Weapon Awake). Along with poets such as Jahin and Abdel-Rahman al-Abnoudi and the famous singer Abdel- Halim Hafez, al-Tawil is associated Fasmarani with the promotion of the revolution. He also composed the music for the national anthems of several Arab countries including Kuwait and Mauritania.

His music in the form of songs was propagated by the Arab world's most famous singers including Nagat, Sabah and Warda. It was with Hafez in particular that he forged a special relationship, and they cooperated on many songs. Their romantic melodies, such as Asmar Y Asmarani (Oh Brunette One) Fi Yawm Fi Shahr Fi Sana (One Day, One Month, One Year) and Balash Eitab (No Need for Blame) remain popular to this day. Also among his most famous songs are those from the soundtrack of the famous film Khalli Balak Min Zouzou (Beware of Zouzou), starring Soad Hosni, like Ya Wad Ya T'il (Cool One), which remain integral to popular culture and are associated with the memory of Soad Hosni.

Al-Tawil adapted himself over the years and to continue to work with younger generations of artists after Hafez's untimely death. Among his more recent hits, for example, was Mohamed Mounir's Alli Sawtak Bil-Ghuna (Raise Your Voice in Singing), the theme song for Youssef Chahine's Al-Masir (Destiny). He composed soundtracks for numerous films and television dramas including a documentary on Naguib Mahfouz and Huwa wa Hiyya (Him and Her).

Al-Tawil's political commitment was not limited to patriotic songs. In fact, despite the composer's association with the July 1952 Revolution and after briefly joining the leftist Tagammu' Party, he ran for parliament and was a Wafd Party MP from 1987 to 1990. As an MP, al-Tawil is best remembered for raising discussions of problems related to money investment companies in parliament in the late 1980s.

Priorto his death, al-Tawil had just received the State Merit Award. He is survived by his wife Paola Ezzat and two sons, Khaled and Ziyad, with the latter establishing a reputation as a composer.