Preserving the Identity of Arab Music: Riadh al-Sonbati was born in Mansoura in 1906. Since his early years, he showed interest in music. An eye-disease prompted his father to teach him old songs and to play the zither. At that time, he adored Sayed Darwish and fell in love with the lute and later turned to be one of the best lute-players in the world at large.

Sonbati is a prominent Egyptian composer and pioneer of Arabic music, who remained in the limelight for almost half a century. His talent was quite evident at an early stage. At the age of 18, his intuitive propensity to music was discovered by his father, Mohammed al-Sonbati, a local popular singer and an adroit lute player, who was widely admired by the local community of his home village of Sonbat in the Delta countryside.

The young Riadh learnt from his father how to perform old style songs and often accompanied him to wedding parties where the father presented songs. He frequently met Umm Kulthoum on those occasions, when she was a child, she accompanied her father, who also used to perform songs at wedding parties. His talent and love of music was further stimulated through his father's close relationship with the famous singer Sayed Darweash. This gave him the opportunity to memorize many unique songs, which later gave him a distinguished position as a student of the Music Institute. In al- Mansoura, his music teacher, Mahmoud Sha'ban supported him and gave him a scientific background in the basics of music. At the age of 20, Al-Sonbati decided to polish his talent through regular schooling. He moved to Cairo, where he joined the Arabic Music Institute, after passing vocal tests. Interesting enough, he was admitted as a student and a teacher of the lute as well. Almost two months later, he was appointed leader of Molic singing (Muwashahat) troupe at the Institute; as he was found to have memorized a number of Muwashahat in excess of the syllabus.

In Cairo, he concluded his first contract made for LE 50 at the rate of LE 5 for each song. Then, he embarked on the art of operetta (musical plays), when he composed "The Bride of the East" and another operetta, which skyrocketed him into fame, although he was just a young country fellow, at a time that was full of top composers and singers; Mohammed al-Qasabgi, Zakaria Ahmad, Kamel al-khola'ie, Umm Kulthoum and Mohammed Abdel-Wahab. Sonbati was interested in composing rather than singing. In the course of his progress towards excellence, he always kept an eye on Umm Kulthouom and her continuing success.

He was looking forward to having a chance of composing a song for that great singer. The first time they cooperated was in a lyric by poet Ahmed Rami. There followed a poem by Ahmed Shawqi. Sonbati composed songs for several singers. He used to describe Egyptian music as Arabic rather than oriental.

In the early sixties, he was nominated for the third time by the Higher Musical Committee for State Merit Award , and in 1976 for the UNESCO Award of Music. In the same year, he was granted an Honorary Doctorate. This highly-talented artist effectively contributed to the preservation of the identity of Arabic music and to the enrichment of popular Egyptian sentiments. Sonbati led a peaceful life and died on September 7, 1981.