Amer & Sana Kadaj: Alamphon Records' Power Couple



Amer Kadaj and Sana Kadaj

(Musicians)


Sana and Amer Khaddaj/Kadaj in 1956, from the 5 June 1956 The Post-Star (Glenn Falls, NY)

Amer Kadaj (1921-1979) was born to Assad and Fawz Kadaj 10 August 1921 in, what is today, Kfar Matta, Lebanon. He developed as a musician at a fairly young age after listening to both live music and his parents' Gramophone records. Sana Kadaj (1919-1992) [also known a Adla] was born 14 June 1919 in Bhamdoun, Lebanon. The Kadajes performed separately before they married and eventually appeared onf the Arabic service program that was a part of the Voices of America Radio series from 1942 to 1945. It is here that they first came to know Farid Alam al-Din, who also went by Fred Alam and owned the Brooklyn, New York-based Alamphon Records.

Sana & Amer Kadaj perform, courtesy of Lila Kadaj.

In 1947, Amer and Sana left Palestine to come to the US, for what they believed at the time, would be a short trip. As war became more wide-spread in the Palestinian territory, the Kadaj family decided to remain in the US and settled in Detroit, the city with one of the largest populations of people of Arab descent in the United States.

Sana and Amer Khaddaj, 1947, leaving Palestine. Photograph courtesy of Lila Kadaj. 

Kadaj played tambourine, drums, and other percussion instruments, and is best known as a vocalist who performed with his wife, Sana, or with co-collaborator Joe Budway. Amer, by himself, and along with Sana recorded dozens of songs for the Syrian-American Brooklyn, New York-based Alamphon Records. Their music on Alamphon made them household names in Lebanese-Syrian communities across the United States from San Francisco to New York and Detroit to New Orleans, Louisiana. 

In June 1953, Sana & Amer performed at the 20th Anniversary celebration for the Arabian Nights Radio program in New York. Accompanying them on the program were fellow Arab American musicians Naim Karacand, Russell Bunai, and Philip Solomon. A month later they appeared at the National Council of Syrian Orthodox Youth Organization (SOYO) conference in Detroit. A Labor Day weekend event at Saint Nicholas Church Mahrajan. Later in the year, around Thanksgiving time, Sana & Amer played a gig at the Saint Michael's Orthodox Church Mahrajan in Beaumont, Texas.

Sometimes in winter months, the Sana & Amer travelled south and sang for groups like the Syrian Lebanese American Club of Miami and the Southern Federation of Syrian Lebanese Clubs convention in Saint Petersburg, Florida in the early months of 1954. In September 1954, they performed for a huge crowd at the Midwest SOYO. Among those in attendance was the newly ordained Rev. Theodore Ziton (see Saint Elias Orthodox Choral article).

 


 Sana and Amer Khaddaj recorded individually and together on Alamphon. Example of their solo and combined song record labels. It is likely the couple composed and performed "Lila, Oh Lila." From the collection of Richard M. Breaux. https://soundcloud.com/user-356929609-75127210/sana-amer-khaddaj-lila-yalila-or-laila-oh-laila-a2105-a-b-alamphon

The couple's schedule didn't let up as life got busier in 1955 and 1956 when they travelled to Ottawa, Canada for the St. Elijah's Syrian Orthodox Church's sliver anniversary celebration in July. Among those in attendance were Antiochian Metropolitan Antony Bashir and Archbishop Samuel David of Toledo. It was around this time that the couple moved their family from Brooklyn, New York to Detroit. Although Amer identified as religiously Druze, he and Sana sang secular songs with Joe and Leo Budway at Saint Elias Church's second annual mahrajan in New Castle, Pennsylvania, but Amer sang the response during the Divine Liturgy in a service led by Rev. Father Alex Curry in August 1956.

Amer & Sana worked tirelessly and the Arab American press declared them "the most popular Arabic singing team in North America" in 1957 and 1958. Among their commitments were the Detroit's Mardin Club 12 May, 19 May at Saint Mary's Orthodox Church, 22 May bat the Syria Lodge #566, 26 May at Detroit's American Hosn Welfare Association with Jalil Azzouz, a Morning-Star sponsored event in Flint on 2 June, 9 June in Toledo for the Student Scholarship League, 15-16 June in Oklahoma City, and 22-23 June in Las Vegas for the Federation of Western Syrian Lebanese Clubs annual meeting. Although churches and cultural organizations primarily booked Sana & Amer for haflas and mahrajans, the duo, on occasion, entertained at private weddings as they did in Detroit and Michigan City, Indiana in February 1958. The combination, then, of weddings, halfas, and mahrajans and the sell of their Alamphon recordings expanded their concert circuit well beyond the more commonly visited East Coast Lebanese and Syrian American communities. As suggested, they played the southern U.S. beyond Florida, the midwest beyond Detroit, and the western United States like only a small number of their prominent Arab American musical counter parts, perhaps only a handful of acts.

Sana and Amer had two children, Robert (who became an engineer and CEO of American Engineering Services of California) and Lila (a well-known Michigan painter and school teacher). In 1960, Amer Kadaj performed with Joe Budway before over 300 people at the Southern Federation of Syrian-Lebanese Clubs annual convention in Alexandria, Louisiana.  He became a favorite at the Southern convention and regular performed through the late 1960s. The Kadaj duet sometimes performed at, and regularly attended, Saint George Syrian Antiochian Church in Troy, Michigan. 

Display honoring Sana & Amer Kadaj at the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, MI. Photo by Richard M. Breaux


 As the children need parental attention, Sana informally retired from singing by 1966. Amer continued with his group of friends and fellow musicians. His group, Amer Kadaj and the Arabian Artists, performed at Syrian-Lebanese American owned clubs across the country, in Ontario, Canada, and throughout metropolitan Detroit including at The Harem. The Kadaj family owned and operated the Campus Party Store in Detroit through the 1970s. On September 5, 1979, Amer Kadaj was killed when his store at 5482 Cass Avenue in Detroit was robbed. 

Sana Kadaj continued to live in Detroit and nearby suburbs of Northville and Livonia until her passing in 1992.  

Richard M. Breaux

© Midwest Mahjar 

Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA La Crosse, WI, USA

Comments

  1. MattOctober 25, 2020 at 7:11 PM

    Thanks so much for this entry and your entire site. I recently purchased this, https://www.discogs.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B3%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-Sana-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%87-Many-Raidah/release/7917288, and absolutely love it. I was very excited to come across your site and learn more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownFebruary 19, 2021 at 7:51 AM

    I grew up in Detroit right around the corner from the Kadaj family. Their son, Bob, who sadly passed away in 2001 was one of my best friends. They were good neighbors and a fine family. I always knew Amer and Adla were performers but didn't appreciate how popular they were in the Arab community. You are also correct about their daughter, Lila. Now retired from teaching, she is a very talented artist (and gardener). Thanks for the informative article.

    ReplyDelete

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