Midwest Mahjar: The Recorded Sounds of the Arabic-Speaking Diaspora in the United States at 78 RPM

  Elvira Helal: A Forgotten Brooklyn-born Opera Singer  Gets Some Guidance Elvira Helal University of Florida, George A. Smathers Libraries. Photo by James Abresch. Courtesy of University of Florida. Gainesville, Florida. Permission granted. While several Arab American musicians during the 78 RPM era had formal training and performed classical Arab music few with the exception of Fadwa Fedora Kuban , Midhat Serbagi , and Leon Nahmee ventured into the area of opera. Even among this group of performers, Elvira Helal stood out from amongst her peers. We have had no luck locating a recording of her voice, though the various opera in which she performed were immortalized on shellac and wax by some of the world's leading opera outfits. Elvira Helal was born to Grace and Leon Abraham Helal on 4 September 1910 in Brooklyn, New York, in burrough's Little Syria neighborhood. Both of Elvira’s parents were born in Aleppo, Syria in 1880 or 1882 and 1890 and the couple married approximatel