(b Husn, near Irbid, 1922). Jordanian traditional composer and singer. After the sudden death of his father he was brought up by his grandfather, a poet-singer and rabāba player who regularly took his grandson to church to pray; there al-Nimrī began to learn religious chants. At an early age he sang at wedding celebrations, and subsequently developed his interest in music by studying the ‘ūd with Alfred Samāwī in Husn. After the establishment of the broadcasting station in Jerusalem in 1936, al-Nimrī performed many of his songs for broadcasts. Like most Jordanian musicians of his time, he had a trade other than music; he worked as a watch-repairer while pursuing his interest in singing and composition. He studied music theory in Jerusalem with Yūsuf Batrūnī. He also took lessons with Muhammad Mahfūz in Damascus. In 1949 he joined the Ramallah broadcasting service; in 1959 he was appointed director of the music section of the newly established radio station in Amman and in 1963 became the administrator of the same section. He still held this position in 1999 and received the Independence Badge of Honour for his long service and dedication.
His first recorded song, Qalbī yihwāhā (‘My heart loves her’), brought him fame in Jordan and the neighbouring countries. He wrote more than 500 songs, most of which he performed himself; he composed the texts for many of his songs in the manner of a traditional poet-singer. His style is folkloric; the words of his songs are in an east Jordanian dialect, while the tunes are Jordanian folksongs or melodies composed in a similar style. His compositions in the idiom of art music were less successful. He played an important part in the spread of Jordanian traditional song throughout the Arab world, participating in many national and international conferences and festivals.
ABDEL-HAMID HAMAM