Acclaimed Egyptian musician Ammar al-Sherei passed away on Friday afternoon at the age of 64. He was transferred to the hospital two weeks ago, where he underwent two critical operations on his heart. 

Sherei was among the most influential and respected figures on the contemporary Arab music scene. He was a composer, musician, critic and mentor to numerous musicians. He was also a member of the “Wise Men” committee formed during the early days of the 25 January revolution.

Born in 1948 in Upper Egypt, Sherei overcame the handicap of being born blind and learned to play the piano and accordion, and later became a virtuoso oud player. He began composing his own music at the age of 26 and fused Arab musical heritage with Western genres. Sherei has performed worldwide and contributed soundtracks to dozens of screenplays and TV series.