At the age of 11, Warda sang in a show hosted by Ahmed Hachlaf, which was broadcast on Paris
Inter.In 1950, she recorded her first record for Pathé-Marconi.
In 1956, after the outbreak of the Algerian war, weapons intended for the FLN (Algerian National Liberation Front) were discovered by the police in her father's cabaret. The establishment was closed, and their family expelled. They made plans to move to Hamra, a district of Beirut known for its nightlife.However, her mother died before they could arrive.
Warda sang in Beirut's
cabarets.In 1959, at a casino in Aley, she met the composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab, who taught her the art of classical singing and adapted the poet Ahmed Shawqi's qasida "Bi-Omri Kullo Habbitak" for her. This led to her introduction to the Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, who suggested that she be cast in a pan-Arab opera and perform the song "Al-Watan Al-Akbar" by Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Warda recorded it, as did other singers such as Abdel Halim Hafez and Fayza Ahmed. The Egyptian director of musicals, Helmi Rafla, signed her to a contract, enabling her to pursue a musical and film career in Egypt. She appeared in two of Rafla's films, "Almaz We Abdo El-Hamouly" and "Amirat al-Arab
The musicologist Daniel Caux considered Warda to have possessed all the qualities necessary for a singer from the Arab world. He emphasized the accuracy of her intonation, her sense of rhythm and her mastery of nuances, in particular, which he thought enriched her singing. According to Caux, Warda succeeds in combining power and delicacy.
Warda was one of the few singers renowned throughout the Arab world, from the Maghreb to the Mashriq.She is considered a "diva" of Arab song, in the same way as Umm Kulthum, Sabah, and Fairuz.Her repertoire includes more than 300 songs. During her career, Warda has sold tens of millions of albums.