Nelly (entertainer)
Encyclopedia
Nelly Artin Kalfayan better known as Nelly (نيللي) (born in Cairo
on 3 Jan 1949) is an Egyptian actress, singer, comedienne, dancer, television personality, and all-around entertainer.
, and a cousin of Lubluba, another well-known Egyptian-Armenian film actress who is a little older than she is. Nelly was married to the Egyptian film director Husam al-Dine Mustafa, and later on she married musician Mody al Imam.
Altogether in her career (so far) Nelly has more than 60 films to her credit. The majority of these are musicals, or films with a thread of plot and drama that is punctuated intermittently with song and dance. Most of them have a comic spirit. Nelly has also acted in a number of straight melodrama TV series, most notably "Bardis" and "Ad Dawwama".
for her "Fawazir Ramadan" (فوازير رمضان) (translates as Ramadan
puzzles). This is a set of TV comedy shows with lots of music and dancing, with Nelly the star of the shows. The hugely followed shows were broadcasted to tens of major Arab television stations throughout the Arab World on a daily basis during the holy month of Ramadan, mixed with general entertainment segments. Each year's "fawazir" series was held together around a different organizing theme. The shows included: Fawazir Arusty (1980), Fawazir Al Khatbah (1981), Fawazir Alam Wareq (1990), Fawazir Sanduq El Dunya (1991), Fawazir Om El Oreaf (1992), Fawazir Dunya Laaba (1995), Fawazir Zay El Naharda (1996). Nelly's last fawazir was in 1996, but she did a show in the fawazir style called Alf Leila Wa Leila in 2001. Since then, Nelly has turned down a number of proposals to do another fawazir by reason of "a lack of fresh ideas".
TV show, the Arabic version of "The X Factor" singing talent search show. In January 2010 it was reported that Nelly accepted an actress role in a proposed serious TV drama. If this proposal goes to completion, it will be Nelly's first serious drama role since 1989.
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
on 3 Jan 1949) is an Egyptian actress, singer, comedienne, dancer, television personality, and all-around entertainer.
Family background
Nelly is of Armenian descent. The school she attended as a child was run by and for people of Armenian descent in Cairo. She is the younger sister of Feyrouz, a well-known child actressChild actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
, and a cousin of Lubluba, another well-known Egyptian-Armenian film actress who is a little older than she is. Nelly was married to the Egyptian film director Husam al-Dine Mustafa, and later on she married musician Mody al Imam.
Career in entertainment
Nelly's father was a film director. Nelly started her career as a child actress, following the footsteps of her older sister Feyrouz, who was a very famous child actress before her. She appeared in a dozen movies as a child, and also took part in radio serials, and in theatrical works. Her fame grew larger in 1966, at age 17, with the first film in which she had the lead role, "Al Murahiqa as Saghira". One of her most critically acclaimed roles was the secondary role she played in "Al Azab Imra'a".Altogether in her career (so far) Nelly has more than 60 films to her credit. The majority of these are musicals, or films with a thread of plot and drama that is punctuated intermittently with song and dance. Most of them have a comic spirit. Nelly has also acted in a number of straight melodrama TV series, most notably "Bardis" and "Ad Dawwama".
Fawazir Nelly
From among the large amount of her artistic work, Nelly is best known throughout the Arab WorldArab world
The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...
for her "Fawazir Ramadan" (فوازير رمضان) (translates as Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
puzzles). This is a set of TV comedy shows with lots of music and dancing, with Nelly the star of the shows. The hugely followed shows were broadcasted to tens of major Arab television stations throughout the Arab World on a daily basis during the holy month of Ramadan, mixed with general entertainment segments. Each year's "fawazir" series was held together around a different organizing theme. The shows included: Fawazir Arusty (1980), Fawazir Al Khatbah (1981), Fawazir Alam Wareq (1990), Fawazir Sanduq El Dunya (1991), Fawazir Om El Oreaf (1992), Fawazir Dunya Laaba (1995), Fawazir Zay El Naharda (1996). Nelly's last fawazir was in 1996, but she did a show in the fawazir style called Alf Leila Wa Leila in 2001. Since then, Nelly has turned down a number of proposals to do another fawazir by reason of "a lack of fresh ideas".
Recent years
Nelly has largely retired from making films, comedy shows, and music, but she has been visible as a guest personality on a number of TV talk & entertainment programs. She also served as a judge in 2006 in The X Factor, XSeer Al NajahThe X Factor, XSeer Al Najah
The X Factor is the Arabic version of the The X Factor. Its first Arabic series started on March 26, 2006. The 14-episode first series was broadcast in 22 Arabic-speaking countries. It was known to be in its debut, one of the most watched programs on TV and it is produced and supported by Rotana,...
TV show, the Arabic version of "The X Factor" singing talent search show. In January 2010 it was reported that Nelly accepted an actress role in a proposed serious TV drama. If this proposal goes to completion, it will be Nelly's first serious drama role since 1989.
Awards
- Best secondary role in "Al Azab Imra'a" (العذاب إمرأة)
- Lifetime achievement award during the Alexandria International Film Festival in 1999
- Murex Excellence Awards in Lebanon 2008.