Samia Gamal
Encyclopedia
Samia Gamal was an Egyptian
belly dancer
and film actress.
Born in the small Egypt
ian town of Wana in 1924, Samia's family moved just months later to Cairo
and settled near the Khan El-Khalili
bazaar. It was many years later that Samia Gamal met Badia Masabni, the founder of modern Oriental dance. Badia offered Samia an invitation to join her dance company, which Samia accepted. Badia Masabni gave her the stage name Samia Gamal, and she began her dance career.
At first, she studied under Badia and Badia's star dancer at the time, Tahiya Karioka
. However she soon became a respected soloist and brought forth her own style. Samia Gamal incorporated techniques from ballet and Latin dance into her solo performances. She was also the first to perform with high-heeled shoes on stage. She starred in dozens of Egyptian films next to the famous Farid Al Attrach. They could be easily thought of as the Fred Astaire
and Ginger Rogers
of the Middle East. They not only played each others' love interest on the silver screen but also in real life. However, their love was not meant to be. Because of Farid's social position, he refused to marry Samia. Farid believed that marriage kills artist talent, he never got married until he died (They saved a lot of money by having a combined Wedding/Funeral ¦·D). Some claim that Farid as a Druze
prince, told her it would bring too much shame to his family for him to marry a belly dancer.
But that claim is baseless. Farid helped placing Samia on the National Stage by risking all he owned, and managed to borrow to produce a movie (Habib al omr) co-starring with her in 1947.
In 1949, Egypt's
King Farouk proclaimed Samia Gamal "The National Dancer of Egypt
", which brought US attention to the dancer.
In 1950, Samia came to the US and was photographed by Gjon Mili
. She also performed in Latin Quarter (nightclub)
, New York's trendy nightclub. She later married so-called "Texas millionaire" Shepherd King III (who, it was later reported, actually only had about $50,000). All this brought her to star proportions in the US.
However, their marriage didn't last long. In 1958, Samia Gamal married Roshdy Abaza, one of the most famous Egyptian actors with whom Samia starred in a number of movies as well. Samia Gamal stopped dancing in 1972 when she was nearly in her 50s but began again after given advice by Samir Sabri. She then danced until the early 1980s.
Samia Gamal died on December 1, 1994, at 72 years of age in Cairo, Egypt. Samia's charismatic performances in Egyptian and international films gave Oriental Dance recognition and admiration in Egypt and worldwide. She was and still is deeply mourned by the dance community.
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
belly dancer
Belly dancer
A belly dancer is one who performs a belly dance. The phrase may also refer to:*"Belly Dancer" , a single by R&B singer Akon*"Belly Dancer" , a hip hop song*The Belly Dancer, a 2001 Turkish drama film...
and film actress.
Born in the small Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian town of Wana in 1924, Samia's family moved just months later to Cairo
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...
and settled near the Khan El-Khalili
Khan el-Khalili
thumb|200px|An old chandeliers shop at Khan el-KhaliliKhan el-Khalili is a major souk in the Islamic district of Cairo. The bazaar district is one of Cairo's main attractions for tourists and Egyptians alike.-History:...
bazaar. It was many years later that Samia Gamal met Badia Masabni, the founder of modern Oriental dance. Badia offered Samia an invitation to join her dance company, which Samia accepted. Badia Masabni gave her the stage name Samia Gamal, and she began her dance career.
At first, she studied under Badia and Badia's star dancer at the time, Tahiya Karioka
Tahiya Karioka
Tahiya Karioka also Tahiya Mohamed , was an Egyptian belly dancer and film actress. Born in the Egyptian town of Ismaileya in 1920 to Mohamed Kareem, Tahiya was discouraged from performing as a dancer by her family...
. However she soon became a respected soloist and brought forth her own style. Samia Gamal incorporated techniques from ballet and Latin dance into her solo performances. She was also the first to perform with high-heeled shoes on stage. She starred in dozens of Egyptian films next to the famous Farid Al Attrach. They could be easily thought of as the Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
and Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
of the Middle East. They not only played each others' love interest on the silver screen but also in real life. However, their love was not meant to be. Because of Farid's social position, he refused to marry Samia. Farid believed that marriage kills artist talent, he never got married until he died (They saved a lot of money by having a combined Wedding/Funeral ¦·D). Some claim that Farid as a Druze
Druze
The Druze are an esoteric, monotheistic religious community, found primarily in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, which emerged during the 11th century from Ismailism. The Druze have an eclectic set of beliefs that incorporate several elements from Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism, Neoplatonism...
prince, told her it would bring too much shame to his family for him to marry a belly dancer.
But that claim is baseless. Farid helped placing Samia on the National Stage by risking all he owned, and managed to borrow to produce a movie (Habib al omr) co-starring with her in 1947.
In 1949, Egypt's
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
King Farouk proclaimed Samia Gamal "The National Dancer of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
", which brought US attention to the dancer.
In 1950, Samia came to the US and was photographed by Gjon Mili
Gjon Mili
Gjon Mili was an Albanian-American photographer best known for his work published in Life.-Biography:Born to Vasil Mili and Viktori Cekani in Korçë, Albania, Mili came to the United States in 1923. In 1939, Mili landed a job as a freelance photographer for Life...
. She also performed in Latin Quarter (nightclub)
Latin Quarter (nightclub)
Latin Quarter is a nightclub in New York City.The Club which originally opened in 1942 featured big name acts. In recent years it has been a focus of hip hop, reggaeton, and salsa music....
, New York's trendy nightclub. She later married so-called "Texas millionaire" Shepherd King III (who, it was later reported, actually only had about $50,000). All this brought her to star proportions in the US.
However, their marriage didn't last long. In 1958, Samia Gamal married Roshdy Abaza, one of the most famous Egyptian actors with whom Samia starred in a number of movies as well. Samia Gamal stopped dancing in 1972 when she was nearly in her 50s but began again after given advice by Samir Sabri. She then danced until the early 1980s.
Samia Gamal died on December 1, 1994, at 72 years of age in Cairo, Egypt. Samia's charismatic performances in Egyptian and international films gave Oriental Dance recognition and admiration in Egypt and worldwide. She was and still is deeply mourned by the dance community.
Filmography
- Samia Forever (Documentary, 2003)
- Fabulous Samia Gamal, The, (Documentary, 2003)
- The Stars of Egypt: Volume 3: Samia Gamal, Part I (Film, 19??)
- The Stars of Egypt: Volume 3: Samia Gamal, Part II (Film, 19??)
- Tarik al shaitan...aka The Way of the Devil (Film, 1963)
- Waada el hub... aka And Love Returned (Film, 1961)
- Nagham el hazine, El... aka Sad Melody (Film, 1960)
- Rajul el thani, El... aka The Second Man (Film, 1960)
- Kull daqqa fi qalbi... aka Every Beat of My Heart (Film, 1959)
- Maweed maa maghoul... aka Rendezvous with a Stranger (Film, 1959)
- Gharam al-miliunayr aka Love of the Millionaire (Film, 1957)
- Amanti del deserto, Gli...aka Desert Warrior (Film, 1956)
- Masque de Toutankhamon, Le...aka Trésor des pharaons, Le (Film, 1955)
- Sigarah wa kas... aka A Cigarette and a Glass (Film, 1955)
- Ali Baba et les quarante voleurs...aka Ali Baba; Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Film, 1954)
- Valley of the KingsValley of the Kings (film)Valley of the Kings is a 1954 Eastmancolor adventure film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was written and directed by Robert Pirosh from a screenplay by Robert Pirosh and Karl Tunberg, "suggested by historical data" in the book Gods, Graves, and Scholars by C. W. Ceram...
(Film, 1954) - Nachala hanem... aka The Lady Pickpocket (Film, 1954)
- Raqsat al-wadah... aka The Farewell Dance (Film, 1954)
- El WahshThe Monster (1954 film)The Monster is a 1954 Egyptian crime film directed by Salah Abouseif. It was entered into the 1954 Cannes Film Festival....
... aka The Monster (Film, 1954) - Ketar el lail... aka The Night Train (Film, 1953)
- Ma takulshi la hada... aka Tell No-one; Don't Tell Anyone (Film, 1952)
- Amir el antikam... aka The Count of Monte Cristo (Film, 1951)
- Taa la salim... aka Come and Say Hello (Film, 1951)
- Ahmar shafayef... aka Lipstick (Film, 1950)
- Akher kedba... aka The Final Lie (Film, 1950)
- Sakr, El... aka The Falcon (Film, 1950)
- Nuit des étoiles, La (Film, 1950)
- Afrita hanemAfrita hanemAfrita hanem is a 1949 Egyptian film about Asfour, a poor singer, played by Egyptian musician Farid Al Atrache, who falls in love with Aleya, a the somewhat spoiled daughter of his boss....
... aka Lady Afrita; Lady Genie; Little Miss Devil; The Genie Lady (Film, 1949) - Agaza fel gahannam... aka Holidays in Hell (Film, 1949)
- Bahebbak inta... aka I Love You Only (Film, 1949)
- Bint haz... aka The Lucky Girl (Film, 1949)
- Sparviero del Nilo, Lo (Film, 1949)
- Mughamer, El... aka The Adventurer (Film, 1948)
- Sahibat el amara... aka The Landlady (Film, 1948)
- Ahdab, El... aka The Hunchback (Film, 1947)
- Ersane talata, El... aka The Three Suitors (Film, 1947)
- Habib al omr... aka The Love of My Life (Film, 1947)
- Bani adam, al-... aka Sons of Adam (Film, 1945)
- Taxi hantur... aka A Hansom Carriage (Film, 1945)
- Russassa fil kalb... aka A Bullet in the Heart (Film, 1944)
- Ali Baba wa al arbain harame... aka Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Film, 1942)
- Gawhara (Film, 1942)