Shadia

Shadia
Photo ca. 1955–1958
Born	Fatma Ahmad Kamal Shaker (1931-02-08)8 February 1931 Sharqia Governorate, Egypt
Died	28 November 2017(2017-11-28) (aged 86) Cairo, Egypt
Nationality	Egypt
Spouse(s)	Emad Hamdy (1953–1956) Aziz Fathi (1958–1958) Salah Zulfikar (1967–1969)

Fatma Ahmed Kamal Shaker (Egyptian Arabic: فاطمة أحمد كمال شاكر‎), better known by her stage name Shadia, (شادية Shādiyya; 8 February 1931 – 28 November 2017) was an Egyptian actress and singer. She was famous for her roles in light comedies and drama in the 1950s and 1960s. She is one of the iconic actresses and singers in Egypt and the middle east region and a symbol of the golden age of Egyptian Cinema. Her movies and songs are greatly influential in the Egyptian and the Arabic cultures. Critics consider her the most important and successful comprehensive Egyptian and Arabic artist of all time. Her first appearance in a film was in Azhar wa Ashwak (Flowers and Thorns), and her last film was La Tas'alni Man Ana (Don't Ask Me Who I Am).^[1] She is also known for her patriotic song "Ya Habibti Ya Masr" (Oh Egypt, My Love) and her breakthrough leading role in the Egyptian movie "Al Maraa Al Maghoula" (The Unknown Woman).^[2] Six of her movies are listed in the top 100 Egyptian movies of the 20th century. In April 2015, she became the first actress to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the Academy of Arts (Egypt). She was given the nickname "Idol of the Masses" following her successful movie "Maaboudat El Gamaheer" (Idol of the Masses). Other notable nicknames include "The Guitar of the Arabic Singing" (Egyptian Arabic: قيثارة الغناء العربى‎) and "The Golden Guitar" (Egyptian Arabic: القيثارة الذهبية‎).

Early life

Born as "Fatma Ahmed Kamal Shaker； فاطمة أحمد شاكر" in 1931, in the Sharqia Governorate, in Egypt. Shadia was from a family of Turkish origin.^{[3][4][5][6][1]} She had five sisters and brothers. She was the youngest of her sisters and the second youngest among all her siblings. Since her childhood, Shadia loved to sing and was encouraged to pursue music at primary school. Moreover, she began acting at the age of fifteen. Shadia was the voice of Egypt during hard and war times, she was famous of her Egyptian patriotic songs, especially "Ya Habibti Ya Masr" (Oh Egypt, My Love) and "Aqwa Mn El Zaman" (Stronger Than Time). She participated in many operettas along with other notable Egyptian and Arabic singers about Egypt and the Arab world including: "Al Watan Al Akbar" (The Great Nation), "El Geel El Sa'ed" (The Rising Generation), and "Soot El Gamaheer" (The Voice of the Masses).

Career

Shaker was given the stage name "Shadia" by herself following the name of a newborn of one of her family's friends. In her heyday during the 1950s and 1960s, Shadia acted in numerous melodramas, romance, and comedy films. However, it was her musical talent as a singer that established Shadia as one of the most important Egyptian cinema stars of her era.^[7]

Overall, as "Shadia", she performed in more than 100 films.^[7] She starred in more than 30 films with the actor Kamal El Shennawy, and sang opposite Farid El Atrash and Abdel Halim Hafez, such as in "Ma'boudat El Gamaheer" (The People's Idol, 1967). She also appeared with Faten Hamama in "Mawe'd Ma'a El Hayah" (An Appointment with Life, 1954), and in "El Mar'a El Maghola" (The Unknown Woman, 1959) she played the role of Fatma in a heavy melodrama. Other notable films she starred in include "El les we El Kelab" (The Thief and the Dogs, 1962) and in her comedy roles in films "El Zouga raqam 13" (Wife Number 13, 1962) and "Meraty Modeer A'am" (My Wife the General Manager, 1966).^[7] Indeed, Shadia was often cast in cunning and cheeky roles, however, she also played serious roles, such as in "El Tareeq" (The Road, 1964), and in the stage version of "Raya and Sakina", which was based on the true story of two Alexandrian serial killers and directed by Hussein Kamal (1953).^[7]

Shadia also produced two films, and also appeared in several films in Japan.

Upon returning from the premiere of "Raya and Sakina", Shadia stated that she gave serious thought that night to the idea of repentance. The following morning, she informed her producers that she wanted no part in the play from then on, but eventually promised to finish her work when they insisted that she do so. Thereafter, Shadia retired from the film and music industry, and went on a Umrah to Mecca, where she met the popular Egyptian Azhari scholar Sheikh El Shaarawy. Her meeting with El-Shaarawy influenced Shadia to reach her final decision to start wearing the hijab.^[8]

After almost 25 years of her retirement, Shadia's song "Ya Habibti Ya Masr" (Oh Egypt, My love) became an anthem of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.^[9]

Illness and death

Shadia was hospitalized on 4 November 2017 after suffering a massive stroke in Cairo. She was placed under intensive care.^[10] Her nephew, Khaled Shaker, said during a televised phone conversation that she recovered from the stroke and could identify her relatives and the people around her. He added, however, that her illness was complicated by pneumonia, despite her recovery.^[11] Shadia's condition stabilized on 9 November,^[10] and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi visited her that day at Al-Galaa Hospital. Shaker later said that the first words she spoke after recovering were "I want to go home", but had speech difficulties in general.^[12]

On 28 November, Shadia died from respiratory failure caused by the pneumonia.^[13]

Filmography

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shadia.

• Shadia on IMDb
• Lost Continent: Cinema of Egypt