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Published image, Ashraf Gharib
The book is the latest publication from the Crescent Heritage Center of the Egyptian Press Foundation, Dar Al-Hilal.
You hardly find a house in Egypt where someone does not know the artist, Shadia.
Despite her departure three years ago, Egyptians and other Arabs remember her with her songs and films, and then the dramatic circumstances surrounding her retirement from art.
On the anniversary of the famous actress’ departure, which falls on Saturday, well-known Egyptian film critic and historian Ashraf Gharib has documented, in a new book, the life of Shadia, who became famous with descriptions including more important is “The Voice of Egypt”.
The BBC reviewed the book, which will be published within hours, and spoke to its author, who described Shadia’s march as “representing the story of an entire era where art and politics intertwined in a society open to others and in a climate shaded by freedom of appearance and substance ”.
According to the book, Fatima Kamal Shaker was born, and this is Shadia’s real name, on February 9, 1931 to an Egyptian mother of Turkish descent and an Egyptian father who worked as an agricultural engineer to the loss of the king. Her sister Afaf preceded her in the art world before the younger sister also became a professional singer and actress in 1947.
Throughout her artistic career, Shadia has presented one hundred and seventeen films (the most famous of which is “The Devil of the Masses” with Abdel Halim Hafez) and around five hundred musical works (the most famous of which is “My love, l ‘Egypt’) and a play.
The most important feature of the book is that it includes everything that Shadia wrote with her quill, or said it herself, throughout her artistic career, organized in chronological order, and tells the secrets the most. more precise of his life related to art, politics and society, because it is closer to personal notes. Therefore, Gharib chose for his book the title “Shadia Speaks For Herself”.
Gharib says: “While we let Shadia speak for herself, we have paid attention to this problem with a number of in-depth studies of her artistic performance as a singer and actress, and listings that include all of her heritage. singing and cinematographic in addition to a very rare group of images that record about eighty-six years, which is the age of the great artist.
‘Half a surprise’
When Shadia retired from the art in 1986, she was speaking about the circumstances surrounding the sudden decision to retire.
Since then, speculation has not stopped on the character of Shadia. However, according to Gharib, much of this discourse has been “distorted by passion and excess, sometimes out of love for it”.
He adds: “If we want to be specific, we can say that the decision to retire was half a surprise or half expected … both are correct, and both need clarification.”
Published image, Getty Images
The book tells that since November 19, 1984, date of the screening of his last film “Don’t Ask Me Who I Am”, and until his decision to retire two years later, the artist did not thought of no new film project. The press, always eager for the news of the big star, did not publish any news on this subject, nor did not bother to continue its theatrical activity after having finished showing its only theatrical experience “Raya and Sakina” with the stars Abdel Moneim Madbouly, Suheir Al-Babli and Ahmed Badir, as well as his almost total absence of concerts. Lyrical general.
Therefore, it seemed to followers, according to the author, that the big star “had lost her enthusiasm to engage in new artistic endeavors, and that she was perhaps preparing for a fateful decision. what really happened. Therefore, it was highly anticipated. “
However, “it was not without surprise”.
According to the book, the final decision to retire came a few weeks after his participation in a traditional ceremony held every year to mark the Prophet’s birth, known as “The Night of Muhammad”. And in there, Shadia sang her song “Take Beyadi”, which became famous after her retirement. “At that time, announcing his retirement, it seemed like it was a divine answer to the great artist’s prayer, in the song, for God to take his hand,” Gharib said.
Why did Shadia’s decision to retire spark an uproar that lasted for years, so long as we expected?
Gharib says the consequences of the decision are the reason. According to the book, when Shadia decided to retire, the actress did not take this step for religious reasons until then, a remarkable phenomenon, as there were only two or three. , notably actress Shams al-Baroudi, who preceded her in a similar decision.
Published image, Ashraf Gharib
Shadia in her film “The Doubt Ya Habibi”, starring artist Mahmoud Yassin.
Gharib says: “However, the retirement of an artist worth Shadia, her stature and her great name has drawn attention to this phenomenon, or, more likely, has opened the door to a phenomenon known to the artistic life which continued perhaps until the end of the 90s of the last century. “
Mu’tazila’s list of artists included: Hana Tharwat, Shams Al-Baroudi, then Madiha Kamel, Noura, Suheir Ramzi, Afaf Shuaib, Suheir Al-Babli, Shahira and Madiha Hamdi, and Sabreen, up to Abeer Al-Sharqawi and Mayar Al-Beblawy.
However, Shadia “remains of all the greatest and most important name, the owner of the vast, longest and most influential artistic experience”.
It was noticed that most of these names retired after several years and started playing again, either removing the veil (like Farida Seif al-Nasr and Mirna al-Muhandis) or bypassing it with pseudonyms ( like Sabreen and Suheir Ramzi), or by acting under the veil, as is the case with many.
Temptations and pressures
Gharib notes, in his book, that Shadia “has stayed with the few who have stuck to their firm stance on retirement despite all the temptations and pressures.”
The book draws attention to the fact that she is “the only one among all to have made this decision which did not ban art or deny its long history. All that she even said to those close to him is because God has prepared another way for him to give it “.
Even before her health crisis, which ended in her death, she “did not stop doing good and helping the needy. She has many blank hands in several humanitarian projects, most of which have not not been announced “.
Published image, Ashraf Gharib
Shadia has presented one hundred and seventeen films and about five hundred works of songs and a theater.
Although some actresses bought into the decision to retire, their public appearances were normal, whether at public events or in discussions with the press from time to time.
As for Shadia, her appearance was, according to Gharib, “dear and rare, and on clear and articulate occasions that she can be easily spotted, as happened at the height of the events of January 2011”, referring to the January 25 revolution that overthrew (the late) Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. .
For all this and others, Shadia “combined love and respect for each other at different levels and orientations, which is why the Egyptian and Arab streets exploded with love and appreciation after news of Shadia’s departure in an event that has not materialized for other art stars throughout history “.
The book considers that “this manifestation has not diminished until today, despite the passage of three years since his departure”.
In the book, which Gharib likens to a “diary,” he recounts the kidnapping incident Shadia suffered as a child when a woman lured her with a candy bar, kidnapped her and locked her up with it. animals in an abandoned place. Miraculously, however, she was able to escape.
And according to her, on more than one occasion, Gharib also recounts the details of the Turkish singer’s story, “who changed the course of her life and convinced her father that she had to study and become a professional singer”.
Why is the book important?
Due to Shadia’s massive popularity, many rumors spread about her, especially when she decided to retire. “Shadia Speaks For Herself” is the only book that documents her artistic career, “excluding any information that is not based on reliable sources or evidence.”
Gharib reveals the circumstances surrounding the banning of some of Shadia’s works throughout her artistic career and being the only singer to have held the title “The Voice of Egypt”.
The book is the latest in a series of books that Gharib dedicated his history to criticism to be, as he puts it, “a part of the memory and history of art in Egypt, and an attempt, based on strict scientific documentation, to preserve this memory with its stars “.
Ashraf Gharib has written a series of books documenting the biographies of some of Egypt’s most famous movie stars.
The new book, which is a huge volume, is published by the Crescent Heritage Center of the Egyptian Press Foundation, Dar Al-Hilal. The Center sees it as a dedication to the idea on which it was founded, which is to adopt the form of a press book that takes the book’s research spirit while preserving forms of journalistic dazzling such as the interest in the image, the luxury of printing and an elegant setting.
The book publishes rare photos of Shadia while filming rare films and those who are missing and can no longer be found. Gharib says the importance of these images is that they capture an important milestone in Egyptian cinema and the development of fashion, photography and lighting.
Why was the book released in November?
Gharib was not used to publishing his books on specific occasions. However, the Al Hilal Center was keen to publish the book “Shadia Speaks for Herself” in November, as it is “the month of endings for the voice of the end of Egypt”.
November 2017: Shadia passed away after more than four decades of career.
November 1986: Ends her singing career after participating in the Muhammadiyah party, which was her last artistic appearance in a public concert.
November 1984: Another was shown, “Don’t Ask Me Who I Am”, starring the late Farouk El-Fishawy, directed by Ashraf Fahmy.
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