Shadia

Fatma Ahmad Kamal Shaker (فاطمه أحمد كمال شاكر; 8 February 1931 – 28 November 2017), better known by her stage name Shadia (شاديه, Shādya), was an Egyptian actress and singer.

She was the third wife of Salah Zulfikar.

Shadia was born "Fatma Ahmad Kamal Shaker" in 1931, in Elhelmiyya Elgedida, in Cairo, Egypt, to an Egyptian father Ahmed Kamal Sahker from Sharqia and a mother of Turkish origin.

In 1947, she fell in love with an Egyptian officer from Upper Egypt, and was heartbroken by his death during the 1948 war.

Shadia 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.

Shaker gave herself the stage name "Shadia", after the name of a newborn of one of her family's friends.

She began acting at the age of fifteen.

She was famous for her roles in light comedies and drama in the 1950s and 1960s.

Shadia was one of the iconic actresses and singers in Egypt and the Middle East region and a symbol of the golden age of Egyptian cinema and is known of her many patriotic songs.

Her movies and songs are popular in Egypt and all the Arab world.

Critics consider her the most 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).

In her heyday during the 1950s and 1960s, Shadia acted in numerous melodramas, romance, and comedy films.

However, it was her singing talent that established Shadia as one of the most important Egyptian cinema stars of her era.

Overall, as "Shadia", she performed in more than 100 films.

She appeared with Faten Hamama in Ezz El-Dine Zulfikar's "Mawe'd Ma'a El Hayah" (Appointment with Life, 1954), and in "El Mar'a El Maghula" (The Unknown Woman, 1959) by Mahmoud Zulfikar, she played the role of Fatma in a heavy melodrama.

Shadia is credited for acting alongside leading man Salah Zulfikar in his film debut, "Oyoun Sahrana" (Wakeful Eyes, 1956).

Later, she paired with Zulfikar in six films, forming a famous duet, achieving major commercial and critical success, and becoming an Egyptian cinema classic.

She is also known for her patriotic song "Ya Habibti Ya Masr" (Oh Egypt, My Love) and her breakthrough leading role came in the 1959 Egyptian film "Al Maraa Al Maghoula" (The Unknown Woman) directed by Mahmoud Zulfikar.

Other films she starred in include "El les we El Kelab" (The Thief and the Dogs, 1962), comedy roles in films "El Zouga raqam 13" (Wife Number 13, 1962), and her famous trilogy alongside Egypt's iconic actor and film producer Salah Zulfikar.

"Merati Modir 'Am " (My Wife, the Director General, 1966), "Karamat Zawgaty" (My Wife's Dignity, 1967) and "Afrit Merati" (My Wife's Goblin, 1968), were huge successes.

She also 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).

Shadia was often cast in cunning and cheeky roles, however, she also played serious roles, such as in Salah Zulfikar Films production; "Shey Min El Khouf" (A Taste of Fear, 1969) and "Uyoon Sahranah" (Wakeful Eyes, 1956) by Ezz El-Dine Zulfikar and "El Tareeq" (The Road, 1964) based on a book by Naguib Mahfouz, and "Lamset Hanan" (A Toutch of Tenderness, 1971), her last film opposite Salah Zulfikar.

Shadia performed in the 1985 stage version of "Raya and Sakina", which was based on the 1953 film and true story of two Alexandrian serial killers, directed by Salah Abu Seif.

She produced two films, and appeared in several films in Japan.

As a singer, Shadia was called "the voice of Egypt".

During hard and war times, she was famous for 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 about Egypt and the Arab world along with other Egyptian and Arabic singers, 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).

Her mega hit song "Ya Habibti Ya Masr" (Oh Egypt, My Love), was considered one of the best patriotic songs ever.

During a TV-interview, Shadia said regarding her famous patriotic song: "When I am singing to my homeland, it is even way more romantic and more honest than any romantic song. Here I am singing to my home, my land. There was a period when Egypt's name was erased (Nasser's era), Egypt’s name will never get erased from our hearts".

Six of her movies are listed in the top 100 Egyptian movies of the 20th century.

After almost 25 years of retirement, Shadia's song became an anthem of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011.

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.

In April 2015, Shadia became the first actress to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the Egyptian Academy of Arts.

She was given the nickname "Idol of the Masses" following her successful movie "Ma'budet el Gamahir" (Idol of the Masses).

Other notable nicknames include "The Guitar of the Egyptian Singing" (جيتارة الغنا) and "The Golden Guitar" (الجيتاره الدهبيه).