Naima Akef (Arabic: نعيمة عاك٠‎,‎ pronounced
[næˈʕiË mæ ËˆÊ•Ã¦Ë kef]; 7 October 1929 â€" 23 April 1966) was a
famous Egyptian belly dancer during the Egyptian cinema's golden age
and starred in many films of the time. Naima Akef was born in Tanta on
the Nile Delta. Her parents were acrobats in the Akef Circus (run by
Naima’s grandfather), which was one of the best known circuses at
the time. She started performing in the circus at the age of four, and
quickly became one of the most popular acts with her acrobatic skills.
Her family was based in the Bab el Khalq district of Cairo, but they
traveled far and wide in order to perform.The circus disbanded when
Naima was 14, but this was only the beginning of her career. Her
grandfather had many connections in the performance world of Cairo and
he introduced her to his friends. When Naima’s parents divorced, she
formed an acrobatic and clown act that performed in many clubs
throughout Cairo. She then got the chance to work in Badia Masabni's
famous nightclub, where she became a star and was one of the very few
who danced and sang. Her time with Badeia, however, was short-lived,
as Badia favored her, which made the other performers jealous. One day
they ganged up on her and attempted to beat her up, but she proved to
be stronger and more agile and won the fight. This caused her to be
fired, so she started performing elsewhere.The Kit Kat club was
another famous venue in Cairo, and this is where Naima was introduced
to film director Abbas Kemal. His brother Hussein Fawzy, also a film
director, was very interested in having Naima star in one of his
musical films. The first of such films was “Al-Eïch wal malhâ€
(bread and salt). Her costar was singer Saad Abdel Wahab, the nephew
of the legendary singer and composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab. The film
premiered on the 17th of January 1949, and was an instant success,
bringing recognition also to Nahhas Film studios.Naima quit acting in
1964 to take care of her only child, a son from her second marriage to
accountant Salaheldeen Abdel Aleem. She died two years later from
cancer, on April 23, 1966, at the age of 36.
[næˈʕiË mæ ËˆÊ•Ã¦Ë kef]; 7 October 1929 â€" 23 April 1966) was a
famous Egyptian belly dancer during the Egyptian cinema's golden age
and starred in many films of the time. Naima Akef was born in Tanta on
the Nile Delta. Her parents were acrobats in the Akef Circus (run by
Naima’s grandfather), which was one of the best known circuses at
the time. She started performing in the circus at the age of four, and
quickly became one of the most popular acts with her acrobatic skills.
Her family was based in the Bab el Khalq district of Cairo, but they
traveled far and wide in order to perform.The circus disbanded when
Naima was 14, but this was only the beginning of her career. Her
grandfather had many connections in the performance world of Cairo and
he introduced her to his friends. When Naima’s parents divorced, she
formed an acrobatic and clown act that performed in many clubs
throughout Cairo. She then got the chance to work in Badia Masabni's
famous nightclub, where she became a star and was one of the very few
who danced and sang. Her time with Badeia, however, was short-lived,
as Badia favored her, which made the other performers jealous. One day
they ganged up on her and attempted to beat her up, but she proved to
be stronger and more agile and won the fight. This caused her to be
fired, so she started performing elsewhere.The Kit Kat club was
another famous venue in Cairo, and this is where Naima was introduced
to film director Abbas Kemal. His brother Hussein Fawzy, also a film
director, was very interested in having Naima star in one of his
musical films. The first of such films was “Al-Eïch wal malhâ€
(bread and salt). Her costar was singer Saad Abdel Wahab, the nephew
of the legendary singer and composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab. The film
premiered on the 17th of January 1949, and was an instant success,
bringing recognition also to Nahhas Film studios.Naima quit acting in
1964 to take care of her only child, a son from her second marriage to
accountant Salaheldeen Abdel Aleem. She died two years later from
cancer, on April 23, 1966, at the age of 36.
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