Tahia Carioca

Tahia Carioca was born as Badaweya Mohamed Kareem Ali Elnedany in Ismailia, Egypt, in 1915. She had a difficult childhood, as her father died when she was young and she was abused by her half-brother. She escaped to Cairo with the help of her nephew and found refuge in the home of Suad Mahasen, a nightclub owner and artist. She started her career as a chorus girl in the Casino Opera, owned by Badia Masabni, a famous dancer and actress. She soon became a solo dancer and adopted the stage name Tahia Carioca, after learning a Brazilian dance called the Carioca. She was known for her grace, charisma, and expressive movements. She also introduced elements of Latin American music and dance into her performances. She became a legend of Egyptian belly dance and influenced many dancers who followed her. Tahia Carioca also had a successful career in cinema, starring in more than 300 films and plays. She worked with some of the most prominent directors, actors, and singers of her time, such as Youssef Chahine, Salah Zulfikar, Farid al-Atrash, and Abdel Halim Hafez. She played a variety of roles, from seductive femme fatales to comic characters to tragic heroines. She was also a singer and a stage actress, performing in several plays, such as the 1967 black comedy Rubabikia. She was known for her outspokenness and political activism, supporting the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, opposing the British occupation, and sympathizing with the Palestinian cause. She was arrested several times for her views and actions, and was banned from performing for a period of time. Tahia Carioca was married and divorced several times, having 14 husbands in total. Some of her most famous spouses were the composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab, the actor Rushdy Abaza, and the director Anwar Wagdi. She had no children of her own, but adopted a girl named Azza. She died of a heart attack in Cairo in 1999, at the age of 84. She was buried in El Sayeda Nafisa Cemetery, where thousands of fans and celebrities attended her funeral. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest icons of Egyptian art and culture.