Well, I enjoyed so much the bio of Norma Warah's mentor Princess Madiha. Ironically, I just heard the latest about the "Sahara City" night club Madiha performed in many years ago. When my Dad Samir Al-Tawil was teaching at the University in Cairo back in the 1970's he performed at "Sahara City." One of my sisters went to Egypt on holiday just a few months back and related to me that she went in search of Sahara City. The cab driver was an older man and told her that it had closed, but he knew where it had been so he took her there. The experience was touching for her. She told me that now most of the belly dancing is in the five star hotels and that the old type night clubs are gone. Most of the bars are the seedy kind hidden away now. In other words there's not much "in between" right now.
My mother Johanna and I thought that the name "Sahara City" was very romantic, invoking memories of the fez, "Casablanca," and so on. Too bad my sister could not go in. She was going to try to book me to dance there! Alas....it is not to be!
My mother Johanna and I thought that the name "Sahara City" was very romantic, invoking memories of the fez, "Casablanca," and so on. Too bad my sister could not go in. She was going to try to book me to dance there! Alas....it is not to be!
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Raleigh
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Re: "Sahara City" Nightclub, Egypt
Fri, May 9, 2008 - 2:50 PMThat's interesting Aziza.. I should ask Madiha if she knew your dad. What instrument did he play?
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Re: "Sahara City" Nightclub, Egypt
Sat, May 10, 2008 - 6:02 AMThat brings back memories! My very first workshop EVER was with Salina of Florida, who'd just come back from performing in Egypt, at Sahara City - she was selling her music from the show, that's how I remember it so well! mmmm, that was back in mid-80's ;-) -
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Re: "Sahara City" Nightclub, Egypt
Sat, May 10, 2008 - 8:42 AMWow, cool Anthea! My Dad Samir Al-Tawil was still alive in the 80's. (Well-he's an "international man of mystery" and may not be dead actually-but I believe he probably is according to some sources I interviewed recently). Ya never know, Salina may have known him as well.
Norma, he played the oud, sang and wrote songs. had a stint with the Lebanese Radio Orchestra and played Omar Khayyam in an Arabic language film (not sure from what country). When my mother met him he was over here (1967) and was in a dispute with Naif Agby over two albums which were of Samir with the Lebanese Radio Orchestra. Naif supposedly paid him damages of $1800 for putting the record out under his name (another was put out a few years later without proper credit either). Samir recorded records under his own name as well that were out in the late sixties.
Madiha might have worked with him as he traveled and performed a lot. He was about 43 in 1967 but lied about his age. He made a lot of friends and a lot of enemies through his "duplicitous" charms. My siblings and I still don't know the whole truth about him! (And probably never will!)
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