by Tarek Shanawi, (translated by Claude Eid ) from the Magazine ‘Rose El ‘Yousef’ edition no. 36566/7/98

The challenge between Tahiya Carioca and Samia Gamal , started from the days of the Cinema to the days of there marriage.  "We all die and the dance lives on - dance and dance and nothing but the dance these are phrases that Egyptian dancers always repeat, but in fact every dancer has another dream , that is acting and being a cinema (movie)star.

Tahiya Carioca, was one of the few famous dancers, that succeeded in doing just that. And her success has hit all the dancers of that generation aptly named ìthe Tahiya Carioca complex - by audiences in those days.

Everyone expected her to have a complex, another sort of complex.

After watching her dance teacher, Badia Masabni, commit suicide after her own last movie didn’t succeed (‘Em ña Saadii - Mother of the Joy’). Badia had very bad luck in all her movies that she produced and lost all of her money.

But Tahiya Carioca was helped by Sulieman Najib, who at that time was the manager of the Opera House, in Cairo. She learned Ballet, spoke French and English fluently, and she was active in Politics. She was one of the founding members of H.D.T.O, and because of this went to jail for 101 days.

In the late forties, she only danced at big functions for the King and royalty, and a few years after the revolution she completely stopped dancing and took up acting full time.  She did a lot of unforgettable movies La Bat Sit "The ladies game", Shabab Irma "The Oath of a woman", Om el Aroussa - the mother of the bride , "Samara" to name a few, which made her an idol of the screen, that coined the phrase of her generations that wanted to be like her, hence the name - The Tahiya Carioca complex.

In the thirties, the biggest challenge was between Badia Masabni, and Biba Az el Dinne, In the Forties, the big challenge was between Tahiya and Samia Gamal, in the sixties between Nagua Fouad and Souhair Zaki, and these days between Fifi Abdou and Lucy.

Even after the challenge moved into their marriage life, Tahiya and Samia fought, one of Tahiya favorites husband, was Rashdi Abaza. Rashdi, also he loved her ,there friendship survived till the end, when Samia died.

Samia Gamal, danced till early eighties, her age was seventy. She was still dancing in the nightclubs and stopped 1972. She started again, given some good advice from friend, Samir Sabri.

People used to say things in the audience to hurt her feelings but she still danced.

"Dance, Dance, nothing but the dance - I will dance till I die!"

 

 

 

"Casino Badia"

Syrian born dancer Badia Mansabny, opened a European-Style nightclub called "Casino Badia" in the 1930's featuring Arab/Egyptian entertainment.  A large number of dancers were hired to dance in the chorus.  The best dancers would perform solo.   Among these was Tahia Carioca .

This was "the place" to perform.  A place where stars were discovered.  Many of  the dancers at "Casino Badia" also became famous movie stars.  Tahia Carioca became not only a dancer but was featured in many Arabic films.