Shadia Day
Fatma Ahmed Kamal Shaker (Arabic: فاطمة أحمد كمال شاكر), better known by her stage name Shadia (Arabic: شادية, Shādiyya; 8 February 1931 – 28 November 2017), was an Egyptian actress and singer. She was famous for her roles in light comedies and drama in the 1950s and 1960s. She is one of the iconic actresses and singers in Egypt and the middle east region and a symbol of the golden age of Egyptian Cinema. Her movies and songs are greatly influential in the Egyptian and the Arabic cultures. Critics consider her the most important and 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). She is also known for her patriotic song “Ya Habibti Ya Masr” (Oh Egypt, My Love) and her breakthrough leading role in the Egyptian movie “Al Maraa Al Maghoula” (The Unknown Woman). Six of her movies are listed in the top 100 Egyptian movies of the 20th century. In April 2015, she became the first actress to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the Academy of Arts (Egypt). She was given the nickname “Idol of the Masses” following her successful movie “Maaboudat El Gamaheer” (Idol of the Masses). Other notable nicknames include “The Guitar of the Arabic Singing” (Egyptian Arabic: قيثارة الغناء العربى) and “The Golden Guitar” (Egyptian Arabic: القيثارة الذهبية).