Fatma Ahmad Kamal Shaker (; 8 February 193128 November 2017), better known by her stage name Shadia (, Shādya), was an Egyptian actress and singer. She was the third wife of Salah Zulfikar. She was famous for her roles in light comedies and drama in the 1950s and 1960s. Shadia was one of the iconic actresses and singers in Egypt and the Middle East region and a symbol of the golden age of Egyptian cinema and is known of her many patriotic songs. Her movies and songs are popular in Egypt and all the Arab World. Critics consider her the most 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 came in the 1959 Egyptian film "Al Maraa Al Maghoula" (The Unknown Woman) directed by Mahmoud Zulfikar. Six of her movies are listed in the top 100 Egyptian movies of the 20th century.
In April 2015, Shadia became the first actress to be awarded an honorary doctorate by the Egyptian Academy of Arts. She was given the nickname "Idol of the Masses" following her successful movie "Ma'budet el Gamahir" (Idol of the Masses). Other notable nicknames include "The Guitar of the Egyptian Singing" () and "The Golden Guitar" ().
Early life
Born as "Fatma Ahmad Kamal Shaker" in 1931, in Elhelmiyya Elgedida, in Cairo, Egypt. Shadia was born to an Egyptian father Ahmed Kamal Sahker, from Sharqia and an mother of Turkish origin. In 1947, she fell in love with an Egyptian officer from Upper Egypt, and she got heartbroken after his death during the 1948 war. She had five sisters and brothers. She was the youngest of her sisters and the second youngest among all her siblings. Since her childhood, Shadia loved to sing and was encouraged to pursue music at primary school. Moreover, she began acting at the age of fifteen. Shadia was the voice of Egypt during hard and war times, she was famous of her Egyptian patriotic songs, especially "Ya Habibti Ya Masr" (Oh Egypt, My Love) and "Aqwa Mn El Zaman" (Stronger Than Time). She participated in many operettas along with other notable Egyptian and Arabic singers about Egypt and the Arab world, including: "Al Watan Al Akbar" (The Great Nation), "El Geel El Sa'ed" (The Rising Generation), and "Soot El Gamaheer" (The Voice of the Masses).
Career
Shaker was given the stage name "Shadia" by herself following the name of a newborn of one of her family's friends. In her heyday during the 1950s and 1960s, Shadia acted in numerous melodramas, romance, and comedy films. However, it was her musical talent as a singer that established Shadia as one of the most important Egyptian cinema stars of her era. Overall, as "Shadia", she performed in more than 100 films. Shadia is credited for acting alongside leading man Salah Zulfikar in his film debut, "Oyoun Sahrana" (Wakeful Eyes, 1956). Later, she paired with Zulfikar in 6 films forming a famous duet and achieving major commercial and critical success, this duet turned out to be an Egyptian cinema classic. She also starred in more than 30 films with the actor Kamal El Shennawy, and sang opposite Farid El Atrash and Abdel Halim Hafez, such as in "Ma'boudat El Gamaheer" (The People's Idol, 1967). She also appeared with Faten Hamama in Ezz El-Dine Zulfikar’s "Mawe'd Ma'a El Hayah" (Appointment with Life, 1954), and in "El Mar'a El Maghula" (The Unknown Woman, 1959) by Mahmoud Zulfikar, she played the role of Fatma in a heavy melodrama.
Notable films she starred in include "El les we El Kelab" (The Thief and the Dogs, 1962) and in her comedy roles in films "El Zouga raqam 13" (Wife Number 13, 1962), and her famous trilogy alongside Egypt's iconic actor and film producer Salah Zulfikar; "Merati Modir 'Am " (My Wife, the Director General, 1966), "Karamat Zawgaty" (My Wife's Dignity, 1967) and "Afrit Merati" (My Wife's Goblin, 1968), were huge successes.
Indeed, Shadia was often cast in cunning and cheeky roles, however, she also played serious roles, such as in Salah Zulfikar Films production; "Shey Min El Khouf" (A Taste of Fear, 1969) and "Uyoon Sahranah" (Wakeful Eyes, 1956) by Ezz El-Dine Zulfikar and "El Tareeq" (The Road, 1964), and "Lamset Hanan" (A Toutch of Tenderness, 1971), her last film opposite Salah Zulfikar, and in the stage version of "Raya and Sakina", which was based on the true story of two Alexandrian serial killers and directed by Hussein Kamal (1953).