Bellydance Living Legend - Nagwa Fouad
Name: Awatef Mohammed Al Agamy
Dance name: Nagwa Fouad
Date of birth: January 17, 1939
Her age in 2023: 84 years old.
Astrological sign: Capricorn.
Birthplace: Alexandria.
Religion: Muslim
Actress and Dancer.
Years of activity: from 1957 to the present.
Marital Status: Married 12 times.
Her first husband’s name: Ahmed Fouad Hassan .
Second husband: Kamal Naim.
Third husband: Ahmed Ramzy.
Number of children: one daughter.
Nagwa's Humble Beginnings
Nagwa Fouad, the living legend of belly dance, was born in the Gomrok neighbourhood in Alexandria, Egypt, to an Egyptian father employed as an electrician. Her mother, a Palestinian national, passed away during her childhood, and her father’s wife, who played a maternal role, took on the responsibility of raising her.
At the age of fourteen, facing pressure to marry a cousin 15 years her senior, Nagwa bravely refused and fled her father’s home. She journeyed to Cairo, where she found work in an office, unknowingly stepping into the realm of an artist’s agent’s office, setting the stage for her extraordinary journey in the world of dance.
Nagwa said:
"I entered the artistic community while running away from my family for fear that I would have to marry my father's cousin. Usually I listened to my father because he was older than me, but I had no inclination to study as he wished me to and was always in and out of schools and insisted that I had nothing to do with art."
"My father is the turning point in my life; as he slapped me in the face very hard, I decided to board the train and go to Cairo for art's sake. As my mother died when I was only seven months old, my stepmother raised me. That was during the era of the late President Abdel Nasser."
"When I decided to go to Cairo, I only had 10 pounds. Then I got a job that, according to my culture, was "tricky", a party contractor. Not knowing the meaning of this word or what this contractor does, I found pictures of stars when I entered the room." Feeling terrified, I got a job anyway. Answering the phone, my boss was called OrabiWorking that job for some time, I informed Orabi that I was good at dancing and singing; he then told me that Abdel Wahab's office was next to ours and he would make an appointment with him for me. When we went to Professor Abdel Wahab, I sang for an hour, but I failed, so he played the song "Zeina, by God Zeina," and I was excellent. From here, I began my journey with belly dancing, as he was very impressed by my dance and encouraged me."
A star was born
Nagwa Fouad
Nagwa Fouad began her artistic career when she participated for the first time in a movie called “Ighraa”, which was shown in 1957. Thereafter, her works continued and diversified between dancing and acting. In 1958, she presented many diverse works of art, which amounted to more than 250 projects, and her latest artwork is her role in the series “Land of Hypocrisy” in 2018 and the movie “Coffee of the Stock Exchange of Egypt” in 2019.
A Multi Media Personality
Nagwa Fouad's FILMOGRAPHY
50’s:
– “Temptation” (1957)
– “With the days” (1958)
– “The Hearts of Virgins” (1958)
– “My Love’s Mistake” (1958)
– “Street of Love” (1958)
– “Mercy from Heaven” (1958)
– “Toha” (1958)
– “The Girl of the Badia” (1958)
– “The Teacher” (1958)
– “Detective Inspector” (1959)
– “A Burning Heart” (1959)
– “The Virgins Prison” (1959)
– “A monotonous mother” (1959)
– “Poor Millionaire” (1959)
– “Ismail Yassin in aviation” (1959)
– “Have Mercy, My Love” (1959)
– “We are the students” (1959)
– “Beware of Love” (1959)
– “The Last to Know” (1959)
60’s:
– “Oh, my love” (1960)
– “Farewell, Love” (1960)
– “Angel and Demon” (1960)
– “Money and Women” (1960)
– “Qais and Laila” (1960)
– “A Heart in the Dark” (1960)
– “Gram in the circus” (1960)
– “Honeymoon Onion” (1960)
– “The Secret of a Woman” (1960)
– “I Accuse” (1960)
– “Gypsy” (1960)
– “The Tramp Husband” (1960)
– “E3” (1961)
– “Why I Live” (1961)
– “Ashour the Heart of the Lion” (1961)
– “Husband for Rent” (1961)
– “My life is the price” (1961)
– “Life and Hope” (1961)
– “Under the City Sky” (1961)
– “I Am Justice” (1961)
– “A Woman and a Devil” (1961)
– “Quorum” (1961)
– “Al-Turgoman” (1961)
– “Husbands and Summer” (1961)
– “Martyr of Divine Love” (1962)
– “Sweet and Liar” (1962)
– “Ultimate Joy” (1963)
– “Lebanon at Night” (1963)
– “Reckless Youth” (1963)
– “Prisoner of the Night” (1963)
– “Man in the Dark” (1963)
– “Passport in Peril” (1963)
– “The Madmen in Naim” (1963)
– “Cairo at Night” (1963)
– “The Bedouin in Love” (1963)
– “Runaway from marriage” (1964)
– “The Disciples Tiger” (1964)
– “For Hanafi” (1964)
– “The Harbor Girl” (1964)
– “Shadia Al-Jabal” (1964)
– “The Tale of Midnight” (1964)
– “The Great Adventure” (1964)
– “Looking for Love” (1964)
– “The Lost Son” (1964)
– “Slalom” (1965)
– “Farid al-Firdaws” (1965)
– “Tanabla Al-Sultan” (1965)
– “The Hooligans” (1965)
– “The Three Wise Men” (1965)
– “He and the Women” (1966)
– “The Three Friends” (1966)
– “Summer vacation” (1966)
– “Nora” (1967)
– “Hamza’s Bag” (1967)
– “The Student Apartment” (1967)
– “The Second Groom” (1967)
– “This man will make me mad” (1967)
– “Vacation Gram” (1967)
– “Love and Betrayal” (1968)
– “The Fake Millionaire” (1968)
– “The Bravest Man in the World” (1968)
– “Ibn al-Hatta” (1968)
– “Clash of the Professionals” (1969)
– “The sweet, dear” (1969)
– “Love and Money” (1969)
70’s:
– “Roses and Thorns” (1970)
– “We are not angels” (1970)
– “The Fun Band” (1970)
– “My Life” (1970)
– “The Two Friends” (1970)
– “Queen of the Night” (1971)
– “Tomorrow Love Returns” (1971)
– “Seven Nights” (1971)
– “A Delicious Journey” (1971)
– “An innocent on the gallows” (1971)
– “Adam and the Women” (1971)
– “5 Habayeb Street” (1971)
– “Amasha in the Jungle” (1972)
– “Compliance” (1972)
– “The World in the Year 2000” (1972)
– “Belle and the Tiger” (1972)
– “City Lights” (1972)
– “The Rogues’ Bunch” (1973)
– “Apartment for Love” (1973)
– “Two-Face” (1973)
– “Notorious Woman” (1973)
– “The Back Ladder” (1973)
– “Sugary” (1973)
– “Looking for a Scandal” (1973)
– “Antar Knight of the Desert”
(1974)
– “Demons Forever” (1974)
– “Ladies and Gentlemen” (1974)
– “The Gypsy in Love” (1974)
– “Warm Embrace” (1974)
– “The Widow of the Wedding Night” (1974)
– “Forbidden on the wedding night” (1975)
– “Divorced” (1975)
– “The Invisible Hoax” (1975)
– “Watch out for men, Mama” (1975)
– “Women in Print” (1976)
– “Where do we start the story?” (1976)
– “No, you were my love” (1976)
– “The World of Eyal Eyal” (1976)
– “Love on Miami Beach” (1976)
– “Barefoot on the Golden Bridge” (1976)
– “The Quiet Nest” (1976)
– “Life is a tune” (1976)
– “Women in the City” (1977)
– “Night and Desire” (1977)
– “It was, it was, it was” (1977)
– “Supplication for the Oppressed” (1977)
– “Sweet, Donia El Hob” (1977)
– “The Magic Lamp” (1977)
– “Mirrors” (1977)
– “A thousand and one kisses” (1977)
– “Sweet and Stupid” (1977)
– “Love Before Bread Sometimes” (1977)
– “A Call After Midnight” (1978)
– “A Night to Remember” (1978)
– “Men Don’t Know Love” (1979)
– “Dancing to the tune of gunpowder” (1979)
80’s:
– “Sunstroke” (1980)
– “Circle of Doubt” (1980)
– “Seeds of the Devil” (1980)
– “The Lover” (1980)
– “Slakhana” (1982)
– “Lucky Shore” (1983)
– “Journey of Eyes” (1983)
– “The Tannery Tower” (1983)
– “Tabouna Hamza” (1984)
– “My Loyal Friend” (1984)
– “Satan’s Girls” (1984)
– “A Woman in Prison” (1984)
– “The Promised Night” (1984)
– “Al-Ayqa and Al-Darisa” (1984)
– “The Greedy Ones” (1984)
– “Desire, Hatred and Revenge” (1986)
– “The Edge of the Sword” (1986)
– “Tomorrow is better than today” (1986)
– “Retaliation” (1986)
– “The Embrace of Fear” (1986)
– “A long-range plan” (1988)
– “Gate of Victory” (1988)
– “The Gayara Empire” (1988)
– “Money and Monsters” (1988)
– “Kafr Al-Tamayeen” (1989)
– “Al-Habayeb Lane” (1989)
– “Catch Us” (1989)
90’s:
– “Customary passport” (1990)
– “The Devil Gets Ready to Go” (1990)
– “True Love” (1990)
– “The Egg and the Stone” (1990)
– “The Three Champions” (1990)
– “Teens and Teens” (1991)
– “Sergeant Midnight” (1991)
– “It Happened, Your Excellency” (1991)
– “The Fugitive to Hell” (1991)
– “Divorcees and Wolves” (1991)
– “Alcmene” (1991)
– “The Law Knows No Love” (1991)
– “The Tramp and the Huanam” (1991)
– “The Devil His Name Is Sona” (1991)
– “Dr. Manal Dances” (1991)
– “The Wolf’s Lair” (1992)
– “All play on all” (1992)
– “Police Devils” (1992)
– “The Dancer and the Devil” (1992)
– “Significance” (1992)
– “Couples in Trouble” (1992)
– “Our Sweet Dreams” (1992)
– “The Days Game” (1993)
– “Knights of the Last Time” (1993)
– “The Orphan and Love” (1993)
– “Open play” (1993)
– “Pavement” (1993)
– “Revealing the Hidden” (1994)
– “Trail of the Worlds” (1994)
– “City Dogs” (1995)
– “Hysteria” (1998)
00’s:
– “Why did you make me love you ?” (2000)
– “The Red Agenda” (2000)
– “Fawzia’s Mix” (2009)
10’s:
– “The House of Expatriates” (2010)
– “The Two Fugitives” (2010)
– “Sweetness of Spirit” (2014)
– “Hassan Delivery” (2016)
– “Coffee Bursa Egypt” (2019)
70’s:
– “The Gang” (1970)
– “Son of the Night” (1975)
80’s:
– “She Lived Twice” (1982)
– “Journey of Illusions” (1985)
– “Dream Travel” (1986)
– “Burj Al-Akaber” (1987)
– “The remaining time is an hour” (1987)
– “The Circles Go Round” (1989)
– “The Love I Don’t Know” (1989)
90’s:
– “Days of Love and Fury” (1990)
– “Seven Faces of Truth” (1992)
– “no” (1994)
– “The Family” (1994)
– “At the Minister’s Gate” (1995)
– “Zizenia (S1)” (1997)
– “An Innocent in Trouble” (1997)
– “Honey Day, Onion Day” (1998)
– “A Woman Beat Me” (1998)
– “The Bird of Paradise” (1998)
– “A Tale of Hope” (1998)
– “Midnight Glitter” (1998)
– “The Lost Key” (1998)
– “Day and Night” (1999)
– “Bint Al-Assiouty” (1999)
– “Ahlam Suleiman” (1999)
00’s:
– “Souk Al-Rajala” (2000)
– “The White Ribbon” (2000)
– “Raheeq Al-Fawares” (2001)
– “Buck You Know” (2001)
– “We go to the department” (2001)
– “Horses” (2002)
– “Autumn Will Never Come” (2002)
– “Amanat Ya Lail” (2003)
– “The Final Decision” (2004)
– “Hind El Khashab’s Dreams” (2004)
– “Circle of Suspicion” (2006)
– “The Devil Knows No Love” (2006)
– “Dear Mama’s Knot” (2007)
– “Hekayat Al Madandash” (2007)
– “Children of the Night” (2007)
– “Nesma and Naseeb” (2009)
– “Tales of Girls” (2009)
10’s:
– “Notorious Memoirs” (2010)
– “Lyrics: Late Winter” (2011)
– “At Al Alali” (2011)
– “Fire and Mud” (2012)
– “The Bat” (2012)
– “The Bully” (2012)
– “The Guava Theory” (2013)
– “highest price” (2017)
– “Land of Hypocrisy” (2018)
– “The Tenth Husband” (1964)
– “Beginning and End” (1985)
– “Oh, Gypsies” (1993)
– “Malaeb” (1999)
– “King of Shahatin” (2010)
– “He has men” (2011)
Radio soap opera
– “Things Don’t Sell” (1983)
Nagwa Fouad: Belly Dance Revolutionary Golden Era Phase II
Unraveling the Grandeur - TV Musicals, Golden Collaborations, and Everlasting Influence
Nagwa Fouad, the revered figure in belly dance, left an indelible mark during her prolific career. Emerging as a luminary in the 1970s, she stood among the foremost belly dancers in the Middle East. Notably, her groundbreaking contributions unfolded in the domain of TV musicals, a revolutionary move that propelled belly dance into a new dimension. Nagwa’s visionary approach placed music and dance at the forefront, transforming presentations into captivating spectacles unmatched in their grandeur.
Her productions were a symphony of artistry, featuring lavish costume changes, classically trained backing dancers, singers, and orchestras boasting about fifty virtuoso musicians. Nagwa’s commitment to excellence shone through her significant investments, commissioning compositions from renowned composers explicitly tailored for a dancer – a practice that set her apart.
In 1976, Nagwa collaborated with the eminent composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab, heralding a Golden Era for belly dance. Their partnership birthed “Qamar Arba’tashar” (Full Moon of the Fourteenth), a historic composition dedicated to a dancer, marking a transformative moment in the industry.
Nagwa Fouad’s legacy echoes that of an innovator, trendsetter, and true pioneer. Despite achieving trailblazing feats, she remained candid about her inspirations, crediting the influence of Taheya Carioca, Samia Gamal, and Naima’s style in shaping her stage shows.
As a true pioneer in crafting dance and music videos for TV and enthralling drum solo performances, Nagwa Fouad’s enduring impact cements her status as a living legend in the realm of belly dance.
Nagwa 's Love Stories
A Journey Through Twelve Unions, with Ahmed Fouad Hassan Holding a Special Place in Her Heart
Musician Ahmed Fouad Hassan (famous Qanun player & leader of the Al-Masiya Band), the marriage lasted seven years, and they had a daughter before splitting.
Kamal Naim (a choreographer and dance instructor),
Ahmed Ramzy (Film Actor) more details on Ramzy later…
Sami Al-Zoghbi (Was Lebanese and was the manager of the Cairo Sheraton Hotel), Mohammed Mansour ( Mansour Chevrolet Owner), Fayez Trad (Businessman ), Sami Al-Muhandis, Muhammad Musa, Mohammed Al-Mulla, A Kuwaiti businessman, Imad Abdel Halim (According to some, the young singer says that she knew he married her out of greed, so she stipulated that the bond was in her hand. After discovering his addiction to heroin, she divorced him. He was the uncle of Angham and the brother of the composer Muhammad Ali Suleiman, and he died of a heroin dose)
Her last husband was Major General Muhammad al-Sibai.
As for the number of her marriages, Nagwa confirmed that she was married six times, not 12 times as rumoured.
In addition, Nagwa said that if time went back and she could choose one person with whom she would be for the rest of her life, she would have chosen “Ahmed Fouad Hassan”, as he meant a lot to her and was a complete family for her.
Ahmed Fouad Hassan:
A Musical Maestro in Nagwa Fouad's Life
Ahmed Fouad Hassan (1928 – 1993) was an Egyptian musician, composer and performer of the Qanun. In the early 1950s, he founded Al-Firqa al-Māsīya, the band that played with Abdul Halim Hafiz and Nagwa Fouad’s first husband.
He was 25 years older than her, but despite this big age difference, she loved him. She was about 15 years old when they married. Ahmed was her first partner, and for them to get married, she had to make a new date of birth that made her 19 years old. Their marriage lasted seven years, and it is said that the divorce occurred due to Nagwa’s unwillingness to have children, not to disrupt her artistic career. However, they had a daughter together.
Kamal's Love and Nagwa Fouad's Unique Wedding
Star-Studded Intimacy: Zizi Mustafa Dances at the Celebration
Kamal Naim was a show director who loved her and married her after her quick marriage to Ahmed Ramzy; the groom wanted to organise a large party and invited 982 people. Still, Najwa refused to hold a wedding of this size. She had a simple wedding in her home attended by many stars, including Nabila Obaid, Laila Taher and Lebleba, And Zizi Mustafa, who was a close friend of Nagwa, danced at the party.
Ahmed Ramzy and Nagwa Fouad's 17-Day Marriage: A Tale of Sincerity, Scandal, and Swift Separation
Her marriage to him lasted 17 days, as she said about him in an interview with the “Al-Kawakeb” magazine: “Yes, I married Ahmed Ramzy for 17 days, and what distinguished him most was his sincerity in all things. My story with Ramzy began with simple conversations in which he told me he was looking for a wife. At this time, I was very young and at the beginning of my artistic career. He sent Kamal Al-Malakh a letter asking me if I would accept his offer of marriage, as he separated from his wife, Pakinam.
“Any girl in the world would wish to marry him because he is a man of great value on all levels: form, culture, sophistication in dealing with people, all this besides the kindness and credibility. I remember he refused to work with any artist with whom he disagreed “for his colours do not have the colour grey.”
However, he had a different opinion, as he talked about the story of his marriage to her in “The Appointment” magazine, saying: “Nagwa Fouad is a great woman, but I married her only to preserve her reputation. One day I visited Nagwa in her home, and she argued with her husband, the late musician Ahmed Fouad Hassan.
And “Ramzy” continued: “When I intervened, an argument occurred between him and me. Ahmed Fouad leaked news about the existence of a relationship between Nagwa and myself to the press. But one of my friends informed me of the news before it was published, so I decided to marry her for fear of scandal and the spread of the news.” In the newspapers as the scandal of the season, and the marriage lasted only 17 days, and after that, we separated because of the different natures and the many differences.”
"My story with Ramzy began with simple conversations. He used to tell me that he was looking for a wife, and I was very young at the beginning of my artistic career." His honesty distinguished him. He sent me a message with Kamal Al-Mallah asking me about my acceptance of my marriage. He was going through his separation from his wife and the mother of his daughter Pakinam, and I agreed to marry him. We wrote the book in 1963, and I travelled to work in New York". "We went to the marriage ceremony at exactly eleven o'clock in the evening and spent a night in the opera." But then Nagwa received an offer to perform in opening a company in America, which would have her gone for about three months. She tells him that when she returns, they will resume their lives and prepare for the wedding, but on her return, she discovers that Ramzy has gone back to his ex-wife. She told him, "Ahmed, you have returned to your family. Take care of your home, and don't make this mistake again. I mourn the divorce, as there was no greater love than ours, and we kept our friendship until his death. I also refused to let the situation continue while I was a second wife. Ramzy loved his daughter Pakinam very much, and I was afraid that I would be the reason for the separation of the family."
Whispers of Love in the Halls of Cairo Sheraton
Mr Sami Al-Zoghbi is a Lebanese businessman who occupies the Cairo Sheraton Hotel’s general manager position. He married Nagwa but separated from her after nine years of marriage, during which they lived in one of the rooms of the Sheraton Hotel that he manages. Al-Zoghbi is her fourth husband, and according to Nagwa’s statement, Sami Al-Zoghbi had the largest share in her heart among her 11 other husbands. She confirmed that her separation from him was due to his affair with her close friend, whom she had known for 15 years, without revealing her name.
Sami Al-Zoghbi declared his conversion to Islam so that he could marry the girl of his dreams, Nagwa Fouad.
Her story with Sami began inside the hotel, which Al-Zoghbi headed. She preceded Sami by three years of working in the hotel as a dancer, and Sami realised that she was the reason for the success of the hotel’s entertainment department. In 1974, she denied the rumours alleging that their relationship was solely work-related. Instead, as she put it, their hearts were united by a great love story.
A Romance Unfurls: Nagwa Fouad and Sami's Love Story Blooms
Initially, Nagwa rejected the idea of being associated with him. Still, his insistence and pressure persuaded her to agree to his request to be with her. She stressed that the reason for her refusal was their religious difference. During the filming session for a movie, he surprised her and told her he had converted to Islam, so she agreed to marry him, and she married him from 1974 until 1980.
Nagwa lived with Sami during the most beautiful moments of her life, and they lived a unique love story before they separated. She expressed happiness that Sami had converted to Islam and had no problem with him converting to Islam for her sake. Sami said he had a solid commitment to all Islamic teachings by persevering in prayer, fasting and all the pillars of Islam.
Sami and Najwa’s separation is due to his affair with her close friend. She was shocked when she entered one of the wedding halls to find that her husband was celebrating his wedding to her friend, with whom she had a 15-year relationship filled with love, intimacy and harmony—Nagwa deeply regretted that she entered her home one day, leading to losing the friendship and ending her marriage.
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