Naima Akef - The Icon
based on Article by Hossam Ramzy
The Akef Family
Naima was born to the famous circus Akef Family on the 7th of October 1932 in Tanta. A city on the Nile Delta. The whole family participated in the performance or preparation, young and old. The Akef Circus was famous for its animal training, taming of the wild ones and cunning tricks with the not-so-wild. As well as fantastic dance performances and extravagant acrobatic shows.
This is the type of family atmosphere in which Naima Akef was born and raised—indicating a unique star being developed in these appropriate and ideal surroundings to be brought up in.
The Akef family moved to Cairo and based themselves in the district of Bab El Khalq. However, they travelled across Egypt and most of the world with their tours, especially Russia, in 1957. There, Naima presented her dancing at an international youth dance festival. As a result, Naima won the festival’s first “Best Dancer” prize. Dancers from over 50 countries performed in that event. A photo commemorating that prize-winning exists on the Bolshoi Theatre’s Hall Of Fame walls.
Naima's Uniqueness
Naima’s grandfather, Ismail Akef, was the gymnasium teacher and trainer at the Egyptian Police Academy. He started the Akef Circus after his retirement.
Ismail, her grandfather, took Naima under his wings, having recognized her talent as a dancer and performer from a very young age. He helped her shape her uniqueness into a historical artist who rose to the heights of stardom in Egyptian and Arabian cinema.
Stardom
Naima was first discovered for the cinema by the director Abbas Kamel; he presented her to his brother, also a director Mr Hussein Fawzy. Fawzy realised Naima’s natural talent for the screen and gave her a leading role the first time she ever appeared on the net! The film “El Eish Wel Malh” (The Bread and Salt).
In Egypt, once people have broken bread together, i.e. eaten together, it is considered blasphemy to digress against the unspoken oath of loyalty, El Eish Wel Malh.
Naima starred in that film with the singer Saad Abdel Wahab, the cousin of the legendary singer and composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab. The film was a great hit and a big success for Nahhas Film Studios, where it was filmed. It was the very first production there.
This was a brilliant start for the young Naima, who had various special and unique dance routines in that film. Something she was cautious about presenting in all her future films—side by side with her leading acting and singing roles.
Versatility
After her first film, Naima’s success in the cinema came one after the other, like “Lahalibo” [how does one translate that] (The one who is so hot that he is the fiery equivalent of Speedy Gonzales).
She also starred in the films “Baladi We Kheffa” and “Sitt al bayt”. “Baba Aaris”, “Noor Oyouni” (The Light Of My Eyes). This one came after Naima presented a dance sketch with legendary Dr Mahmoud Reda, creator and dancer of the Reda Troupe.
The sketch was called “Leil We Ein” (Instead of saying Leil Ya Ein as they sing in the Egyptian Mawwals [Laments]. Leil (the night) and Ein (the eyes) spend the night without a wink of sleep, thinking of their loved ones. The sketch was done for the Egyptian Arts Council.
Naima’s film credits extended further than that to appear in the following movies:
“Forigat”, “Al Fataah al Sirk”, “El Nimr”, “Halawet al Hob”, “Gannah We Nar”, “Millione guinee”, “Arbaa Banat We Zabit”, Aziza”. “Mahad el Riad awa el raks”, “Bahr E Gharam”…
The iconic “Tamr Henna”, an Egyptian flower, which was Naima’s name in the film and “Ahebbak Ya Hassan”, “Kholkhal Habibi”. “Bayaat el jarayed”, “Amir El Dahaa”, “Min ajl Hanafi “, and others.
It's in the blood
Egyptian dancing ran wild in the blood veins of Naima. It was her first love and the best way of self-expression. She used her circus life and performance as a launching platform for her dancing and trying and presenting new ideas, choreographies and music every night.She never cut short any corners regarding expenses, training or costuming for herself or her chorus dancers or singers.
In fact, to anyone who accompanied her in her shows. Naima was conscious about her weight and kept it under strict control to maintain her young, lean and supple figure and looks. She sacrificed the motherly pleasures of having her children until she gave birth just before she departed from our world.
Very often, Naima choreographed her own routines. But was very famous for being a very obedient student to her trainers and technical advisers. But, sometimes she also took help from famous choreographers.
The experts of Egyptian dance are certain that Naima was not affected by the styles of other dancers. She created her own unique style and had her personal feel of dance interpretation to Egyptian music. Leading her to the point of creating THE NEW on stage and in rehearsals
Kind heart
In the art world of that era in Egypt, Naima was very famous for her friendliness, kindness and helpfulness. She was like that to all her close friends, associates, film crew and members of the same film set. Never selfish and would always put others before herself.
There is a famous story of one day on a film set, after a very exhausting morning of filming on a lunch and rest break, Naima noticed that a fellow dancer in the film was struggling with an acrobatic move that she had to make and was having difficulty executing that move, which had to be filmed straight after the break.
Instead of taking her lunch, her very-needed rest, Naima went to the girl and showed her how the step should be done with ease. And did it for her many times and trained and coached her until she did it successfully! To the girl’s delight and the massive, almost none stop applause of all the film crew, actors and director alike.
Nightclubs
Naima rarely ever danced in nightclubs but more through her films and Theater dance tableaux, which she regularly organised in Egypt and abroad. Those were not purely Egyptian dance performances but more of a free expression—a music and dance extravaganza.
She used movement to express emotion and feelings, direct or indirect gestures, with bodily expression—Naima’s wide range of artistic talent, body suppleness, agility, and an excellent physique.
Making History
Naima was very proud of her success, which she achieved on her own merit. Without having to slug it in nightclubs for a long time.
She formed an acrobatic and clown act that performed in many clubs until she got the chance to work in Badia Masabny’s famous nightclub. The young Naima shined like a star and was one of the few who danced and sang solo.
Naima recalls how being favoured by Badia caused major jealousy in the hearts of other chorus dancers in the club. One day, they ganged up on her and beat her up; however, because of Naima’s strength and agility. She managed to defend herself and beat them up instead.
Those dancers were Badia’s source of good income, so Naima was fired from the club. Then, she went to work in the other famous night spot, The KIT KAT Club. This is where she met the film director Abbas Kamel as mentioned above.
Naima Akef , the Icon
This partnership was a big success for them both, and they got married for nine years, but with no children. A few years after their divorce, Naima married her accountant, to whom she gave a son. Her son worked in the field of music.
Not only did Naima enter the Egyptian Dance history books as one of its most innovative, creative and renewing dancers. She also entered the history book of Egyptian cinema: The first woman to star in the very first entire colour film in Egypt, “Baba Aaris”. She was directed by Hussein Fawzy in 1951, who later became her husband.
By Hossam Ramzy
1993 Ramzy Music International.
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