Soheir Zaki
Soheir Zaki, one of the egypts' dance icons of the 1980's
As one of the most famous dancers of the sixties and the seventies, Suheir Zaki's picture became a trademark for the cassette covers of sometimes mediocre belly dance music. Contrary to the quality of the music cassettes that used her image, her meticulous ear for music was famous and so she gained respect of all members of the orchestra that accompanied her.
One one occasion Anwar Sadat called her "the Oum Kolthoum of dance". And the president of Egypt proceeded to her: "As she sings with her voice, you sing with your body". In the sixties Soheir received accolades and medals from the Shah of Iran, the Tunisian president and Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Just as Tahia Carioca and Samia Gamal - her biggest sources of inspiration - she became a legend in her own right. It was not always easy, even then in the golden years of egyptian dance. She first had to overcome the obvious disapproval of her father and the way up to fame from the greek nightclubs in Alexandria where she used to dance, to the celebrity she became on national television.
Suheir Zaki was one of those natural talents that had made the move to Cairo and gave the world the best of herself.