# Mounira El Mahdeya

Monira Elmahdiyya (born Zakiyya Hesin Mansur, Egyptian Arabic: منيره المهديه) also known by the nicknames "Soltanet Eltarab" (= Queen of Singing), was an Egyptian singer and actress. She was considered to be the leading Egyptian singer in the 1920s.

## Early life

Mounira Elmahdiyya was born as Zakiyya Hesin Mansur in 1885. Her birthplace is said to be either Zagazig or Alexandria in Egypt. She studied in a French nuns' school.

## Career

She studied in a French nuns’ school, after which she began her career in singing in local clubs in the Azbakiyyah entertainment area.
She joined the theatre of Aziz Eid, known for encouraging and developing the talents of his actors, actors who have among them many future stars such as Fatma Roshdi. This is where she acquired her acting technique and her lyrical talent as an actress and singer. She also was part of the ensemble of Salama Hegazi and when he became ill, she sang his role in Salah al-Din al-Ayubi, while dressed onstage as a man.
Her first recording was in 1906, under the name Sett Monirah (Lady Monirah).She sang Arabic musical repertoire and also Arab adaptations of popular Italian operas, her performances became very popular and increasingly demanded by the public. She interpreted some male roles as Romeo and Mark Antony. This was a period when only women from the non-Muslim minorities performed openly onstage in Egypt.
She was a trailblazer and not afraid to express nationalist sentiments where she performed. When she first performed as an actress in a dramatic-musical role in the Arabic Comedy Troupe of Aziz Eid in 1915, it was the first time a Muslim woman performed onstage as an actress. She was later followed in the field by such actresses as Bahiga Hafez, Fatma Roshdi and Aziza Amir. Between 1917 and 1925, she was the owner-producer-artistic director of the first female owned musical theatre company in Egypt. Her performances marked the increasingly popularity of new and lighter song formats, for instance, the taqtuqa, which she sang for women and theater audiences. However, Mounira al-Mahdiya was also proficient in the singing of adwar and qasa'id which she sang for male audiences.
The great popularity of Mounira Elmahdiyya, intensified by the success of the film La Coquette in 1935, enabled her to build a network of fans from different backgrounds, both social and geographical, and a theatre now bears her name.
She sang for kings and leaders in national celebrations such as "National Day of Turkey" in front of Turkish President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

## Legacy

Monirah El-Mahdiyyah died on March 12, 1965, at the age of eighty years after a long professional life. In 1978, a film titled Soltanet El-Tarab about her life was produced and directed by Hasan El-Emam, starring Sherifa Fadel.

## Filmography

* 1935: La Coquette (El Ghandourah) stars Monira Elmahdiyya and Ahmad Allam Directed by Mario Volpi

## Important works

* Asmar Malak Rohi= Brown Owned My Soul
* Yamama Helwa = Sweet Dove.
* Erkhi Elsetara Elli Frihna = Down Curtain Beside Us
* Ba'd El'sha Yehla Elhezar Wel Farfasha = After Supper Become Sweet Kidding And Freshness
* Ana Hawet =I loved
* Ta'ala Bel Agal= Come Rapidly

## Awards

* 1926 Award of excellence in theatrical singing contest set up by the Ministry of Public Works
* 1960 won the Medal of Merit First Class
* 1961 First Class of the Egyptian National Award Order of Arts and Sciences

## Honours

Monirah El-Mahdiyyah was honoured by the King of Morocco and President of Tunisia and by the President of Turkey Kemal Atatürk — She was the only artist that he admired.