As you will know, dear reader, nothing thrills us here at Dolores Delargo Towers quite as much as the discovery of a new Diva!
Adored everywhere in the Middle East, from her father's homeland Algeria to her mother's in Lebanon, and in her own adopted country Egypt, the mononymous artiste Warda (for it is she) started her career singing patriotic Algerian songs in the lead-up to its war of independence, and from there she scaled the dizzy heights to be lauded as one of the greatest interpreters of Arabic-language songs ever. When she died, she was given a state funeral with honours and buried in Algieria's El Alia Cemetery, which is reserved for national heroes.
Of course, in our world, it's not just for her vocal talents nor for the songs that she is so captivating - it's all about the frocks, the hair, the sparkles and the drama - enjoy!
رائع (rayie)! [="fabulous" in Arabic]
Warda Al-Jazairia (nee Fatouki; 22nd July 1939 – 17th May 2012)
At first glance, at the top picture, I thought it was Stephanie Beacham.
ReplyDeleteSx
I thought exactly the same thing - either that, or a drag queen doing a Stephanie Beacham impression... Jx
DeleteHow fab is she and I love the sound of the Egyptian string section.
ReplyDeleteA great discovery to add to our collection, indeed! Jx
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