| Monirah El-Mahdiyyah | |
| Birth Name: | Zakiyyah Hesin Mansur |
| Birth Date: | 1885 |
| Birth Place: | Zagazig or Alexandria, Egypt |
| Death Date: | March 12, 1965 (aged 80) |
| Death Place: | Cairo, Egypt |
| Alias: | Soltanet El-Tarab, The Soltana |
| Occupation: | Singer, actress |
| Years Active: | 1906–1965 |
Monirah El-Mahdiyyah (born Zakiyyah Hesin Mansur, Arabic: منيرة المهدية) also known by the nicknames "Soltanet El-Tarab" or "The Soltana", was an Egyptian singer and actress. She was considered to be the leading Egyptian singer in the 1920s.[1]
Mounira El-Mahdiyyah was born as Zakiyyah Hesin Mansur in 1885. Her birthplace is said to be either Zagazig or Alexandria in Egypt. She studied in a French nuns' school.
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.
She was a trailblazer and not afraid to express nationalist sentiments where she performed. She was later followed in the field by such actresses as Bahiga Hafez, Fatma Roshdi and Aziza Amir. 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 al-Mahdiya, 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.
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.[2]
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.