PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

Bamba Kashar was the first to operate an art festival in Egypt half a century before the world had heard of them. She was the first artist to show a sense of patriotism when she lined Moski street with fine carpets at her own expense to celebrate the return of Sa3ad Zaghloul from exile. The dancer of kings and Sultans, Bamba Kashar sat on the throne of raqs sharqi for more than half a century, specifically during the last 20 years of the 19th century and the first 20 years of the 20th century.

It began with her birth in 1860 into one of the most famous families in Egypt. Her paternal grandfather was Sultan Moustafa Kashar, one of the most notable Egyptians of the 18th century, and her father was Sheik Ahmed Moustafa, one of the greatest and most well known Quran readers in Egypt. Her mother was the granddaughter of the Mameluke Egyptian Sultan El Ashraf Eetal. So Bamba Kashar is regarded as being the only Egyptian dancer to come from a rich and ancient Egyptian family who held prestige and power.

As fate would have it, Bamba was the fourth born among her siblings, and as fate would also have it Fathya Ahmed (the singer of the two lands) was the daughter of her sister Nabaweya. Bamba was very close to her father from the moment she was born. She grew up loving art from childhood until the death of her father in 1874 when she was 14 years old.

After that Bamba's mother married the Quran reader Sheik Ismael Shah who was the private reader for the Khadawi Tawfik. Bamba didn't accept this marriage, so she and her siblings severed all relations with their mother and settled away from the mother's home in the Al Hussain neighborhood. There, they lived next door to the home of the most famous Turkish 3alma known in Egypt in the 19th century, Salem, who was well known in all the Egyptian palaces and mansions. Bamba became close to her and worked with her, presenting Egyptian muwashahat [art songs] and her fame began to spread throughout all of Egypt.

Bamba rode a donkey that was owned and led by someone from the general public. He married her and continued to accompany her coming and going to wedding celebrations according to the schedule of the 3alma Salem.

Bamba soon divorced this husband and married the artist Sayed el Safti, one of the pupils of artist Abou Khalil El Kabani who had achieved wide fame in Egypt.

After him, Bamba married Tawfik El Nahas, the son of the most important shahbandar merchants. He was the only man with whom she had children, two daughters Hosn and Khadija. She divorced him due to his family's insistence that she retire.

Bamba then married for a fourth time, to an important man from the Saidi area. He gave her a bride gift of 60 acres of the best agricultural lands.

Then she married her 5th husband who brought her many gifts and money. He scattered gold beneath her feet, but she didn't feel passionate love for him and so she asked him for a divorce.

Afterwards she married the kanoun player in her band.

Bamba concluded her journey of marriages by marrying one of the important notables in Cairo.

ABOUT THE PHOTO: Bamba Kashar is the seated older woman with the necklace. The others may possibly be her daughters.

Bamba separated from the 3alma Salem's troupe while she was not yet 20 years of age, and she formed her own troupe which quickly exceeded all limits of fame and she became a fierce competitor to Shafiqa El Coptiyya. Bamba promptly surpassed Shafiqa and she became the most famous of the awalem of Egypt, setting down the condition at her parties that no other singer or 3alma was to perform at any party where she performed. She danced with a tray on top of her head full of money and gold and the Pashas and Beks called her Set El Kol (Lady Among Ladies).

Bamba's pride in herself was such that she'd walk among special bodyguards. She was the second artist after Shafiqa El Coptiyya to ride in a carriage, preceded by a group of men who cleared the way for her. This carriage was purchased for her by her 5th husband who'd had her initials written on it in English in solid gold. He had brought it for her from Europe.

Her fame and her parties increased and she sat on the throne of the performing art for many years without a competitor. The demand for her reached the highest heights and her life became like the legends and stories of the Thousand and One Nights.

• Aziza Amer: Producer of the First Egyptian Feature-Length Film. Translated by Priscilla Adum. Includes information about Bamba Kashar's role in that film.

• Historic Photos of the Golden Era. Includes some photos of Bamba Kashar.

Priscilla is a dancer of Lebanese heritage who enjoys researching the Golden Era of Egyptian dance. She owns a collection of more than one hundred classic black and white Egyptian films which is continually expanding.

Priscilla has also gathered a large library of dance related articles and clippings from Middle Eastern magazines and newspapers, many of which she has translated from the original Arabic to both English and Spanish.

Priscilla currently resides in Central America where she is a dance instructor.