Nagat El-Sagheera, born in Cairo in 1938, began singing at age five and appeared
in her first film at eight. She gained national attention in the 1940s and
1950s, becoming a defining voice of Egypt’s musical golden age alongside Umm
Kulthum. At 16, she released her first original song and quickly developed a
distinct vocal identity, drawing acclaim for her long-form songs that blended
music with Arabic poetry. In the 1960s and 1970s, she collaborated with major
composers like Mohamed Abdel Wahab and sang several iconic poems by Nizar
Qabbani. She starred in 13 films before retiri...