LiveOne
Badia Masabni (Arabic: بديعة مصابني, born Wadiha Masabni (Arabic: وديعة مصابني); 1 February 1892 – 23 July 1974), was a belly dancer, singer, actress, night club owner and businesswoman considered as the developer of modern belly dancing, by bringing the Western and Hollywood-esque vibe into it, after living for several years in the Americas since the age of seven. Masabni also became known for opening a series of influential clubs in Cairo from the 1920s onward bringing Egyptian belly dance to the Western audience and popularizing it further through Egyptian cinema. As a result of her influential casinos she is credited with training and launching the careers of many Egyptian artists, especially the belly dance's stars Samia Gamal and Taheyya Kariokka. One of the most important bridges in Cairo, the Badia Bridge, is named after her and is located next to where she had her performance hall.
Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.
