Paramount among the darling divas of 1980’s Manhattan glorious and glamorous ‘Egyptian Era’, Gamila began her dance journey in 1973. It wasn’t until 1975 that she found her niche with the Ibrahim Farrah method of training for Oriental Danse, both with his certified instructors and “Bobby” himself. Restaurants and house parties in her native New Jersey led to a small restaurant or two in Manhattan, which led to a night out with friends in 1978 at the original legendary Club Ibis (briefly known at this time as “EL Sultan”) then located on East 50th St. between Lexington & Third. Youssef Kassab, the premiere oud player and vocalist of the era, was starring there. At this time the club had three dancers every night and each dancer did two at-least-twenty(and usually 30)-minute shows nightly. Like a scene from a movie, after the band break Youssef Kassab says “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special treat ... we have a very beautiful belly dancer in the audience ... Honey, I don’t know your name but come up here and dance”. Gamila got up and danced in her street clothes. Asked back to audition in costume that Monday, by the following Tuesday she was working five nights a week two shows a night at one of the top Egyptian night clubs in the world.

Photo above: Gamila at the Perfumed Garden, NJ 1977 by Jay Belli Photo left: Gamila at the El Sultan (Ibis) with Youssef Kassab 1978 She spent a brilliant decade on New York’s cabaret circuit performing the gamut of restaurants and supper clubs but Ibis was always home from 1978 until 1988. Working with exclusively Egyptian musicians, having anywhere from six to ten musicians depending on how many percussionists had added on to the band during the course of the night, and rubbing elbows with the then nouveau riche arabian jet set on the Saudi Arabia-Cairo-London-Paris-New York-Washington, DC line was the quintessence of the era. In the early 80’s Samir Sabry (renowned Egyptian vocalist -- Samra ya Samra) made frequent visits to Ibis, embracing Gamila he said “You dance with your soul on the outside”. Visiting celebrities included Omar Khorshid, the famed guitarist (just prior to the accident that claimed his life) who would accompany the musicians from his table playing silverware and bread and butter plate.

During an evening at Ibis Dr. Mohamed Yaqout Shafshaq, College of Music Education (Zamelik, Cairo) invited Gamila to Egypt to be part of a performing group at the Balloon Theatre at Giza, Egypt. And on two separate occasions Gamila along with her fellow Ibis dancers had the rare opportunity to boogie down with the boys from the Reda Troupe and also from Nagwa Fouad’s company when they were in town during the mid-80's. But nothing ever compared to the night when Ahmed Adaweya, Egypt’s most beloved popular singer, came to the stage during Gamila’s show and began to sing. But he didn’t just sing ... he pantomimed, gesticulated , frolicked and gregariously drew Gamila into a delightful stage play that grew into an hour and ten minutes of legend. Photo right: Ahmed Adaweya and Gamila at Ibis March 1988.more photos

Photo left: Advertisement for Club Ibis/El Sultan appearing in Key Magazine Sept 29-Oct 5,1979. The "poster girl" for Ibis ... those are Gamila's eyes! As any cabaret performer knows, all work and no classes will have a deteriorating effect, even when you are surrounded by the best dancers and musicians in the country every night. Gamila began taking classes with Ahmed Hussein and got her first taste of real Egyptian folkloric dance... and the music of Metkal Kenawi. Through Ahmed she met another Egyptian dancer named Yousry who had been with Nagwa Fouad’s company (coincidence struck -- he had stayed at the hotel while the rest of the company had gone to Ibis) and had just emigrated to the US.

Photo right: Gamila at Ibis with from very far left Mohamed Saleh on violin, singer Raid Rabadi on oud, Nagi Saky (behind Gamila) on nai and George Naoum on tabla. Fellow Ibis dancer Tashira looks on. Around 1983/4 she crossed paths with Ramzi El Edlibi who invited her to appear as a guest artist with his performing company. And as a result, a whole new world opened up for her. Ramzi’s unique genius was to have an everlasting effect on everything Gamila did from then on. She says of him “...within every story is a little dance, and within every dance is a little story;" pausing with a slow smile, "... and he gave me the secret to great hips!” As a member of the Ramzi El Edlibi Dance Company Gamila gained her theater experience and had the extreme pleasure of being partnered with Ghassan El Fadlallah for his guest artist appearances.continue next © 2003 Gamila El Masri. All images on these pages are the property of Gamila El Masri and are for viewing on the internet only. If you wish to use an image contained on this site, please contact us.