Anoushka (Egyptian singer)
Wartanoush Garbis Selim (Egyptian Arabic: ڤرتانوش جاربيس سليم; born March 9, 1960), better known by her stage name Anoushka (Arabic: أنوشكا), is an Egyptian singer and actress.[1][2]
Anoushka أنوشكا ڤرتانوش جاربيس سليم | |
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Birth name | Wartanoush Garbis Selim |
Born | Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt | March 9, 1960
Genres | Egyptian |
Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
Years active | 1987–present |
Early life
She was born in Cairo; Egypt, to an Egyptian Armenian father and an Armenian mother. She had her secondary school education in the Armenian Gulbenkian School in Boulaq neighborhood in Cairo and continued to study Business Administration at American University of Cairo. After graduation she worked in a foreign investment company and later on in the advertising firm Tarek Nour as a singer on advertisements.
She took in an international song competition organized by International Federation of Festival Organizations (FIDOF) singing an original French song, lyrics by Gamal Abdel Halim Hasan and music by Kamel Cherif. Her first Egyptian public song was in a children's television program teaching Arabic language directed by Fehmi Abdel Hamid. She went on to take part in 1987 and 1988 in international festivals in Finland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Turkey, France and Latin America. In Turkey, she won first prize with "Habbytak" and in the Francophonie competitions in France with her own composition "Ya Habibi" in French and "Ya Leyl" also in French composed by Midhat el Khawla.
She went on to release many albums in Arabic becoming a pan-Arab sensation and was awarded by the Egyptian Minister of Tourism for her efforts in promoting Egyptian music in the Arab World and worldwide. She also took part in many national, pan-Arab and international music events.
She had the lead role in an operetta entitled "El Ward we Fosoulu" (in Egyptian Arabic الورد وفصوله) in the Children Day festivities.
Discography
- Habbaytak Egyptian Arabic حبيتك
- Nadani Egyptian Arabic ناداني
- Tigi Tghanni Egyptian Arabic تيجي تغنّي
- Abayyan Zayn Egyptian Arabic أبيّن زين
- Keddab Egyptian Arabic كدّاب
Filmography
Anoushka has also played roles in many Egyptian films including:
- Es Sayyed Kaf Egyptian Arabic السيد كاف, directed by the Egyptian film director Salah Abu Seif
- Man Atlaqa Haazihi el Rousasa? Arabic من أطلق هذه الرصاصة
- "Hepta هبتا”
TV Shows
She has played roles in many Egyptian TV Shows including :
- Al Tawoos الطاووس
- El Marsa wa El Bahar المرسى و البحار
- Kanoun Al Maraghi قانون المراغي
- Ferquet Nagui Atallah فرقة ناجي عطالله
- El Sayeda El Oula السيدة الاولى
- Saraya Abdeen سرايا عابدين
- Mamlakat Youssef Al Maghraby مملكة يوسف المغربي
- Grand Hotel جراند اوتيل
- Sokut Horr سقوط حر
- Halawat El Donia حلاوة الدنيا
References
- Ayoub-Geday, Paul, McLure, Mandy, et al (2002) Egypt Almanac: A Yearly Review of the Egyptian Scene, The American University in Cairo Press, ISBN 978-977-5893-02-4, p. 332
- Mazhar, Inas (1999) "The Vikings' revenge Archived April 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine", Al-Ahram Weekly, June 17–23, 1999, Issue No. 434. Retrieved April 29, 2011