Ramadan Kareem
Before Scheherazade continues her tale and we discover what happened to Fatima, Halima, and Karima’s Ka’b al-Ghazal as he falls into Reema’s trap—" no spoiler”—it’s time for a little chitchat and some trivia about this season of One Thousand and One Nights, Egypt’s legendary radio and TV show.
Now it is the turn of Ka’b al-Ghazal, the three sisters’ father.
The actor who narrated the role of Ka’b al-Ghazal in the radio version, which we listen to throughout Ramadan, is the same actor who presented it on the TV screen in 1987: the late Egyptian comedian Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry.
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| Late Egyptian comedy icon Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry |
El-Masry is known in Egypt and Arabs for generations as Abu Lam’a El-Masry, the big bluffer who exaggerates everything with everyone till he falls in trouble to the level that they did not know that his name was Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry, who had a very high ranking position in the Ministry of Education and was the Principal one of Egypt’s oldest and most famous high school.
Born in February 1924, in Zagazig, Egypt, El-Masry earned a bachelor’s degree in applied arts, followed by a Diploma from the Teacher Training Institute in 1949.
He initially worked as a teacher before becoming the principal of Al-Sa'idiyya High school, and you do not become a principal for the school that graduated Egypt’s top icons except if you truly deserve that position.
The Civilian High School turned into a military high school in 1973. Till this day, Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry is remembered among the top principals back in its civilian days.
El-Masry, he held a high-ranking position at the Ministry of Education, where he served as the Director of Public Relations.
Now it comes to acting, El-Masry was among the original cast to join the Egyptian Radio show Sa'a Le Qalbak (An Hour for Your Heart) troupe in 1953. Sa’a Le Qalbak was our radio Saturday Night Live and was recorded live.
El-Masry portrayed the character of Abu Lam’a, originally played by Amin El-Heneidi. He later formed a comedic duo with Fouad Rateb, known for his role as Greek El-Khawaga Bijo (The Foreigner Bijo) who always falls for the lies and tales of Abu Lam’a
The show ran till the early 1960s when its stars, including actors and writers, moved to TV and Cinema.
El-Masry passed away in January 2003.
Thanks to social media and the Egyptian Radio uploading those episodes of Sa’a Le Qalbak, new generations of Egypt continue to know Abu Lam’a El-Masry.
Anyhow, we will leave Abu Lam’a and go to Abu Fatima, Halima, and Karima, Ka’b al Ghazal in the Arabian Nights universe. First, here is last night's episode to refresh your memory.
