Nour al-Hoda - نور الهدى

Nour El Hoda

Nour El Hoda (1924 – July 9, 1998) was a Lebanese actress and singer. Her real name was Alexandra Nicola Badran. She was born in Mersin, Turkey. Her father contributed greatly to her success; he discovered her beautiful voice, and she sang at school and at private parties until she was nicknamed “the Umm Kulthum of Lebanon.”
A golden opportunity arose when Youssef Wahbi was on a tour in the Levant in 1942. He heard her sing and was impressed by her voice, so he asked her to come to Egypt. She did, and he cast her in the lead role of the film “Gawhara.” She worked with a large number of artists such as Farid al-Atrash, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, and Mohammed Fawzi. Films
• Jawhara
• I’m Not an Angel
• Don’t Tell Anyone
• I Want to Get Married
• Miss Suta

Nour El Hoda
Born on December 20, 1928, in Mersin, Turkey, her original name was Alexandra Nicola Badran. Her father was Lebanese and had a talent for writing, especially songs, folk songs, and muwashahat (Andalusian poetry). She was greatly influenced by him and fell in love with art through him. He discovered her singing ability early on, and her beautiful voice compelled him to agree to his daughter becoming a singer. Despite his strictness, he traveled with her between Syria, Lebanon, and Aleppo, where the renowned singer Fathiya Ahmed heard her in 1942 and was greatly impressed. Her path to stardom began when she met the great artist Youssef Wahbi in Aleppo in 1942. He was touring Syria looking for new cinematic talents. He heard her sing and immediately asked her to come to Egypt to star with him in his new film (Jawhara). He chose her new name, “Nour El Hoda.” She arrived in Egypt in 1942 and signed her first 5-year contract with Youssef Wahbi. After that, she starred in the film “Berlant,” in which she sang songs composed by Riyad Al-Sunbati and Al-Qasabji. When the composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab saw her, he chose her to co-star in his last film (I’m Not an Angel). She formed a duo with the artist Farid al-Atrash in cinema and starred with him in several films, including: (Don’t Tell Anyone, I Want to Get Married). She starred in many films, including: 1942 Jewel, 1944 Berlanti, 1945 Miss Bossa, 1947 Betrayal and Torment, Kiss Me, My Father, I Am Not an Angel, 1948 A Troubled Life, The Unknown Future, Narcissus, 1950 A Dancer’s Life, 1951 My Beloved’s Window, 1952 Don’t Tell Anyone, I Want to Get Married, 1953 The Judgment of Qaraqosh, The Judgment of Time. She performed many songs: (Oh, Car, Fly!, Oh, Clock, Hurry!, Don’t Tell Anyone, Poem of the Valley’s Neighbor, The Eid Crescent Has Appeared, An Hour with My Beloved, and others). She worked with many great artists such as: (Mohamed Fawzi, Ibrahim Hamouda, Abdel Aziz Mahmoud, Farid al-Atrash, and others). She passed away on July 9, 1998.