Asmahan

A striking Middle Eastern woman with an enigmatic presence, Asmahan was a Syrian-Egyptian actress and musician. She possessed a beautiful singing voice and starred in two films. Her first, Intisar al-chabab (1941), featured her older brother Farid Al Atrach. Her second, Gharam wa intiqam (1944), was unfinished. Asmahan died in a car accident during filming, reportedly amid the secret services war in Cairo during World War II. She was married twice, first to Hasan Al Atrache from 1933 to 1939, with whom she had a child, and later to Ahmed Salem, ending in divorce. Her life was cut short at 31, leaving a legacy in music and early Egyptian cinema.