New Candid Film Footage of Ray’s Friend, Egyptian Star Samia Gamal

A few months ago, I published a blog post telling the story of Ray's friendship with Egyptian movie star Samia Gamal. Gamal was declared the “The National Dancer of Egypt” by King Farouk in 1949, which led to a nightclub tour by her in the US the following year, setting off interest in "belly dancing" in … Continue reading New Candid Film Footage of Ray’s Friend, Egyptian Star Samia Gamal →

Ray, Egyptian Star Samia Gamal, and the Pet Camel

Did you know that Ray Bourbon had a pet camel and was friends with one of the biggest stars of Egyptian films? On Ray’s UTC album, Around the World in 80 Ways, he included a long list of clubs he appeared at that included “Symia’s” in Cairo, Egypt. I thought this might be a bit … Continue reading Ray, Egyptian Star Samia Gamal, and the Pet Camel →