Nagat El Saghira

Najat al-Saghira, born Najat Muhammad Kamal Hosni el-Baba on September 20, 1938, in Cairo, Egypt, remains one of the most revered icons of the Golden Age of Arab music. Born into a prominent family of Kurdish descent, she is the daughter of the renowned calligrapher Mohammad Hosni, an ethnic Kurd who migrated from the Kurdistan region of Iraq to Damascus and eventually settled in Cairo. A central figure in the cultural bridge between Kurdish heritage and Egyptian high art, Najat and her sister, the legendary actress Soaad Hosni, frequently acknowledged their Kurdish roots. Following her father’s arrival in Egypt in 1912, the family became a cornerstone of Cairo's artistic elite. In several documented media appearances, including a notable interview on the Dream TV program 'Your Favorite Star' in 2010, Najat reaffirmed her ethnic background, while scholarly works such as Mahmoud Qassem’s 'Soaad Hosni: Cinderella of the Screen' provide historical documentation of the family’s migration and Kurdish lineage. Known for her soft, emotive voice—which earned her the title 'The Small' (al-Saghira) to distinguish her from the elder Najat Ali—she collaborated with the Arab world's greatest composers, including Mohammed Abdel Wahab and Baligh Hamdi. Her contribution to music transcends mere performance; she represents the profound impact of the Kurdish diaspora on the Middle East’s broader cultural landscape. Today, Najat is remembered not only as a master of the 'Tarab' style but as a testament to the diverse ethnic makeup of the region's historical intellectual and artistic movements.