Today I want to share with you the origin of my artistic name, it´s been about fifteen years since I was baptized in this way, and it happened like this: I was walking through the famous Khan el Halili bazaar, looking for some pretty bellydance dresses, there was Mohamed Gomaa who had a beautiful shop, so varied.
I hadn’t seen him for a long time, and there I found him, in the middle of a narrow little street like all the streets in general in this very special bazaar. He called me » eh el assal di…enty 3assalya”
I smiled, Mohamad explained to me that it is a typical Egyptian sweet made with pure cane sugar, molasses, and sesame, then he added that 3asal means honey, then 3assalya could be translated as sweetness.
Here a lot of «asalia»
And then I was very curious, but could it be a woman´s name? And he told me «Of coure, so I decided that neither as an affectionate nickname nor by chance, that would be my artistic name.
I simplified it from 3assalya to Asalia, better for everyone, when in the performances they say my name and the presenters are not Arabs, they say it in the most varied ways, also make it easier for my friends from all over the world and for my family.
Actually, 3 is used by the Arabs to express the letter (ع), our alphabet lacks that sound, that letter, with which the Arabs, wanting to express themselves with our alphabet (Spanish, French, and many others), use different numbers to supply those letters that do not exist in our alphabet.
Since then many anecdotes have happened because of my name, I have laughed a lot, Egyptian children love my name, they have told me jokes and rhymes, they have sung songs with my name, it reminds adults of their childhood, when they were kids and ate this candy.
I remember years ago dancing in Sharm el Sheikh, the animators before introducing me made an animation on the projector, I could hardly get out because I was bursting with laughter. The public could see my name and honey falling in the form of a waterfall, welcome to the Asalia show and it was raining asalias (the bauble) and suddenly an image of me, imagine my funny face, a smile from ear to ear and the laughter of the people, but good laughs, all with great respect.
So Asalia is my artistic name that I love, that goes with me and also everywhere. In my humble opinion, I like it much more that they chose the name, it seems very special and meaningful to me, of how others perceive and feel me, and it sincerely connects with me.
Do you have a stage name chosen by you or have you been «baptized»? What does your name mean?.
Thanks, Mohamad Gomaa