Welcome! Please join us...
as we travel back in time to the North Beach district of San Francisco between the years 1957 through 1985.   The 45 entertainers along this hallway will tell you their stories from their point of view. This was a vibrant period of Middle Eastern Performing Arts in San Francisco. These artists included, performing dancers and musicians, teachers and students in the arts community, costumers, club owners, bar tenders and wait staff, patrons, or sometimes a stripper or punk from a club next door.

We know that there are inconsistant facts between interviews, but we have left these for you, the reader, to reconcile.  Hopefully, you will savor the different perpectives of the artists' and dancers' recollections, as the tantalizing spices of a favorite dish. 

Please send your feedback, stories and photos to editor@gildedserpent.com.

   
 
 
   
 
 
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Kirk Templeton
Customer

The Last Night at the Casbah

   


Nazir Latouf
Musician

Interviewed

         


Sultana
Dancer

Charismatic Sultana Changes North Beach

 

     

 

 

     

The Gilded Serpent presents...
The North Beach Memories
The Stars and their Stories

Please take our self guided tour by strolling
(or scrolling) down our hall to the right

-Names are linked to biography
-Articles involving this person are listed underneath

A-F: Aida, Amina, Asmahan, Aziza, Bert, Cruz, Dahlena, Elaine, ,
F-J:Fadil, Fatma, Fouad, Galya, George Elias, George T, Habibi Nawal
J-M: Jad, Jalal, Jamila, John, Kalifa, Kirk, Latifa
M-S:Mark, Marliza, Naji, Najia, Nazir, Nisima, Rebaba, Rhea
S-T:
Sabah, Sadira, Saida, Salah, Satrinya, Sausan, Shamira, Sultana
T-Z: Taka, Vince, Yasmin, Yousef, Zaharr

Club profiles here
Timeline here


Aida
Dancer & Teacher
Incuded in the stories of


Amina Goodyear
Dancer & Teacher


Asmahan
Dancer & Teacher

My Adventure Begins!

Aziza
Aziza
Dancer & Costumer


Bert Balladine

Dancer & Teacher

Broadway
Amina's North Beach Memories Chapter 6: Bert


Cruz Luna
Spanish Dancer,
Teacher, & Club Owner

included in the stories of

Najia
Bert
Aziza!
Mary Ellen Donald


Dahlena
Dancer & Teacher

Interviewed


Elaine
Waitress at
The Greek Taverna

The Greek Scene


Fadil Shahin
Musician & Club Owner

Interviewed


Fatma Akef
Dancer & Teacher
Sister of Naima Akef

Dancing on the Edge
by Amina about Fatma

Dancers I Have Known
by Aziza about Fatma


Fouad Marzouk
Musician
Interviewed


Galya
Dancer

mentioned in many stories


George Elias (#1)
Club Owner
Musician
Jad's brother
Yousef's brother-in-law

Nadia Elias
writes a tribute to her father
 


George Elias (#2)

Musician
(called "George the Jerk"
by some!)


George T
Barker
now works at "Big Al's" on Broadway and Columbus

Habiba Nawal
Habiba Nawal
Dancer

I Loved the Old Days at the Bagdad


Jad Elias
 Musician
George Elias's brother


Jalaleddin Takesh

Musician, Club Owner &
Salah's brother


Jamila Salimpour
Dancer, Club Owner, & Teacher

Mentioned in many stories including
Jamila and Yousef
by Aziza!
The Jamila Experience
by Yasmela
Retro-trieving
by Sadira
My Lessons with Jamila Salimpour  (part 2)
by Satrinya/Masalima


John Compton
Dancer & Teacher

Interviewed


Kalifa
Dancer

Dancing on Broadway


Latifa
Dancer & Teacher

The Rest of the
San Francisco Dance Scene


Mark Bell
Musician

Interviewed


Marliza Pons
Dancer

Interviewed


Naji Baba
Musician
Teacher
TV Show Producer

Mentioned in stories by Vince, Najia and others

 


Najia
Dancer, Teacher, & Writer

Interviewed


Nisima
Dancer

Come with me to the Casbah

Rebaba
Rebaba
Dancer

Casbah Cabaret


Rhea
Dancer & Teacher


Sabah /
Jamie Miller
Dancer & Teacher

Interviewed


Sadira
Dancer & Teacher

Retro-trieving


Saida Asmar Dancer & Teacher

Interviewed


Salah Takesh
Musician &
Jalal's younger brother

Interviewed


Satrinya/ Masalima
Dancer & Teacher

Reflections on North Beach
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


Sausan
Dancer

Dancing in North Beach


Shamira
Dancer & Teacher

Interviewed


Taka
Dancer & Teacher

Interviewed


Vince Delgado
Musician

Interviewed


Yasmeen
Dancer & Teacher

Interviewed


Yousef Mustafa
Musician

Interviewed


Yousef Kouyoumjian

Musician & Club Owner

Mentioned in many of the stories including
Jamila and Yousef


Zaharr Hayatti
Dancer & Teacher

Zaharr's Memoir,
Part 11- The Minerva