By: Yomna Walid&nbsp;
In the village of Sanhoot in Egypt&rsquo;s Sharqia governorate, life moves to the rhythm of the fields. Inside a modest home, the scent of simmering okra and eggplant fills the kitchen as El Haga Nabila cooks, humming a tune she first learned when she was ten: &ldquo;El Bamya Shawk&eacute;tni.&rdquo; Years later, she sang it again while preparing lunch, unaware that her son was quietly recording her. She had no idea that this simple moment, captured in a village kitchen, was about to travel across the country.
The song is playful, raw, and deeply local. When her son uploaded the video, millions heard not just a melody, but the soul of a woman shaped by soil, family, and tradition. Comments poured in: Who is this woman? Where did that voice come from?
Within days, Nabila had become a national trend. Director Zeina Ashraf Abdelbaki soon chose her to sing &ldquo;Hat Edeek Ya Wala,&rdquo; the theme song for a television series, drawn to the emotional honesty in her voice. Nabila never learned to read or write, but she learned to sing. Her voice, pure, warm, and untouched, quickly became sought after across Egypt. Most recently, she performed a track for the hit film &ldquo;El Sada El-Afadel.&rdquo;
 Known for her simple village look, her patterned headscarf, her warm features, and the ease of someone who never pretends to be anything she is not, Nabila stands today as one of Egypt&rsquo;s most authentic cultural voices. NileFM sits down with El Haga Nabila to explore the woman behind the voice that captured the country&rsquo;s heart.
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 Her Journey From &ldquo;El Bamya Shawk&eacute;tni&rdquo; to &ldquo;Hat Edeek Ya Walaa 1) When your &ldquo;El Bamya Shawk&eacute;tni&rdquo; video went viral, when did you realize people truly connected with your voice? Honestly, I felt it when people in the village began stopping me and saying, &ldquo;We heard your voice on the internet.&rdquo; I didn&rsquo;t understand at first, until my son Haitham told me, &ldquo;Mama, you became a trend. Everyone saw you singing.&rdquo; That was the moment I realized people had truly connected with me.
<a href="https://ibb.co/Myt4HZwV"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/kVwfT5b8/3.png" alt="3" border="0" /></a> 2) Your son Haitham joked about your fame. Can you tell us that moment? He came to me saying, &ldquo;Mama, be happy; you got a &lsquo;trenj&rsquo;.&rdquo; I laughed and said, &ldquo;Shame on you, boy! Do I look like I&rsquo;m wearing a training suit?&rdquo; He laughed too and said, &ldquo;No, Mama, you became a trend. People saw you singing.&rdquo; That moment changed my life.
3) Director Zeina Ashraf said your voice is unique. How were you chosen to sing &ldquo;Hat Edeek Ya Wala&rdquo;? Zeina heard my voice and told me there was something special in it; something that fit the story of the series. The song is beautiful, and people from all over the Middle East sent me messages congratulating me. I sang it word by word. It wasn&rsquo;t easy, but everyone working on it helped me so much. The lyrics were by Menna Adli El Kiey, and the music was composed by Mohamed Yehia.
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7wIorD1jbS8" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Hitting the trend
4) Your song &ldquo;Dar Ya Dar&rdquo; is trending now. What&rsquo;s the story behind it? It was a collaboration with the artist Ali, written by scriptwriter Bassem Adel. We recorded it together, and it was a new style for me; working with young artists. Artist Ali Loka added something special, and thank God, the song became a trend too.
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5) You mentioned your beginnings were not easy. What challenges did you face?
My whole life was about shouldering responsibility, the house, the children, the field, the work. I sang a lot when I was young, but I never had the chance to go out or be seen. I got married and lived my life like any villager. I raised my children, and after my husband passed away, God finally opened a door for me. The biggest challenge was believing that someone like me could still have a chance.
6) You still sing at weddings. Why is that important to you? Because that is where I belong. I will never stop singing in my village and nearby areas. The happiest moments of my life are when I sing at henna nights among my own people.
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7) Would you ever consider doing a duet? I don&rsquo;t know if it will happen, but I would be honored. I simply love singing, and I would sing with anyone who loves music.
8) Which artists shaped your love of singing? I adore Umm Kulthum, Gamalat Shiha, and many others. They all shaped the way I sing.
9) How Your Village Sees You? They are proud of me. They feel genuinely happy when they see me on TV. Wherever I go, I represent my village proudly.
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IgkD0i9Tf4w" width="560" height="314" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> 10) If you could go back in time, would you change anything in your life? No. I would live the same life. I love singing, and my children love music too. My son Haitham sings with me, Tarek plays keyboard and flute, and their father, may God rest his soul, also played the flute.
A Life Lived Through Song El Haga Nabila never sought fame. She knew only her fields, her family, and the songs that colored her days. Yet in one quiet moment, singing while cooking, she reminded the world that talent, heart, and authenticity cannot be measured by education or status. From the village of Sanhoot to millions of listeners, her voice carries the soul of Egypt&rsquo;s heartland; a voice that will be heard for generations

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