The German Years

My years in Germany were not concurrent, but in blocks. 1977-1981, 1985-1986, and 2000-2002.

1985-1986

In 1985 Hans and I returned to Germany from Switzerland and I performed on a large nightclub boat in Frankfurt.  The club was run by Matthias with all his gold chains, from Ivory Coast and married to a German woman, Ellen. The club was full of night people, gauners, thieves, misfits.  An unusual job. But my show was quite appreciated every night. The job ended when someone turned up one night and went downstairs in the ship with Matthias.  The next day the club was closed and we read in the newspaper that he had been shot.

There was a tour with the Egyptian band in between here somewhere. Have to figure out the time line.

I think after the boat Hans took over the Faustkeller program and we brought the Egyptian band to Germany.  The Faustkellar was on the Theaterplatz in Frankfurt.  Owned by two Lebanese brothers.  That was a great job and fun. Maroun Helou came from Paris to play darbukka for me.  Gouda was on keyboard. Said on nay. A kanun player who was a jerk, I think his name was Fauzi.  A lovely violinist, the youngest of the troupe, don't remember his name. Doff was Ahmet Farr.  Farr means rat in Arabic. The name suited him.  He married a German girl (despite having a wife and children in Egypt). She was wealthy. He got the money and they divorced when she found out he was already married.

We were living in Offenbach during this time.  In a furnished studio owned by a German named Herbert who had a Jewish girlfriend named Svetlana who wanted to be a bellydancer.  Her mother was there too and a brother I think, Roman. They must have been gypsies, Roma.

1986 we moved on to Stuttgart and I danced in the Goldenes Horn, the Aldar and in Heilbronn and Neckarsulm.

We also did a tour in Germany with the Egyptian orchestra. 

And I was lucky enough to perform at the 25th stage anniversary of Caterina Valente hosted by the ZDF.