Boshra Abdallah

Actress, singer, TV presenter, and most recently radio presenter, Boshra Ahmed Abdalla, or Boshra as she's more readily known, has a face that’s definitely not made for radio. With looks and intellect to boot, she's proven herself to be one of the most adaptable personalities in Arab media.

Born in England, she spent her formative years in Cambridge where both her parents were researching their PhDs. Keen to provide their daughter with the opportunity to explore her talents, Boshra’s parents encouraged her to participate in dance and singing classes from an early age. “They sent me to classes before I was even aware of having any talents,” she says. Her teenage years were spent in Egypt, where she eventually graduated from the Faculty of Tourism at Helwan University. However she never gave up on her dance and vocal training, attending classes to this day.

Her first step on the media rung was as a TV reporter, working at several different Arab satellite channels. She graduated to presenting her own programme and was soon starring in Egyptian Sitcom Shabab On Line, which exposed her to the entire Middle East. “I love the sitcom Friends, I’m a huge fan of it, and Shabab On Line is very much inspired by it so I was excited by this offer.”

Yet it wasn't until she co-starred alongside Egyptian actress Nabila Ebeid that Boshra believes the door of opportunity really flung open. From there she starred alongside comic actor Said Saleh and then came the ultimate accolade: a Youssef Chahine film. Chahine’s movie Alexandria, New York gave Boshra the credibility she had been yearning.

It was pure luck, however, that made Boshra duet with rising singer and old school friend Mahmoud El Esseily. During a TV appearance she sang along with El Esseily and was promptly signed up by Future Music. Considering her diverse experiences in the field, FM radio, with its improvisational demands, was a natural progression. She's also just wrapped up filming on Osman Abou Laban's film Kawalees and is working on a duet with the new singer Sherif Ismail.

Ask Boshra the secrets to her success, and the answer is immediate: A clearly set out plan of objectives and an obsession with work. “I made a plan for my life and I aim to follow that path to achieve my goals.” In the process, she admits she gets few hours of sleep and the inevitable feelings of guilt that come with long hours away from her family. However fame and fortune are not her priority, rather Boshra has a real "change the world" mentality about her. Her work seems to be a means to an end; the end being a platform from which she can voice her views on social and political issues to help others.

Her passion for her work is also underpinned by the philosophies she relies upon both professionally and personally. She sees herself as a forward moving train, not allowing anything to get in her way. “I control this train and I’m the one who orders it to shift right or left whenever I feel like it.” She has also trained herself to only see the good in life and people, oblivious to the negative; a task that is hard to achieve. "I took an oath to turn any disadvantage into an advantage and to learn from it," she says. "That's why when I'm sad I like to smile and laugh and make everyone smile." Her ultimate goal is to crack the Western market and she is determined to showcase her talents in an international forum. As always, Boshra is walking the talk and recently signed with an international agent to promote her throughout Europe and Hollywood. It seems Boshra maybe on the verge of adding yet another notch to her belt. Who knows one day Boshra may be one