Some 30 of her artistic garments later , the last shirt she sent me contained a shaky hand-written note describing that her health would not allow her to sew much longer , and because this was the last shirt she would be making for me , it was free . I teared-up when I read the note and examined the shirt , which had individually sewn beads on the sleeve spelling my name . I will always cherish her regalia as the most meaningful items in my closet .
Having known her personally as a true friend , and being mutual fans of each other , I was thrilled to be able to hear some of her adventures in belly dance which began in 1966 . She began writing many articles detailing these colorful anecdotes from the year 2000-2007 , which can be found online with a search of Aziza Parker or L ’ Aziz . Her website shows many of her creations - and I just found out while doing research for this article that I am on the top of the list featuring her customized costumes - probably because she made a magic coat for me that changed colors three times ! We designed it together and I performed it many times in our Magique Bazaar theater show . Majinga the Magician would not exist without Aziza .
There is so much to say about this marvelous lady , and there are so many others who have been similarly affected by her special skills . These stories could make an entire book , and we thank The Belly Dance Chronicles for giving us space to share , grieve , and celebrate this amazing woman ’ s life .
We will start with her own description of her early career , hear from a few of her friends , and lastly , a colorful story from her spouse that shows her sweet character .
From Aziza I started dancing professionally in 1966 . I was a student of Jamila Salimpour and I worked in a lot of places in the San Francisco Bay Area - Bagdad , Casbah in San Francisco , Greek Taverna , Casa Madrid , Francisco ’ s , 1001 Nights in San Francisco , Casbah in Alameda , The Raven in Hayward , Taverna Athena in Oakland , Zorba ’ s in Walnut Creek ( later the Parthenon ), a Greek club near the San Francisco Airport , etc . I did club dates and one-nights at a lot of other places like the Minerva , the Lions Club , etc . The first place I worked for any length of time out of town was at the Athens West in Portland , Oregon . I also danced in Calgary , Alberta , at the Egyptian Gardens , and in Saskatoon , Saskatchewan , at the Bessborough Hotel . I was the first belly dancer ever to appear in either of those provinces . I also went on the road , taking a band and a singer , and worked in places like the Tiki Kai in Albuquerque , Spanish Trail Inn in Tucson ( which , we discovered , was reputed to be a Mafia front ), the Flamingo Restaurant in Omaha , and the Esquire Club in Lincoln , Nebraska . I was also the first belly dancer seen in most of those states . I also worked at the Seventh Veil in Hollywood , and , several times , the Arabian Nights in Fresno . When I was working in San Francisco , the audience was made up of not just tourists , but also a large number of Arabs . The music was wonderful - we had excellent musicians , and when the Arabs came in , the musicians played whatever the customers liked , no matter what it did to the dancer and her dance .
From Adah Aziza was always “ larger than life ” - her smile , her infectious laughter , her generosity and kind spirit . Our alter egos , Zulieka and Adah , were often draped in Aziza ’ s creations of swirling silks in every jewel-tone we could desire . Her creativity uniquely satisfied our craving for dazzling sequins , opalescent beads and eye-catching mirrors . There was no costuming challenge that Aziza couldn ’ t meet and surpass . She excelled at creating the indescribable and indefinable works of art . Aziza ’ s most stunning and amazing creations for Zulieka and Adah were the matching skirts of red and blue mylar and strips of tinsel . We were able to dance on every stage for every audience with the confidence of breathtakingly gorgeous skirts and veils .
Every year at Rakkasah , we would rush to Aziza ’ s booth to gather up armfuls of the vibrant and matching outfits she had in mind for us . Over the years , we shared stories , dreams , lives , friendship , and visions of pirates ’ overflowing treasure chests of diamonds , rubies and sapphires . Aziza knew how to take those dreams and visions and turn them into living art . Many of Aziza ’ s creations still hang in our closets as they are too full of meaning and memories to discard …
Aziza , we miss that your positive and open-hearted spirit is no longer with us to be able to call and share another meal together . But , we know that your creativity and passion is alive in every stitch of every costume throughout the belly dance world . Blessings go with you , our delightful friend . We miss and love you .
From Zulieka Aziza played an important role in my life . I began my career
October 2020 � The Belly Dance Chronicles 53