The Skyrockets were formed when a group of young men from the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis gathered at the home of Naguib Kelada at Helmia. These included Michael Bishara, Asaad Kelada (Naguib Kelada’s eldest son), Oscar Cressaty, George Naguib and Marcello Linguaglossa. Their acquaintance had started when they were preparing for a variety show at the Ezbekia Gardens.  The young men shared a common love for music and for each other’s company.  Naguib Kelada, Asaad’s father, was the Director of the Cairo YMCA and lived with his family in a large house with a spacious basement.  The Kelada family virtually invented hospitality.  They enjoyed the company of young people; the gregarious and motherly Ellen Kelada adopted her children’s’ friends as her own. 

Asaad Kelada, all of 17 years of age was already a brilliant student at the American University in Cairo (AUC).  Asaad had started playing on the ukelele and graduated to the guitar.  He had a quick musical ear and a pleasant temperament.  His cousin, Michael Bishara was an engineering student at Cairo University, majoring in aeronautics.  Mike played the piano accordion and had already played with well-known professional groups.  Indeed, he was the only member with any experience as a band musician.  Oscar Cressaty, the show’s choreographer and ballet artist had taken to the drums while rehearsing for the show.  His natural sense of rhythm and artistic talent accelerated his learning experience.  George Naguib, slightly older and more experienced than the rest, was employed full time at a Cairo business, and performed with bands ‘on the side.’  Marcello Linguaglossa, a young Italian, was part of the show’s dance troup, and, though not formally trained, played the bass.

Mike, Asaad, Oscar, Marcello and George had grown quite attached to each other.  They managed to find their way to Asaad’s house just about every day. They talked, joked and reminisced about the exciting times performing at the show.  And they played music, using the instruments stored in the Kelada basement.  Oscar was getting fond of playing the drums and his natural affinity to music was quite obvious.  He spent hours practicing; the others ‘tolerated’ the efforts, but were pleasantly surprised when he started to develop into a fine drummer.

At the beginning, the songs were simple popular songs to which you could dance: American, French, Italian, and Latin American. 

And then it happened:

One of the variety show cast members, Robin Gabra, had a young Englishman living temporarily at his home.  The Englishman had a brand new LP record he had brought with him from his country.

Robin called Asaad and told him “You know, the English guest I have has a record that he asks me to play on our record player, and the guy who’s singing sounds a lot like you.”  Intrigued, Asaad asked him to borrow the record, if he could, and come over.

“Bill Haley and the Comets.  Who are they,” Asaad asked?

“Oh it’s somebody who plays the music that you’re hearing.  It’s called Rock & Roll and it’s very popular in England right now,” replied Robin.

When the rest of the group trickled in to the Kelada home later that day, they listened and agreed that Bill Haley sounded a lot like Asaad (or vice-versa).  So they played it enough so that Asaad could write down the lyrics, and Oscar could ‘imitate’ the drum beat.  With that done, they spent time learning the 12 songs on Bill Haley’s ‘Rock Around the Clock’ album and rehearsing, rehearsing and rehearsing some more.  In a couple of weeks they could interpret all 12 songs.

The word got around.  Soon, all kinds of young people from the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis just ‘dropped in’ to listen to the strange rhythms emanating from the Kelada basement.

But time was passing and the naturally fun-loving Egyptians had to celebrate the New Year.  Michael Bishara’s childhood friend, Samir Raouf was a member of the Heliopolis Sporting Club’s recreational committee.  Samir strongly suggested to Adli El-Shafei, a tennis champion and secretary of the club, that they use the Skyrockets.  El-Shafei approached Michael and told him:  “I understand you have a band.  We need one for New Year’s Eve.  I just have to have a band.”  Somewhat embarrassed, Michael answered that there was a band, but “. . we were just having fun.”  “It does not matter,” replied El-Shafei.  “Even if you have to just stand there, you’ve got to help us out.” 

“But we just know twelve songs of a new type of music called ‘Rock & Roll’.  That’s about it,” replied Michael.

“I don’t care.  I know you have played with bands before and that you have a reputation of being able to play any type of music.  You play, and even if the others don’t know the song, they can just stand there while you play.  Please help us out.”

So it was back to Helmia.  The group got together and Mike filled them in.  The reaction was mixed.  Some of them said that it could be done, that we could play the Rock & Roll songs, then Mike would play some tangos, fox trots or Latin American tunes, then they could repeat some Rock &Roll songs.

“But we’ve got to look like a band.  We don’t even have uniforms.  We don’t even have a name,” was the general reaction.  By that time the adrenalin had started to flow and so had the ideas.  Mike was studying Aeronautical Engineering at Cairo University and tried to marry the word ‘Rock’ in Rock & Roll with the name of a flying machine.  He had already seen pictures of a sleek jet aircraft called the Douglas Skyrocket.  “Let’s call ourselves the Skyrockets,” he said.  “It uses the word ‘Rock’ from ‘Rock & Roll’ and suggests speed and dynamic motion.”  The band members agreed.

Asaad’s two sisters, Nadia and Nawal, still living at home, came up with the idea of having the picture of a flying rocket embroidered on the back of a plain black shirt.  And (if they had any) the band would wear black boots so as to look like rocket pilots.  And somehow, it was done.  There was a band.  It had a name.  It had a uniform.  And it had an engagement to play (for money) at a prestige location.

On New Year’s Eve, Mike, Asaad, Oscar, George and Marcello transported the equipment to the Heliopolis Sporting Club, placed them on the bandstand and went home to rest and to get their nerves together.  Knowing that he would have to play songs outside of the Rock & Roll style, Mike had recruited a friend of his, Mario Martorano to take care of vocals in French, Italian and Spanish accompanied (mainly) by Mike on the accordion.  A handsome, gentle Italian who was more Egyptian than many Egyptians, Mario could play the guitar, bass and conga drums.  And his baritone voice, coupled with his green eyes, blond hair and dazzling smile, would cover for the limited repertoire of songs (or so they hoped.)

The nervous band members gathered just before startup time and decided that they would sprint to the bandstand, pick up their instruments and start to play a few of Bill Haley’s tunes.  But nothing would have prepared them for the audience response.  Just about everyone started tapping his or her feet to the rhythm of the strange music that the band was playing.  The foot-tapping continued; then a hardy couple had the unmitigated gall to actually get up and try to dance.  And dance they did, soon to be joined by others.

Within 30 minutes the dance floor was jammed.  The Skyrockets finished the 12 songs, and started to repeat them.  The audience did not seem to care.  They danced, gyrated and were enjoying themselves thoroughly.  After a while, the band went into ‘Continental Mode’, played some tangos, waltzes, rumbas and fox trots.

The evening ended with an enthusiastic response from the audience.  “Where can we hear you again?  Where do you play regularly?” they asked.  The response was that the band did not have a regular place to play, and that they ‘did it for fun.’  “Pity,” someone said.  You should get a manager who can get you engagements so that we can come and listen to you.”