People wondered about you – Fariuoz

Nouhad Wadie’ Haddad, known as Fairuz is a Lebanese singer.

She is considered by many as one of the leading vocalists and most famous singers in the history of the Arab world.

In a career spanning over six decades, Fairuz has recorded nearly 1500 songs,  making her the highest-selling Middle-Eastern artist of all time and one of the best-selling music artists in the world

Fairuz began her musical career as a teenager at the national radio station in Lebanon in the late 1940s as a chorus member.

A short while later, Fairuz was introduced to the Rahbani brothers, Assi and Mansour, who also worked at the radio station as musicians. Their chemistry was instant, and soon after, Assi started to compose songs for Fairouz.

The collaboration was an immediate success in all of the Arab world, establishing Fairuz as one of the most prominent Arab singers on the Arabic music scene.

Fairouz and Assi in 1962

Fairouz and Assi alrahabani got married in 1955, they had 4 children, Ziad, Hali, Layal, Reema.

All the family members were musically talented, especially Ziad.

Fairouz and Assi’s Wedding, 1955.

Fairouz’s fame in 1960.

Fairouz and Assi produced a lot of musical hits, movies, musical theater plays, her fame spread widely reaching north America.

Fairouz was famous for her angelic voice and perfect pitch, even her bandmates used to tune their instruments using her voice.

Fairouz Iconic nick posture

Unfortionally in 1973 Assi (Fairouz’s husband) suffered a brain hemorrhage and was hospitalized at Rizk Hospital in Beirut, due to his illness Assi stopped writing songs and producing for Fairouz since then.

Assi died after a long coma in 1986.

Fairouz and her children

Ziad, her eldest son has shown an early musical talent wrote his first song to his mom ” People wondered about you- سألوني النّاس “

In the song, he portraits the way his mom had to perform without his father for the first time.

Fairouz and Ziad practicing the song

the lyrics of the song:

سألوني الناس عنك يا حبيبي

كتبوا المكاتيب و أخدها الهوا

بيعز عليي غني يا حبيبي

و لأول مرة ما منكون سوا

Translation:

People wondered about you…

they even wrote me mails, but I lost them…

It’s hard and sorrowing for me to sing…

for the first time, we’re not together…

Fairouz performing the song for the first time

In my point of view, the story behind the simple lyrics is overwhelming. Ziad has successfully managed to narrate the loss of his father through his mother’s voice. The song takes on and describes the deep connection between his parents that was built mainly on the music they made.

In a nutshell, the story was a message to the people and especially her fans informing them that from now on I’m performing by myself without Assi.

Fairouz’s last official appearance with The French president in 2020, honoring her for her 60 years old career.