Fairuz – Past and Present

Fairuz is the Arab world’s most famous and most listened-to singer. For decades, almost all radio stations in the Arab world have been starting their morning broadcast with a Fairuz song.

In 1999, The New York Times described her as “a living icon without equal” and stated that her emergence as a singer paralleled Lebanon’s transformation from a backwater to the vibrant financial and cultural heart of the Arab world.^[1]

In 1997, Billboard stated “even after five decades at the top, Fairuz remains the supreme Diva of Lebanon”.^[2] 

In a 2008 article, BBC described her as “the legendary Lebanese singer and greatest living Arab diva”.^[3]

Biography at a Glimpse

Fairuz was born in Lebanon in November 20, 1934 as Nouhad Wadie’ Haddad into an Assyrian and Maronite Christian family.

By the age of ten, Nouhad was already known at school for her unusual singing voice. She would sing regularly during school shows and on holidays. This was how she came to the attention of Mohammed Flayfel in 1950, a well known musician and a teacher at the Lebanese Conservatory. Impressed by her voice and performance, he advised her to enrol in the conservatory, which she did.

On one occasion, Nouhad was heard singing by Halim el Roumi, head of the Lebanese radio station and a prominent musician in his own right. Roumi was impressed by her voice and appointed her as a chorus singer at the radio station in Beirut and went on to compose several songs for her. He chose for her the stage name Fairuz, which is the Arabic word for turquoise.

A short while later, Fairuz was introduced to the Rahbani brothers, Assi and Mansour, who also worked at the radio station as musicians. Soon after, Assi started to compose songs for Fairouz, one of which was “Itab” (the third song he composed for her), which was an immediate smash hit in all of the Arab world, establishing Fairuz as one of the most prominent Arab singers on the Arabic music scene. Assi and Fairuz were married on January 23, 1955.

Fairuz and Assi had four children: Ziad, a musician and a composer, Layal (died in 1987 of a brain stroke), Hali (paralysed since early childhood after meningitis) and Rima, a photographer and film director.

Fairuz’s first large-scale concert was in 1957, as part of the Baalbeck International Festival. Musical operettas and concerts followed for many years, eventually establishing Fairuz as one of the most popular singers in Lebanon and throughout the Arab world.

Itab by Fairuz

Her music

1960s

During this period the Rahbani brothers wrote and composed for her hundreds of famous songs, most of their operettas, and three motion pictures.

In 1969, Fairuz’s songs were banned from the radio stations in Lebanon for six months because she refused to sing at a private concert in honour of Algerian President Houari Boumedienne. The incident only served to increase her popularity. Fairuz made it clear then and since that while always willing to sing to her public and to various countries and regions, she would never sing to any individual.

1970s

In 1971, Fairuz’s fame became international after her major North American tour and yielded very positive reviews of the concerts.

Fairuz continued to produce musicals with the Rahbani Brothers. Their music became increasingly political in nature and after the Lebanese Civil War erupted in 1975.

In 1979, Fairuz and the brothers agreed to end their professional and personal relationship and Fairuz began to work with a production team helmed by her son, Ziad Rahbani.

1980s

Fairuz continued to produce music with her son Ziad.

Her first CD, The Very Best of Fairuz was published in 1987 and contained the emblematic song “Aatini al Nay wghanni” based on a poem in “The Procession” by Khalil Gibran.

Fairuz made a second and final European Television appearance on French TV on October 13, 1988 in a show called Du côté de chez Fred.

1990s and on

In the 1990s, Fairuz produced six albums and held a number of large-scale concerts, most notably the historic concert held at Beirut’s Martyr’s Square in September 1994 to launch the rebirth of the downtown district that was ravaged by the civil war. She appeared at the Baalbeck International Festival in 1998 after 25 years of self-imposed absence.

Fairuz released her latest album titled “Bebalee” in 2017. On June 21, 2017, her daughter Reema Rahbany released the first single from the album “Lameen”. The song is a tribute for Fairouz’s late husband Assi Rahbany and was released in commemoration of his anniversary.

Fairuz’s last appearance on stage was in Platea – Jounieh – Harer Sakher in December 2011, where she had 6 concerts extending from December 9 to 23.

Theatrical Work

Musical plays were the cornerstone works of the Rahbani Trio, Fairuz, Assi and Mansour. They produced over 20 musical plays over a period of more than 30 years.

The musicals combined storyline, lyrics and dialogue, musical composition varying widely from Lebanese folkloric and rhythmic modes to classical, westernized, and oriental songs, orchestration, and the voice and acting of Fairuz. She played the lead roles alongside singers/actors like Wadih El Safi,  Nasri Shamseddine and many others.

The Rahbani plays expressed patriotism, unrequited love and nostalgia for village life, comedy, drama, philosophy, and contemporary politics.

The songs performed by Fairuz as part of the plays have become immensely popular among the Lebanese and Arabs around the world.

Ziad Rahbani

Must to mention

Ziad Rahbani (born 1956) is a Lebanese composer,  pianist,

playwright, and political commentator. He is the son of Fairouz, and Assi Rahbani.

His compositions are well known throughout the Arab world. He became by far the most influential Lebanese artist during the civil war. Many of his musicals satirize Lebanese politics both during and after the Lebanese Civil War, and are often strongly critical of the traditional political establishment.

On a personal note

Fairuz’s music is very diverse. Some of her songs focus on everyday life and struggles. Others focus on holidays or patriotic themes. The vast range of topics of her songs made her very relatable and allowed me to be able to enjoy her music in different stages of my life.

I still remember listening to her songs accompanying me to school through the car radio or the family gatherings were we would sing her songs.