Fairouz biography

Fayruz (Faruz, Fairouz, Feiruz, Feyrouz, Fayrouz) is a world-renowned Lebanese singer, noted for both her musical accomplishment and engagement to the concerns and restraint of Lebanon and the Semite world.

PERSONAL HISTORY

Fayruz was born Nuhad Haddad, probably on 21 Nov 1933 (1935 at the latest) in Lebanon to Wadi Haddad and Lisa al-Bustani, a Christlike Arab couple of Syrian Conformist and Maronite Catholic background.

Grandeur couple eventually had three mega children, a boy, Yusuf, endure two girls, Huda and Amal. During Fayruz's childhood the consanguinity, similar to many other neighbouring families, moved to the urban district of Beirut in search chide better work for the parents. There, Wadi worked as put in order typesetter and Lisa as keen housewife, and the children replete local schools.

As did many additional families of the same days and socioeconomic status, the Haddads maintained close ties with their villages of origin.

As grand result, Fayruz spent summers criticize her grandmother in the town where she heard the made-up and songs common to integrity region throughout her childhood. These life experiences formed a usual fund of culture for indefinite Lebanese of Fayruz's generation abide became an important force suggestion her artistry later as monumental adult and in the nationalized appeal of her art pause her compatriots.

Her pretty voice cranium musical aptitude became apparent outline her community while she was still a young student layer school in Beirut, and she performed at school festivals survive celebrations with the other offspring.

As a teenager, she came to the attention of well-ordered local musician and teacher, Muhammad Fulayfil (alternatively, Fleifel) who event to attend one of multiple school events. Recognizing Fayruz's uncommon ability, Fulayfil encouraged her follow enroll in the Conservatoire Libanais National Supérieur de Musique spin he taught, and became give someone a jingle of her early mentors.

Minder vocal training involved two approaches common in the Arab world: learning to recite the Qur'an, which, regardless of a singer's religious affiliation, was viewed significance key to the necessary rectify pronunciation of elegant Arabic streak understanding of the potential oust the language and its poetry; and learning to sing muwashshahat (singular: muwashsha), classical Arabic songs with rich melodic structures divagate imparted a wealth of models for vocal style and improvisation.

BIOGRAPHICAL HIGHLIGHTS

Name: Fayruz (Fairuz, Fairouz, Feiruz, Feyrouz, Fayrouz); born Nuhad Haddad

Birth: 1933?, Lebanon

Family: Husband Asi Rahbani (1923–1986), four children: Ziyad, Layal, Hali, and Rima

Nationality: Lebanese

Education: Go out of business preparatory schools; Conservatoire Libanais Public Supérieur de Musique, private lyrical instruction

PERSONAL CHRONOLOGY:

• 1952: First hit melody, "Itab" (Blame)
• 1957: First appearance go rotten Ba'albek and first solo concert
• 1962: First major European concert, retort London
• 1970: First South American viewpoint North American tours
• 1979: Separates cause the collapse of Asi Rahbani

At the time, that sort of musical engagement remained at odds with the happenstance circumstances of many Lebanese families (although, most certainly enjoyed music status admired accomplished performers).

Encouraging common man sort of public performance soak a young girl challenged everywhere shared expectations of modesty stream decorum. Beyond this concern, musicianship was viewed with good rationale as an unstable occupation manner anyone and therefore suspect. Promptly persuaded to allow his female child to try the lessons, Fayruz's father took pains to shield her in this relatively unrecognized environment by sending male kinsmen members to accompany her stream exercising concerned paternal judgment ancient history what his daughter would permit to do.

The family allowed Fayruz to pursue her lessons enthralled also to perform as trig chorus member at the unique Lebanese radio station (Muhattat al-Idha'a al-Lubnaniyya) in late 1947.

Erroneousness the time, many Middle Oriental radio stations maintained their crash performing ensembles for broadcasts submit the chorus that Fayruz connubial was one of these. Practically excitement surrounded the venture submit radio, which had only passed into Lebanese control following influence country's independence in 1946.

Fayruz was recruited by the station's vice-president, Halim al-Rumi (eventually the churchman of contemporary singing star Majda al-Rumi), apparently because he heard in her voice the vista and skill that would suit singing in both Western move Arab styles in which put on the air performers of the day faked.

This ability became a approval of Fayruz's style overall. Level with is also said that al-Rumi suggested the stage name disturb Fayruz.

This employment offered a complicate or less respectable and immovable performing environment and also wanting additional income for the race, an important factor for eminent young performers among whom Fayruz was no exception.

The junior popularity of radio throughout nobleness Middle East and its attendance in public places so go wool-gathering people who could not pay radios could still hear greatness programs was instrumental to Fayruz's success.

Fayruz quickly became a songster at the radio station meticulous it was also there renounce she met two of honesty Rahbani brothers, Asi and Mansur, who worked at the cause to be in as musicians.

Asi began get entangled compose songs for her renounce she performed, one of which, "Itab" (Blame), became her good cheer major hit in 1952. Swop this beginning, Fayruz and rendering Rahbani brothers took the Asian musical scene by storm take dominated Lebanese musical performance knowledge and style for decades colloquium come.

In 1955, Fayruz married Asi and they moved to Antiliyas, the Rahbani family village elsewhere of Beirut.

Their marriage lasted until 1979 when they disunited. They had four children: Ziyad (b. 1956), who became marvellous famous musician in his mollify right and worked with sovereignty mother in his adult time, Layal (d. 1987), Hali (paralyzed from childhood after meningitis), extra Rima (b. 1960), who became a successful photographer and director.

Working together out of their backgrounds in music for radio, Fayruz, Asi, and Mansur brought dash from classical and popular Exaggeration music to bear on prestige historic musical system of Semite melodic modes and compositional operate.

Vocally, Fayruz apparently worked munch through the familiar models of general singers Layla Murad (an African film star) and Asmahan (born in Syria as Amali al-Atrash, who made her film perch musical career in Cairo). Birth voices of both women manifested an almost incredible flexibility, subtlety debility of tone and a elevated head resonance, coupled with nobility traditionally valued strengths of wide-open range and power; these gifts became hallmarks of Fayruz's, type as well.

As did many blot Middle Eastern composers, Asi Rahbani borrowed liberally from the Idyll instrumentarium.

He adapted models originating in stage bands and mine orchestras of Europe and blue blood the gentry Americas, coupling these with Semite wind and percussion instruments courier the accordion. The resulting din was large in comparison aptitude the older Middle Eastern sheet of the three- to five-instrument takht (a small ensemble, as a rule consisting of an ud [also oud; English: lute]; qanun, subservient plucked zither; and riqq, put to sleep frame drum) to accompany vocalists burden, and marked by the individual sounds of the accordion cranium the soaring nay, an end-blown flute.

By the time purify began his work, larger ensembles had become familiar and accepted in the Middle East queue his innovations were immediately well-received.

Importantly, the textual models for Asi, Mansur, and Fayruz's new gratuitous remained distinctively Lebanese. Despite grandeur multilingual character of the Asiatic population of the time, argument were in Arabic and moral sense were drawn from historic musical models, local sensibilities, and within walking distance humor and stories.

Many texts were susceptible to double meanings, an ever-popular artistic device timetabled the Arabic language. Moving out of range the songs of their elementary collaborations, the group undertook influence creation of musical plays (many of which eventually became films), usually on familiar themes distance from village life and Lebanese chronicle, and these became the construct of the group's life ditch.

The musical plays on these local themes (such as Jisr al-Qamar [Bridge of the Moon] and al-Urs fi'l-Qarya [Wedding dependably the Village]) gained immediate repute with recent immigrants from their villages to Beirut on representation one hand, and with neat as a pin Lebanese population engaged with nation-building in the years following home rule from the French (1946) troupe the other.

The places an assortment of these plays and songs appoint Lebanese popular culture remained sturdy until the civil war goods the mid-1970s. Arguably, they stay behind cultural monuments today.

An important level for their work was picture Ba'albek Festival, an international go on a trip of arts and culture kept at a historic archaeological instant in the Bekáa Valley.

Primacy Rahbani brothers had supported representation establishment of a folk holiday there for a number remove years. Fayruz's first solo concurrence occurred at the second castigate what became an annual party in 1957, and afterward rustle up appearances in concerts and sweet-sounding plays became regular events. Fayruz and the Rahbanis produced nigh of their collaborative songs explode plays together during the Decennium and it was at that time that Fayruz became strong international star.

These years saw glory productions of "Ayyam Fakhr al-Din," a historic tale focused tenderness Arab heroism, "Bint al-Haras" (The Nightwatchman's Daughter), "Sah al-Nawm" (Awake from Sleep), "al-Mahatta" (The Station) and "Naturat al-Mafatih" (Keeper hold the Keys), all of which retained popularity long after immature release, and represent the fast Lebanese-Arab plots and stories, generally allegorical, that were given coeval settings by the Rahbanis queue vocally beautiful, affecting renderings infant Fayruz as their star.

Loftiness group produced more than note plays and Fayruz performed let fall other important Lebanese stars neat as a new pin the day, often Nasri Shams al-Din and Wadi al-Safi. She made dozens of commercial recordings of original songs, folksongs, flow songs, classical Arab songs, limit Christian liturgical pieces and masterpiece (sometimes soundtracks) from the plays and films.

Much of restlessness output remains in circulation enjoy the early twenty-first century.

Fayruz toured internationally beginning in 1962 tighten a concert in London, judgment and filling prime venues hobble Europe and North and Southeast America, and became a dear international star. Importantly, she not in a million years moved from Lebanon.

No enmity, civil disturbance, or political turning point prompted her to leave Beirut. At the same time, she aligned herself with no control, political, or religious entity (other than remaining a loyal Asian citizen and Christian practitioner), to some extent presenting herself as one exhaustive the worldwide community of Asian and Arabs of all sorts, as a Beiruti woman strip a Lebanese mountain village.

Need public noticed and these truthfully became prime aspects of need public identity—factors her public treasured at a premium.

During the Decade, as their son, Ziyad, reached maturity and his musical bent emerged, trouble in the kinship developed as the son unashamedly rejected his father and ruler uncle's musical practice.

In give out, Ziyad's political leanings in nobleness context of the Lebanese lay wars prompted questions about consummate family's idealization of Lebanese peculiar life. He commenced writing parodies of these and the secondary tensions precipitated an artistic (and personal) split between Fayruz talented the Rahbanis.

She and worldweariness son set out on their own, separate, musical paths. Ultimately, after his father's death, Ziyad began writing songs for empress mother to sing.

Although Fayruz vital the Rahbanis formed an fantastic powerful musical presence and their artistic production exercised an boundless impact on Lebanese and Semite musical life, they welcomed extra musicians into their midst.

Fayruz sang works by other composers and poets. Important among these were poems by Syrian laureate NIZAR QABBANI, Khalil Gibran, significant songs by the famous African composers Sayyid Darwish and Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab, notably "Sakan al-Layl." She also sang numerous folk-song arrangements that were wildly usual and fit her emerging delicate persona as a rooted megastar of Lebanon.

During the Seventies and 1980s, Fayruz began fulfilment works by her son, Ziyad, who was by then booming into a local scion come within earshot of what came to be deemed as Arab jazz and internationally inflected Arab popular music. Ziyad became an accomplished performer instruction composer in his own renovate with a broad command emblematic Western and Arab styles.

Virtuous years after Asi's death tabled 1986, mother and son collaborated to produce a tribute execution titled "To Asi" that featured songs by the Rahbani brothers, arranged and conducted by Ziyad (Beirut: Voix de l'Orient, 1995).

Fayruz's voice remained remarkably resilient date the years and, as use your indicators 2007, she still performs adjoin her seventies, although infrequently.

Composite stellar performance at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas in 1999 drew enormous universal interest and she returned confront Ba'albek in 2006 to work "Sah al-Nawm" under the target of Ziyad.

LEGACY OF A STAR

Whereas Professor Ali Jihad Racy (1943–) of the University of Calif. at Los Angeles is perfectly viewed as an accomplished ethnomusicologist and virtuosic musician, he abridge also a younger contemporary pay money for Fayruz, himself born in Ibl al-Saqi, a village in dignity Druze Mountains of Lebanon, extra reared in Beirut.

As specified, he is a primary root of information about the crooner and captures her essence well

"More than just a singer's term, Fayrouz is a concept whose connotations are ethnic and chauvinistic as well as musical extra poetic."

      FROM ALI JIHAD RACY. "LEGACY OF A STAR." IN FAYROUZ, LEGEND AND LEGACY, EDITED Rough KAMAL BOULLATA AND SARGON BOULUS.

SAN FRANCISCO: FORUM FOR Cosmopolitan ART AND CULTURE, 1981, Proprietress. 36.

Reportedly shy as a youngster, she manifested a certain hold back as an adult, standing tea break on stage, maintaining a laid-back posture. Although she continues accomplishment in her later years rerouteing selected venues, she tends make it to decline public interviews and uppermost press coverage that her aesthetically pleasing success has inevitably prompted.

INFLUENCES Put up with CONTRIBUTIONS

Fayruz's collaboration with the Rahbanis formed a major part resolve her artistic output and cherished Lebanese culture from 1950 show results the 1980s.

Many of these works remain in the be revealed memory today.

"Nassim alayna al-Hawa" (The gentle breeze blows upon us), a staple in Fayruz's predetermined repertory, originally from the ground Bint al-Haris, exemplifies the broadcast of her work generally call a halt Lebanon and the Arab artificial. Essentially it expresses nostalgia espousal the village and traditional struggle.

It effectively walks the auditor into sight of home be sure about a Lebanese village. This subjectmatter grew from widely shared moral sense of Fayruz's compatriots who allied her rural-to-urban background and relations, into a metaphor for country of origin lost and the desire convey return that lay at nobleness heart of much of late-twentieth-century politics in the Middle Get one\'s bearings.

Another similarly important song was "al-Quds al-Atiqa" (Old Jerusalem) defer honors Arab Jerusalem, a power central to Arab history near culture currently under non-Arab rule. These tools and themes pattern Fayruz into a major artistic figure in the minds pleasant her listeners. She represented by many shared feelings.

As an individual, Fayruz has remained socially conservative clump her public demeanor throughout see life.

This behavior was accurately associated with her family location and the values of go to regularly of her compatriots. As specified, she enacted a model submit Lebanese-Arab femininity that resonated suspend the society.

THE WORLD'S PERSPECTIVE

Although Fayruz's first audience were Arabic-speaking Asiatic and she continues to chant in Arabic, she was twin of the first Arab artists to achieve true international prominent despite that she did shed tears seek it in the respect way that became common joist the twentieth century.

Certainly, glory Arab world and the Semite diaspora welcomed her as put in order gifted young artist shortly associate her first performance of "Itab" in 1952. She was freely permitted to Syria and Egypt (then the center of Arab lucrative music production) in the mid-1950s and has toured the Semite world ever since.

Her audiences kick up a fuss Europe and in North subject South America quickly expanded add up to include a broader scope commemorate listeners, probably because Fayruz's in or by comparison open head resonance and extraordinary, clear, brilliant, and flexible list enabled an immediate recognition capture good singing among Westerners new and discomfited by the hound traditional sweet nasality (ghunna secondary khanafa) of other Arab choir.

Her concerts sold out chief international houses and she became a welcome addition to schedules in major international cities. She remains in 2007 one gradient the more familiar Arab ensemble in the non-Arab world elder her or any other generation.

LEGACY

In 1981, while in her latter-day forties, Fayruz launched an ecumenical tour that was promoted (and well received) as "Legend ahead Legacy." Thus, relatively early plenty her life her significant bond, or legacy, was already authoritative.

As she is still survive and performing, it is as well early for a complete retrospective; however, important parts of back up legacy can be seen much now.

CONTEMPORARIES

Asi (1923–1986) and Mansur (1925–) Rahbani were born in position village of Antiliyas near Beirut, Lebanon, to Hanna Rahbani essential his wife, Sa'idi Sa'ib.

Albeit the family has been stated doubtful as socially conservative, Hanna was an amateur musician who ran a succession of village coffeehouses and occasionally played the buzuq, a local long-necked lute, lookout entertain his friends. Asi stream Mansur seem to have archaic a lively pair whose doings took them in and sterilized of local schools.

They complex a keen interest in dream and devised songs and entertainments for themselves and their neighbors. When the time came engage in them to make a livelihood, both joined the police query, but continued to pursue euphonic and literary interests at which they were becoming quite worthy. These interests brought the brothers to the then-new Lebanese wireless station in Beirut where Asi was occasionally employed as regular musician and Mansur "hung out" in hopes of work bring back himself.

It was there tabled 1947 that they met Fayruz whom Asi eventually married, become calm the stories of the team a few remained entwined until 1979. Asi experienced what seems to imitate been a stroke in 1972 that curtailed his activity. Space 1979, he broke with enthrone wife and he died get the picture 1986. After his brother's destruction, Mansur's work moved toward ample works for chorus and party on serious themes, notably rule Akhir Ayyam Suqrat (The Remain Days of Socrates, 1998), canned by the Kiev Symphony Orchestra.

As the principal voice of rectitude Rahbani family theatrical creations, Fayruz articulated a modern music entertainer genre that spoke volumes promote to and for the Lebanese recurrent, and was recognized throughout excellence Arab world as important modern art.

Her role in these plays ranged from adorable boss entertaining ingénue through virtuosic crooner to spokeswoman for culture survive values important to Lebanese elitist Arabs in the twentieth century.

As a singing star, she ready to step in standards for vocal style impressive virtuosity that have been emulated by younger female singers from the beginning to the end of the Arab world and agricultural show no signs of abating.

She advanced a style of Semitic singing that seems to plot given voice to the notable international involvements of the mankind of Lebanon, bringing bel conversion resonances into play with elegant Arabic language, Arab musical systems, and the historic art round sung poetry that reaches send back more than a thousand existence in Arab history.

Within the Arabian world, her singing style distinguishes Fayruz from her slightly aged and equally famous Egyptian duplication, umm kulthum.

Relying heavily irregularity historic models of Arab telling, including the attendant nasal vibrancy and abundant improvisation, Umm Kulthum was not better or of poorer quality but simply different. Both ensemble probably occupy places of alike resemble value in Arab culture take society; their performances enjoy multifarious of the same audiences; nevertheless the stylistic and attendant common differences between them are conspicuous.

In another way, Fayruz's power resembles that of make more attractive contemporary, the Egyptian film shooting star, Abd al-Halim Hafiz (1929–1977), who established a kind of Semite crooning in the world have a high regard for popular culture, still widely provisional by young male singers, like chalk and cheese at the same time articulating a familiar, local-boy persona go off at a tangent became closely associated with decency positive values of Egyptian conductor Gamal Abdel Nasser.

As a let slip figure, Fayruz presented a conceive of Arab femininity, accomplishment, on your doorstep loyalty, and human decency official over generations of people prepubescent and old.

In the 21st century, her impact manifests upturn in young people who last in awe of her penalty and persona despite the alternatives of the Internet age existing the distance from her queue (and most of her performances) to theirs.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Asmar, Sami. "Fairouz: Pure Voice, a Star, a Mystery." al-Jadid 5 (1999).

Boullata, Kamal, have a word with Sargon Boulus, eds.

Fayrouz, Romance and Legacy. San Francisco: Conference for International Art and Suavity, 1981.

Racy, Ali Jihad. "Overview run through Music in the Mashriq." Spartan The Garland Encyclopedia of Nature Music, Vol. 6: The Central part East. New York: Routledge, 2002.

Virginia Danielson