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Nahar Net
an hour ago
- Nahar Net
Lebanon bids farewell to Ziad Rahbani, a visionary artist and popular hero
by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 July 2025, 13:04 The coffin of Ziad Rahbani -- a visionary Lebanese composer, playwright, pianist and political provocateur -- arrived at noon Monday at a Bikfaya church for the funeral service, after hundreds of fans bid him farewell outside the Khoury Hospital in Beirut's Hamra area. Lebanon has not declared a day of national mourning, but First Lady Nehmat Aoun, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab and Speaker Nabih Berri's wife Randa Berri offered condolences at the church to legendary Lebanese diva Fairuz, Ziad's mother. The funeral service was being held at the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Bikfaya and the late artist is expected to be laid to rest around 4:00 pm. The Hamra area, where Ziad lived for decades, had witnessed a very emotional farewell earlier in the day, with fans clapping, cheering, crying, chanting songs composed by Rahbani and throwing flowers at his coffin. Son of iconic singer Fairuz and a musical pioneer in his own right, Rahbani died on Saturday aged 69 after a decades-long career that revolutionized the country's artistic scene. Tributes poured in for Rahbani, also a playwright and considered the enfant terrible of Lebanese music, who left a huge mark on multiple generations with his often satirical plays and songs that for many reflected a deep understanding of Lebanon's political and economic reality. According to Culture Minister Ghassan Salame, Rahbani needed a liver transplant but refused to undergo such an operation. Salame wrote on X that "we dreaded this day as we knew his health was worsening and that his desire for treatment was dwindling." Rebellious and visionary, Rahbani's work foreshadowed Lebanon's civil war before it erupted in 1975, and later reflected the conflict and the harsh realities of the ensuing economic crisis. His fame extended to the rest of the Arab world and beyond. One of his most famous theater pieces, "Film Ameriki Tawil", or "The American Motion Picture", was a satirical depiction of Lebanon during the civil war, set in an asylum populated with characters who represented different facets of society. President Joseph Aoun said in a statement that Rahbani was "a voice that rebelled against injustice, an honest mirror for the oppressed and marginalized." - 'Our conscience' - Rahbani was the son of Arab musical icon Fairuz, who turned 90 last year, and the late Lebanese composer Assi Rahbani, who along with his brother Mansour modernized Arab music by blending Western, Russian and Latin American sounds with Eastern rhythms. Already adored by older generations, Fairuz became a youth idol when her son began composing jazz-influenced songs for her, calling the result "Oriental jazz". While Fairuz transcended Lebanon's deep sectarian divides, her son was fiercely left-wing, secular and a supporter of the Palestinian cause -- but was also beloved by many on the opposite side of the political spectrum. He spent his life decrying the divisions that brought ruin upon the country. In 2018, he performed at Lebanon's annual Beiteddine festival with a musical showcase of his and his family's decades of work -- one of his last major onstage appearances. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said "Lebanon has lost an exceptional artist and creative, a free voice who stayed faithful to the values of justice and dignity," and who said "what many don't dare to say". Lebanese actress Carmen Lebbos, his former partner, wrote on X: "I feel like everything has gone. I feel like Lebanon has become empty." Lebanese journalist Doha Shams, who knew Rahbani for three decades, told AFP that "Ziad was our conscience, the conscience of Lebanese society, and the person who understood Lebanese society the most -- and knew where it was going".
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Will Fairuz attend her son Ziad Rahbani's funeral?
It's probably the question on many people's minds in Lebanon. Will they see, beside Ziad Rahbani's coffin, in the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Bikfaya-Mheidetheh, the flash of his mother Fairuz's signature red hair? In a conflict-ridden family, an often strained mother-son relationship and as the legendary Arab diva — now over 90 — battles frail health and hasn't appeared publicly for years, the Lebanese have every reason to wonder. "Fairuz is very tired, and her doctors never leave her bedside," a source close to the family said. However, they can't imagine that she wouldn't be present "at least at the Mass," scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Greek Orthodox church in the Metn village. The source predicts, although they have no definitive answer, a "brief appearance" before she returns home. Two other family members contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour did not respond to our calls to confirm or deny this statement. A gathering in Antelias Journalist Doha Chams, close to the deceased, announced a "gathering" in Antelias on X for the procession escorting Ziad Rahbani's body from the Beirut hospital, where he passed, to Bikfaya, which could imply a stop at Fairuz's family home. The performer of "Kifak Enta," which her son wrote for her in the late 1980s, gave her last concert in 2012 at Platea. It was a farewell to the stage but also to public life. However, Fairuz surprised everyone in 2017 by releasing an album produced by her daughter, Rima, with whom Ziad had a rocky relationship. She also shot a music video, "La min" ("For Whom?"), in which she appeared recording a song. She otherwise lives with her two remaining children: her daughter, who has in recent years shared few images and photos of her mother on social media, and her son Hali, who is severely disabled and whom she continues to care for. Although not a public appearance, she was in the media spotlight during her meeting in September 2020, a few weeks after the double explosion at the Port of Beirut, with French President Emmanuel Macron. Photos of their time together at the singer's house in Antelias appeared on every screen, showing the octogenarian in all her glory, in her vintage living room, her face covered by a clear plastic visor that looked almost out of place. Ziad Rahbani's funeral will be preceded and followed — until the next day — by public condolences, as is the Lebanese custom. The proceedings are expected to be closely observed as a tribute to the playwright and sharp-witted comedian, who is a cornerstone of Lebanese cultural and artistic life, and due to ongoing tensions within the Rahbani family.
Ya Libnan
17 hours ago
- Ya Libnan
Hezbollah commander Ali Abd al-Qader Ismail ‘killed' in Israeli strikes, claims IDF
Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war , the Israel Defence Forces on Saturday claimed to have killed a senior Hezbollah commander – Ali Abd al-Qader Ismail – in the Bint Jbeil sector, reported PTI . The IDF even claimed that Ali Abd al-Qader Ismail was one of the Hezbollah commanders who were involved in efforts to rehabilitate in southern Lebanon. In a post on X, the IDF said, 'ELIMINATED: Ali Abd al-Qader Ismail, a senior Hezbollah commander in the Bint Jbeil sector, involved in efforts to rehabilitate the terrorist organization in southern Lebanon. The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel.' Earlier, Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz visited the home of Sheikh Muafak Tarif in Syria's Julis – home of the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel. According to a statement by the Defense Ministry, Katz said the military would work to provide medical assistance to the Druze of southern Syria. In July, a Handala boat, carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid supplies approached the Gaza Strip , reported The Times of Israel , adding, they sailed from Sicily, following a month after Israel intercepted a different vessel that had made a high-profile attempt to break the maritime blockade on the Gaza Strip. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which operates Handala, also dispatched the earlier boat Madleen on a mission to challenge Israel's blockade on the Strip. The Times of Israel had earlier quoted US Secretary of State Marco Rubio telling former hostages and hostage families on Friday that the Donald Trump administration needs to 'rethink' its strategy regarding solving the war in Gaza . MINT
