Lebanon ‘united in grief' as mother Fairuz attends Ziad Rahbani's funeral
Even by Lebanese standards, the church was particularly majestic, its white-bricked exterior and orange roof overlooking the hills and valleys opposite in the mountains that run east of Beirut.
Its wide, olive tree-peppered courtyard hosted a roll call of Lebanese society, with hundreds packing out the church and adjacent greeting rooms. Those in attendance ranged from musicians and designers, to artsy types smoking their hand-rolled cigarettes with plastic casing the filter, to former presidents, politicians and government ministers. Every Lebanese television station was there, as were the ordinary citizens who came to see Rahbani one last time. Even Hezbollah had a presence.
The soldiers, and smartly-dressed, heavily-built bodyguards for Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, joked about AI and ChatGPT while their bosses sat inside with Rahbani's family, including his mother Fairuz who was making a rare public appearance.
For about four hours the iconic singer sat, occasionally conversing with her daughter Rima in the corner of the church hall. As well-wishers circled the room to pay their respects, the 90-year-old remained subdued and seated in her black sunglasses and a veil partly covering her distinctive red hair. Often she was shielded by those standing around her. Majida El Roumi, another renowned Lebanese singer, knelt at Fairuz 's feet while paying respects.
'We lost an important guy who made great music. He was different to the people we hear today,' said 46-year-old Fayez, who made the 30-minute drive from Beirut. 'My generation grew up with him, we knew his work by memory."
The road leading to the church ground to a standstill, as members of the army and civil defence watched on. People, mainly dressed in black, occasionally crying, trickled in on foot, asking where the church was. Some mourners carried images of Rahbani above their head, others wore a keffiyeh.
Outside the church were reams of wreaths in the shape of a cross. Some carried the name of well-known national TV stations, others Lebanese political parties.
The composer's body had arrived in Mhaydseh earlier in the day, having been transported from Beirut's Hamra district before ending up in the Lebanese mountains.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam arrived around 3.30pm to a frenzy, describing Rahbani as a creator of 'genius' and saying Lebanon was united in grief.
He awarded the Order of Cedar at the rank of Commander to Rahbani on behalf of President Joseph Aoun, who did not come to the church although first lady Nehmat Aoun did.
Fairuz had not been seen publicly since she was photographed meeting French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited her residence in 2020 during the Covid pandemic not long after the deadly Beirut port blast.
'I'm sad for her. We've not seen her for a long time. I liked Ziad so much also,' said Pierre Boustani, another well-wisher talking of Fairuz. 'He is a legend.'
Just before 4pm, Fairuz made the short trip from the hall to the church itself for the funeral mass, as the crowd parted to make way for her. She sat at the front with her daughter, near the coffin of her son at the Greek Orthodox church.
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Middle East Eye
8 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Ziad Rahbani: A musical genius connected to his people
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His work touched everyone, even those who were against him politically And he played countless concerts in the neighbourhood's small jazz clubs and hotel bars, like Blue Note and the Cavalier. Since the 1970s until today, his music has been played on a daily basis in Hamra's bars and cafes - many of them once his regular hangouts. And on Monday, he left Hamra forever. This was the people's funeral for Ziad Rahbani, known affectionately as Comrade Ziad. The huge crowd that filled the streets included his friends, neighbours, comrades, actors, musicians, writers and poets from across Lebanese society. And of course, his fans - an entire generation raised on his music and plays. There's not a single house in Lebanon that Ziad wasn't present in. His work touched everyone, even those who were against him politically would secretly listen to his music. Ziad may have been a cultural icon and visionary, but he lived modestly, among the people and his community. Ziad's socially realist and politically charged plays from the 1970s to the 1990s spoke to a whole generation and brought him national acclaim. While he had previously contributed music to the plays of his father and uncle - the monumental artistic duo known as the Rahbani Brothers - on productions such as Al Mahatta (The Station, 1973) and Mais El Rim (1975), Ziad quickly carved out his own distinct identity as a playwright, director and actor. Lebanese musician Ziad Rahbani playing the piano, the instrument that has shaped most of his compositions since his first ventures in the early 1970s (AFP) His second play, Nazel el Surour (The Happiness Hotel, 1973), written when he was just 18, marked a turning point in modern Arabic theatre. A bold political satire - often said to have predicted the civil war - it tackled themes of corruption, class inequality and poked fun at failed revolutionary ideals. In Bennesbeh Labokra… Chou? 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The songs he composed for them - set to lush soundscapes with influences ranging from Brazilian, soul, funk, jazz and dabke - revealed his encyclopedic knowledge of music, and genius ability in arranging and composing, and fusing different styles and genres. The father of 'Oriental jazz' Ziad's timeless soundtracks came to define the sound of the leftist movement, and jokes and phrases from the plays seeped into everyday conversation, becoming part of the cultural fabric. His work was a guiding force in Lebanon's political consciousness. He shaped the leftist movements that he was part of with his ideas, radio shows, writings and music. Elias Rahbani: Eleven tracks that defined Lebanese musician's life and legacy Read More » Ziad's contribution to Lebanese and Arabic music was revolutionary - laying new foundations for its modernisation. He created his own musical world, always innovating and coming out with pioneering ideas that resulted in forward-thinking waves of music. 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Forty years later, it has become a cult record, played on international radio stations and in the global underground clubbing scene. On the same trip to Greece, the music for Fairuz's 1979 album Wahdon was recorded. Also released on Zida, it was a landmark release for the iconic singer - the first to be entirely produced, composed and arranged by her son. Ziad's collaboration with Fairuz spanned decades. He revolutionised her sound, modernising it for a new generation and bringing a multitude of influences, from jazz and Brazilian, to her music across albums like Kifak Inta?, Maarifti Feek and Wala Keef?. Lebanese diva Fairuz (C) talks to her son, composer Ziad Rahbani (R), and Armenian conductor Karen Durgarian during rehearsals prior to their Dubai concert on 23 January 2003 (AFP) This transformation of Fairuz's musical style - paired with bold lyrics - was initially controversial to some across the Arabic-speaking world. 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He was deeply involved in Lebanon's political life, expressing strong - and often controversial - opinions about what was happening in the country and regionally through his articles, music, radio shows and interviews. His opinions, political analyses and cutting humour made reverberations throughout Lebanese society - even among his political opponents. Ziad didn't do things in half measures. Music and politics were his only worries. He lived a free life, on his own terms, and left the same way. But he wasn't just a cultural giant, Ziad was a lexicon, a mood, a feeling, at the very crux of Lebanese identity. With his death, his legend and the legacy he left behind will live on. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
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The National
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