Latest news with #ZiadRahbani
L'Orient-Le Jour
33 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Israeli army spokesperson pays tribute to Ziad Rahbani
BEIRUT — The day after the announcement of the death of the great Lebanese artist Ziad Rahbani, whose vision, innovation, criticism, irony, and genius have been praised since Saturday by the political and artistic worlds, new reactions have poured in on social media and in the media. Among these wide-ranging tributes, which have managed to bring together around one figure parties that seemed irreconcilable, one stands out as a discordant note: the tribute paid to the composer, musician, and playwright by the Arabic-speaking spokesperson of the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee. Rahbani was famously opposed to the Israeli occupation, even moving in leftist circles advocating for resistance against Israel. Hezbollah also paid tribute to him on Saturday, following in the footsteps of virtually all other parties on the Lebanese political spectrum. "Lebanon bids farewell to the great artist Ziad Rahbani, a phenomenon of free spirit in a country that has always been a prisoner of words and truth," Avichay Adraee wrote in Arabic on X. He paid tribute to the artist who "spoke the truth when everyone else was silent" and lamented the "loss of an icon" and "the voice of a free conscience, the pulse of the streets, and the mockery of an intellectual who was never afraid of the truth." Israel was his 'number one enemy' Under the post, hundreds of comments appeared, reminding the spokesperson that the late artist saw himself as a 'resistant' and that Israel was his 'number one enemy.' "Let's not forget Ziad Rahbani's famous statements about resisting Israel, which you're trying to brush aside," one user accused, denouncing an attempt to "get closer" to the Lebanese people by using a figure as unifying as the singer. Along with the message, the user posted a phrase said to have been spoken by the artist, stating that it is impossible to "build a state with Israel at the gates": "You cannot have freedom and justice while they make you choose between your security and your dignity," he allegedly added. This sentence, whose origin was not immediately clear, has been repeatedly cited on resistance-supporting accounts and social media to pay homage to Rahbani since Saturday morning. Witticisms that became 'popular proverbs' Moreover, other tributes have been paid to the late artist, notably from former president Michel Aoun, who spoke of the "painful loss of a creator who transformed our suffering into laughter, our bitter reality into a stage where the laughter of the Lebanese resounded in the face of the harsh truth. "Your language has entered the collective memory and has become popular proverbs valid through the ages," he added on X. Jack Lang, former French culture minister and current president of the Institute of the Arab World, recalled the "son of the legendary Fairouz," who "cast a tender and sharp gaze upon the world, blending satire, poetry, and disenchantment," and "gave voice to silences and music to anger."
Kuwait Times
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Lebanese mourn iconic artist Ziad Rahbani
Mourners gather around the hearse of renowned Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani outside Khoury Hospital in Beirut's central Hamra district on July 28, 2025. The funeral procession carrying the body of renowned Lebanese composer and playwright Ziad Rahbani arrived Monday at a church in the mountain town of Bikfaya, where a memorial service was held in his honor. Leading Lebanese composer and actor Ziad Rahbani plays the role of a policeman in one of his musicals in the mid-90s in Beirut. Rare picture from the mid-60s shows Lebanese musician Ziad Rahbani playing the piano, the instrument that has shaped most of his compositions since his first ventures in the early 1970s. Lebanese artist Ziad Rahbani performs during a concert at Al-Manara theatre, in Cairo on November 30, 2018. A mourner holds up a rose and a portrait of renowned Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani as crowds gathered outside Khoury Hospital in Beirut's central Hamra district to bid him farewell. A mourner holds up a rose and a portrait of renowned Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani. Mourners carry the coffin during the funeral of Lebanon's renowned musician and composer Ziad Rahbani at Mhaidseh's Greek Orthodox Church of Dormition in Bikfaya.--AFP photos The hearse carrying the coffin of Lebanon's renowned musician and composer Ziad Rahbani arrives at Mhaidseh's Greek Orthodox Church of Dormition. On the vehicle carrying Rahbani's casket departed a hospital in Beirut's Hamra district, where scenes of heartfelt mourning unfolded. Crowds of mourners applauded and scattered flowers as the hearse moved slowly through the street, accompanied by traditional ululations in a final tribute to one of Lebanon's most influential cultural figures. Lebanese singer and composer Marcel Khalife offers his condolences. Lebanon's first lady, Nemat Aoun, offers her condolences to the family of renowned Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani. Lebanese actress Carmen Lebbos mours over the coffin of Lebanon's renowned musician and composer Ziad Rahbani. The cousins of Lebanon's renowned musician and composer Ziad Rahbani, from ( left to right) Oussama, Ghadi and Marwan, attend his funeral ceremony. Ziad Rahbani's maternal aunt Hoda Haddad (left) and paternal aunt Elham Rahbani attend the funeral mass for Lebanon's top musician and composer. Mourners attend the funeral of Lebanon's top musician and composer Ziad Rahbani. Lebanese musician Ghassan Elias Rahbani receives condolences, next to Fairuz (Fayrouz) and her daughter Reema. Mourners gather around the hearse of renowned Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani outside Khoury Hospital in Beirut's central Hamra district. Rahbani's death has stirred an outpouring of grief across Lebanon and the wider Arab world. Known for his sharp political satire and candid portrayals of Lebanese society, he left an enduring legacy in music, theatre, and public discourse. — Agencies
L'Orient-Le Jour
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Akkar village Rahbeh pays tribute to Ziad Rahbani
BEIRUT — Lebanese musical icon Fairuz, accompanied by her daughter Rima, received condolences for the passing of her son Ziad Rahbani, who died on Saturday at the age of 69 and was laid to rest on Monday amid a wave of posthumous tributes and a rare nationwide outpouring of emotion. At 90 years old, Fairuz bravely faced the unspeakable grief of losing her eldest child and attended the funeral of the artist with whom she had shared a rich artistic collaboration, welcoming mourners at the Church of the Dormition in Mhaydseh-Bickfaya. Among those who came to offer their condolences was former President Michel Aoun, who praised 'the immense legacy the late artist leaves behind, which will be remembered by history.' He added, 'We are all on the same path, and we will meet again one day.' MP Gebran Bassil, leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), also attended. 'Ziad spoke on behalf of justice and rejected injustice. He stood against everything that was false, and no one can help but admire his theatre,' he said. Former minister Sleiman Frangieh was also present. Reflecting Ziad Rahbani's popularity beyond Lebanon's borders, Qatar's Minister of Culture, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al Thani, arrived in Beirut on Tuesday at the head of a delegation to personally extend condolences to the Rahbani family. Many artists were also part of the crowd gathered to comfort the family. Among them was renowned Lebanese actor and playwright Georges Khabbaz, who said that artists of his generation are 'students of Ziad.' A day earlier, First Lady Neemat Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Culture Minister Ghassan Salamé, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Moussaoui, and many others attended the final farewell in Bickfaya. Tribute from Rahbeh, in Akkar In parallel, the town of Rahbeh in the Akkar region paid tribute to the late musician and composer. The event was organized by the association "Rahbeh Unites Us," in cooperation with the local municipality and scout groups, according to our North Lebanon correspondent. The tribute took place in the village square — believed to be the Rahbani family's ancestral home — near a mural depicting Ziad Rahbani, his mother Feyrouz, and his father, legendary composer Assi Rahbani. The event concluded with a memorial mass in honor of the artist.
The Star
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Lebanon and the Arab world mourns iconic composer Ziad Rahbani
A mourner holds up a rose and a portrait of Lebanese musician and composer Ziad Rahbani as crowds gathered outside Khoury Hospital in Beirut's central Hamra district to bid him farewell before his funeral procession on July 28. Photo: AFP Hundreds of people in Lebanon paid tribute Monday to iconic composer, pianist and playwright Ziad Rahbani, who died over the weekend. His mother, Fayrouz, one of the Arab world's most esteemed singers, made a rare public appearance. Rahbani, also known as a political provocateur, died on Saturday at age 69. The cause of death was not immediately known. His passing shocked much of the Arab world, which appreciated his satire, unapologetic political critique and avant garde, jazz-inspired compositions that mirrored the chaos and contradictions of Lebanon throughout its civil war from 1975 until 1990. He also composed some of his mother's most famous songs. Lebanese icon Fairuz receives condolences at her son Ziad Rahbani's funeral at Mhaidseh's Greek Orthodox Church in Bikfaya on July 28. Photo: AFP The Rahbani family was a cornerstone in Lebanon's golden era of music theatre that today is steeped in idealism and nostalgia in a troubled country. Top Lebanese political officials and artists paid tribute after the death was announced. Rahbani, a leftist Greek Orthodox, often mocked Lebanon's sectarian divisions in his work. Hundreds of people holding roses and photos gathered by Khoury Hospital near Beirut's busy Hamra district, solemnly singing some of his most famous songs and applauding as a vehicle carrying his body left its garage. Reem Haidar, who grew up during the civil war, said Rahbani's songs and their messages were what she and others associated with at a time when there was "no nation to belong to.' Lebanon mourns Ziad Rahbani, pioneering composer and son of Fairuz, who died on July 26 at 69 after reshaping the Arab music scene. Photo: AFP The vehicle made its way to a church in the mountainous town of Bikfaya before burial in the family cemetery. Fayrouz, 90, had spent many years away from the public eye. Wearing black sunglasses and a black veil, she greeted visitors who came to pay respects. She had not been seen publicly since photos surfaced of her meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited her residence in 2020 to award her France's highest medal of honour. In recent years, Rahbani also appeared less in the public eye, yet his influence never waned. Younger generations rediscovered his plays online and sampled his music in protest movements. He continued to compose and write, speaking often of his frustration with Lebanon's political stagnation and decaying public life. Rahbani is survived by his mother and his sister Reema and brother Hali. - AP
LBCI
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- LBCI
Lebanon's culture minister hails Ziad Rahbani as ‘exceptional talent'
Lebanon's Culture Minister Ghassan Salame described Lebanese composer Ziad Rahbani as 'an exceptional talent,' and a vital part of his family's artistic legacy in the Arab world and the Levant. Salame told LBCI that Rahbani 'was aware of the weaknesses and shortcomings of Lebanese society and dared to highlight them.' He added that the ministry places itself at the full disposal of the late Ziad Rahbani's heirs, as they hold the intellectual rights to his work. 'If they wish to preserve and honor his legacy, they have every right to do so,' Salame said, adding that if the family entrusts this task to the state, the ministry is fully prepared and willing to take it on with the necessary resources.
