After Om Kalsoum, Fairuz is the most beloved singer in the Arab world. She was born in Beirut sometime in the 1930s. She studied singing at the National Conservatory of Lebanon, graduating in the 1950s. In 1954 she married the composer Assi Rahbani, who wrote many hit songs for Fairuz together with his brother. In Beirut's glory days after World War II, Lebanon was known as the 'Paris of the Middle
… East', the haven of artists and intellectuals from the Arab world. That cultural prestige faded during the 17-year civil war that began in 1975, which brought many artists to Paris. The singer Fairuz was often the binding factor for the Lebanese with her sensual Western Arabian voice. Together with the brilliantly musical Rahbani family, she kept Lebanese culture alive during the civil war, without any purism whatsoever. Influences from Mozart, Latin American rumbas, flamenco and Balkan folklore can be discerned frequently. Fairuz's son Ziad continues that tradition with his experimental Arabic jazz. The CD Legendary Fairuz contains recordings of various concerts in various Arab cities for a very enthusiastic audience each time. (GO) The CD Legendary Fairuz contains recordings of various concerts in various Arab cities for a very enthusiastic audience. (GO) The CD Legendary Fairuz contains recordings of various concerts in various Arab cities for a very enthusiastic audience each time. (GO)more
