Famous Lebanese Artist Ziad Rahbani Dies at 68
Ziad Rahbani, a famous Lebanese musician and writer, has died at the age of 68. He passed away on Saturday morning at a hospital in Beirut after a long illness.
Ziad was the son of two Lebanese legends — singer Fairuz and composer Assi Rahbani. He became famous for his music, plays, and political messages. People across Lebanon and the Arab world loved his work for many years.
A Voice Across Generations
Ziad spoke to many generations — from those who lived through Lebanon’s civil war (1975-1990) to young people today. His songs and plays often talked about war, poverty, and the problems in Lebanese society.
One of his most popular songs, “I Am Not an Infidel,” called on Muslim and Christian leaders to help poor people. Another song talked about how people had to sell gold to buy food during the war.
A Musical Genius
Ziad Rahbani was known for mixing Arabic music with Western jazz. His 1978 album Abu Ali is still loved today. Musicians called him a genius, and fans loved his style of mixing deep messages with humor.
Lebanese conductor Lubnan Baalbaki said, “You feel you can never understand or create music like Ziad did.”
A Life of Struggle and Satire
Ziad wrote his first play at age 18 and published poems when he was just 12. But as Lebanon fell into war, his music became sadder and more critical. He once called Lebanon “the wilderness” because of constant problems like power cuts.
He was also known for his political views. He supported leftist ideas and stood with Palestinians after the 1976 Tal el-Zaatar massacre. Some fans stopped supporting him when he backed groups like Hezbollah and the Syrian government, but many still admired his honesty and creativity.
In one interview, he joked that even Lebanon’s famous Seven Spice mix was fake, saying, “There are three spices. No one knows what the rest is.”
Ziad Rahbani will be remembered as a powerful voice who used music and words to speak truth to power.
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