Fairuz
From Shawshara
| Fairuz فيروز | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information/معلومات عامة | |
| Birth name | Nihad Haddad |
| Born | 21 1935 |
| Origin | Lebanon |
| Genre(s) | Arabic Music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1949 — present |
Fairuz, also spelled Fairouz or Fayrouz (born November 21, 1935) is a distinguished Lebanese singer. Born Nouhad Haddad in Jabal al Arz (Cedar Mountain), Fairuz is known as "Our (Lebanese) Ambassador to the Stars", "The Arabs' Ambassador", "Neighbor to the Moon", and "The Poet of the Voice". Fairuz began her musical career as a chorus member at the Lebanese Radio Station. In the late 1950s her talent as a singer became fully acknowledged. Met with unprecedented enthusiasm, Fairuz's early songs featured the singer's distinct vocal timbre and lyrics expressing romantic love and nostalgia for village life. They meshed with a delicate orchestral blend in which certain Arab instruments figured prominently but which also subtly incorporated European instruments and European popular dance rhythms.
She also sometimes sang adaptations of Arab folk tunes. By the early 1960s Fairuz was already one of the main attractions of the annual Baalbeck Festivals and a celebrity not only in Lebanon but throughout the Arab world.
During most of her singing career, Fairuz was part of a three-member team which included the two Rahbani brothers. Generally, her lyrics were written by Mansour Rahbani, and the tunes were composed and arranged by his brother 'Assi, Fairuz's late husband. Fairuz's songs owe a great deal to the musical and poetic genius of these two Lebanese artists. In recent years they have also reflected the composing talent of Ziad Rahbani, Fairuz's son. In addition, they testify to Fairuz's broad musical background, which traditions of Arab music.
