Ziad Rahbani

Ziad Rahbani (also Ziyad al-Rahbany Arabic: زياد الرحباني‎, born 1956) is a Lebanese composer, pianist, performer, playwright, and political commentator. His compositions are well known throughout the Arab world. Many of his musicals satirize Lebanese politics both during and after the civil war, and are often strongly critical of the traditional political establishment.

Personal life

Ziad Rahbani is the son of the Lebanese famous composer Assi Rahbani and Nouhad Haddad,^[1] the famous Lebanese female singer known as Fairuz.^[2] Rahbani was married to Dalal Karam, with whom he has a boy named "Assi" but was later found out not to be his biological son. Their relationship later ended in divorce, prompting Karam to write a series of articles for the gossip magazine Ashabaka about their marriage. Rahbani composed a number of songs about their relationship, including "Marba el Dalal"^[3] and "Bisaraha".^[4]

On Friday April 3, 2009, the Lebanese press reported that Rahbani filed a lawsuit with the Lebanese courts, asking to disown his son, Assi Rahbani Jr., and stripping him of the Rahbani name on all official records, and voiding any legal obligation towards him as a father, after DNA tests proved that Assi Jr. is not his son.^[5] Rahbani has also had a well-publicized relationship with actress Carmen Lebbos, which lasted for 15 years before the couple agreed to separate. Rahbani has a long-standing relationship with Lebanese leftist movements, and is a self-declared communist and atheist.^[6] Coming from an Eastern Orthodox Christian family, his politics and atheistic view point have meant that he has been at odds with some of his ex-coreligionists.^[7] During the Lebanese civil war, Rahbani resided in mainly Muslim West Beirut. Nowadays Ziad and his mother Fairuz have family problems that separate them from each other so Ziad is not any more her compositer.

Career

Rahbani's first known artistic work was "Sadiqi Allah" (My Friend God), a collection of writings between the years 1967 and 1968 when he was in his teens. In 1973, at age 17, Rahbani composed his first music for Fairuz, his mother. Assi Rahbani, his father, was hospitalized and his mother Fairuz was to play the leading role in Al Mahatta by the Rahbani brothers. Mansour Rahbani, his uncle, who had written the lyrics of a song about Assi Rahbani's forced absence, gave Ziad Rahbani the task of composing its music. The song "Saalouni El Nass" (The People Asked Me)^[8] gained Rahbani recognition in the music world.

Career

Rahbani appeared for the first time on stage in Al Mahatta where he played the role of the detective. He also appeared later on in the Rahbani Brothers' Mays el Rim^[9] in the role of one of the policemen. Rahbani's first step into theatre was with the Bkennaya Theater in Sahriyyeh.^[10] He followed that with highly politicized string of plays.

Collaborations

Before, during and after the war, Rahbani released and co-released several albums like: Bi hal shakel, Abou Ali, Halleluja, Shareet Ghayr Houdoudi, Houdou Nesbi, Ana Mouch Kafer, Hakaya al Atfal, Bema Enno, Monodose (with singer Salma Mosfi) and Maaloumat Mush Akidi (with singer Latifa).^[11]

He has also written the music for singles performed by others such as "Rafi2i Sobhi El Gizz", "Kifak Inta", "Iza baddik" "Abban 3an Jidd".

He has done some orchestrations for songs like "Madih el Zoll el Ali", "Ahmad el Zaatar" and "Moussakafoun noun". Rahbani has also mixed several albums such as Al ra2i el 3aam and Moussakafoun noun.

He has held concerts like the Oriental Jazz Concert in the BUC Irwin Hall, the Las Salinas Concert, the Forum de Beirut Concert, the Picadilly Concert, and "Mniha Concert" in Mont La Salle Ain Saadeh, the latter with his cousin Ghassan Rahbani.

He also performs live occasionally in pubs like "Medusa", "Mon Général" and the "Téatro".

Political works

Rahbani has also done many political shows on the radio like Ba3dna Taybeen Oulou Allah and El Akl Zeeneh and some music related shows. Since 2006, he has written a column for the Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar.

Discography

Solo albums

• Belly Dance (1972)
• Bil Afrah (1972)
• Sahrieh - Songs (1973)
• Abou Ali (1979)
• Ana Mosh Kafer (1985)
• Hodou' Nisbi (1985)
• Bema Enno (1996)
• Amrak Seedna (2000)
• Bnisba la boukra shou
• Monodose (2001)
• Live at Damascus Citadel (2009)

Music for Fairuz

• Wahdon (1979)
• Maarefti Fik (1987)
• Kifak Inta (1991)
• Ila Assi (1995) a reorchestration of Rahbani brothers' songs
• Mich Kayen hayk Tkoun (1999)
• Beiteddine Concert 2000 (2001)
• Wala Kif (2002)
• Eh, Fi Amal (2010)

Theatre

• Sahriyyeh (1973)
• Nazl el sourour (1974)
• Bennesbe La Boukra Shou? (1978)
• Film Ameriki Taweel (1980)
• Shi fashel (1983)
• Bikhsous el Karameh wel Shaab el aaneed (1993)
• Lawla Fos'hat el Amal (1994).
• Lfasel L2khar (1996)
• Sayfe 840 (1992)by his uncle Monsour Rahbani

References

External links

• A compilation of press articles and interviews with Ziad Rahbani, in arabic.
• http://ziadandassirahbanicriticism.wordpress.com/
• FairuzFan - contains information of Ziad's works with Fairuz his mother