Fairuz and Ziad Rahabani’s new album Fairuz Live at Beiteddine 2000 succeeds in harmoniously blending various styles, old and new, Eastern and Western, serious and fun, with a dash of sociopolitical commentary thrown in.
The few gentle notes on the buzuq follow Ziad’s lavish and Western-style musical prelude, setting the stage for the wonderful and varied selections to come. The variety extends even to the musical accompaniment, for they employed both the Armenian Orchestra, a full Western orchestra conducted by Karen Durgaryan, and Takht, an Arabic orchestra conducted by Ziad, according to Aljadid.com.
The album boasts three new songs: Tenzakar Ma Tina’ad, Kberi Al Mazha Hay and Sabah Wa Masa, with lyrics and music by Ziad. Kberi Al Mazha Hay (This Is a Really Big Joke) is opened by the sound of a lonely piano, then comes the heart-rending cry from Fairuz. Late one night, Egypt Today magazine said, her lover of many years decides to tell her that he does not really know whether he loves her or not. She asks the question many women of her age do: Why this very big joke so late in the day? How can one possibly not know what they feel? Heartbreaking stuff, with evocative lyrics written by Rahbani, who seems to know exactly what it is like to feel like a woman. The music, as expected from Rahbani, is excellent, with very few instruments used to convey the ultimate loneliness of the woman who has just lost her partner.
Prelude and La Inta Habibi are in the new style, where the emphasis is not solely on the vocals, but instead the music plays a role, as Ziad has described it on occasion, as important as that of another singing voice.
Shu Hal Iyyam and the National Lebanese Resistance, present Ziad's social and political commentary. The first satirizes social injustice where the poor do all the work while the rich reap the financial rewards. Musically, this is also the most notable of the two. It is an old composition by Ziad that exudes tarab, reflecting the simple yet emotionally charged style of Sayyed Darwish. The classical Arabic spirit of his musicality has distinguished Ziad from the other Rahbanis and has propelled his fame. Although shades of the Arabic spirit appear even in his jazz music, the absence of this classical style in his compositions over the last several years has disappointed many of his avid fans – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
