Fans of the legendary Fairouz, Lebanon’s “Ambassador to the Stars,” honored her and praised her contributions to the Lebanese musical canon as she turned 83 Wednesday.
As #fairouzday trended on Twitter, Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan tweeted, “Her voice became the icon of our time. ... She is the image of the next true Lebanon." Lebanese Forces MP Ziad Hawat thanked Fairouz for “the voice that become a symbol of a nation.”
Fairouz was born Nouhad Haddad on Nov. 21, 1935, in Beirut’s Zoqaq al-Blat. She later adopted the stage name “Fairouz,” or turquoise in Arabic.
Fairouz’s repertoire includes more than 50 albums, which combine classical Western and Arab musical influences to create her instantly recognizable style.
Among her best known songs are “Nassam Alayna” and “Kifak Inta,” and “Le Beirut,” which laments the destruction of Lebanon’s capital, “whose scent of bread and jasmine was replaced with fire and smoke.”
In December 2017, Fairouz’s song “Jerusalem, Flower of Cities” was widely shared on social media to protest United States President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
In the 1960s, the star was dubbed the “First Lady of Lebanese singing.” She has also been described as the “Jewel of Lebanon” and the “Ambassador of the Arabs."
This article has been adapted from its original source.
