On Monday, Lebanon mourned one of the pillars of its golden-age music era and a giant star whose powerful shine will continue to inspire generations to come.
Elias Rahbani, who succumbed to COVID-19 at the age of 83, was mourned by people across the country with statements and obituaries in remembrance of his exceptional life and career.
In a less vocal but no-less touching gesture, Fairouz paid tribute to the late artist on social media with an old video of him playing a piece composed by the Rahbani Brothers, while the late Assi Rahbani – his older brother and Fairouz’s husband – watches on.
The video, simply captioned “هجروا الأحبّا الحَارة” (The loved ones deserted the neighborhood), ends with footage of Elias Rahbani walking down the steps of a plane as the moving piano track continues in the background.
The same video was also posted to “Rah Nebaa Sawa” (We Will Stay Together), the official shared Facebook page of the late Assi Rahbani and Fairouz.
Throughout his legendary, nearly half-a-century-long career, Rahbani composed more than 2,500 songs, of which 1,000 were made for more than 2 dozen movies and TV shows across the region.
He was also the lyricist and composer behind several of Fairouz‘s massive hits, including “Ken Enna Tahoun,” “Ya Tayr El-Werwar,” “Maak,” and others.
His unforgettable lyrics and melodies will forever carry his legend and immortalize his status as one of Lebanon’s great musicians.
