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Assi Rahbani ( ar, عاصي الرحباني; May 4, 1923 – June 21, 1986) was a Lebanese
composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...
,
musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wr ...
, and producer. He was part of the Rahbani Brothers ( ar, links=no, الأخوان رحباني), with his brother
Mansour Rahbani Mansour Rahbani ( ar, منصور الرحباني, Manṣūr Al-Raḥbāni; 17 March 1925 – 13 January 2009) was a Lebanese composer, musician, poet, philosopher, thinker and producer, known as one of the Rahbani brothers, and the bro ...
. He married Lebanese singer Nouhad Haddad, more famous by her stage name,
Fairuz Nouhad Wadie' Haddad ( ar, نهاد وديع حداد, ; born November 21, 1934), known as Fairuz ( ar, فيروز, ; also spelled Fairouz, Feyrouz or Fayrouz), is a Lebanese singer. She is considered by many as one of the leading vocalists a ...
. Their son
Ziad Rahbani Ziad Rahbani ( ar, زياد الرحباني, born 1956) is a Lebanese composer, pianist, playwright, and political commentator. He is the son of Fairouz, one of Lebanon and the Arab world's most famous singers, and Assi Rahbani, one of the fou ...
is also a very successful artist in music, theatre, and an influential political activist.


Career


The early years

Assi Rahbani's musical career began when he obtained a job at the Near East Radio channel (إذاعة الشرق الأدنى). In 1951, Nouhad Haddad (later known as
Fairuz Nouhad Wadie' Haddad ( ar, نهاد وديع حداد, ; born November 21, 1934), known as Fairuz ( ar, فيروز, ; also spelled Fairouz, Feyrouz or Fayrouz), is a Lebanese singer. She is considered by many as one of the leading vocalists a ...
), one of the singers in the radio station's chorus, came to the attention of Halim El Roumi, the musical director. Assi composed her very first song, "Itab" ("Reproach"). El Roumi attended the recording session and asked Assi to compose additional songs for her. The trio released about 50 songs for the station. In 1956, during the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
, the Rahbani brothers, along with Fairuz, left the Near East Radio Station due to its alleged bias and anti-Arab propaganda in its coverage of the Crisis. The Rahbani Brothers and Fairuz became an independent musical group. Both of the Rahbani Brothers composed and both of them wrote lyrics as they always clarified in interviews and as attested by their family members as well as by artists who collaborated and worked with them. The trio would eventually rise to become one of the most prominent groups in both the Lebanese and Middle Eastern music markets. In 1957, the trio performed for the first time at the
Baalbeck International Festival The Baalbeck International Festival ( ar, مهرجانات بعلبك الدولية, french: Festival International de Baalbeck) is a cultural event in Lebanon. Since 1955, people from around the world have gone to the city of Baalbek in the Beqaa ...
.


Lebanese Civil War

After the
Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
erupted, the Rahbanis continued to use political satire and sharp criticism in their plays. In 1977, their musical ''Petra'' was shown in both the Muslim western and Christian eastern portions of
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
. In 1978, the trio toured Europe and the Persian Gulf nations, including a concert at the
Paris Olympia The Olympia (; commonly known as L'Olympia or in the English-speaking world as Olympia Hall) is a concert venue in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France, located at 28 Boulevard des Capucines, equally distancing Madeleine church and Opéra ...
. Assi and his brother continued to compose musicals for Ronza and Fadia Tomb El-Hage (Ronza's sister). They remade their musical ''Al Sha'khs'' (''The Person'') which they had first performed with Fairuz in the early 1970s. The songs were re-recorded with Ronza's voice; the production featured a small role played by Rima Rahbani, the youngest daughter of Fairuz and Assi.


Personal life and health

Aside from Rahbani's professional relationship with Fairuz, the two were also a couple. In 1953, Rahbani proposed to Fairuz and the couple married a year later. On Sept 22, 1972, Rahbani suffered a brain hemorrhage and was hospitalized at Rizk Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. Fans crowded outside the hospital and held a candlelight vigil. After three surgeries, the hemorrhage was halted. His demanding career eventually started taking a toll on his health. By the late 1970s, Rahbani's mental health began to deteriorate. Fairuz and the Rahbani Brothers agreed to end their professional and personal relationship in 1979, which also included Fairuz separating from Assi Rahbani. Fairouz began to work with a production team led by her son,
Ziad Rahbani Ziad Rahbani ( ar, زياد الرحباني, born 1956) is a Lebanese composer, pianist, playwright, and political commentator. He is the son of Fairouz, one of Lebanon and the Arab world's most famous singers, and Assi Rahbani, one of the fou ...
, and the Rahbani Brothers composed for other artists. On June 26, 1986 Assi Rahbani died after spending several weeks in a coma.


References


External links


FairuzFan - The Web Site of Every Fairuz Fan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahbani, Assi 1923 births 1986 deaths Lebanese composers Lebanese musicians Lebanese songwriters Greek Orthodox Christians from Lebanon Eastern Orthodox Christians from Lebanon