Mansour Rahbani ( ar, منصور الرحباني, Manṣūr Al-Raḥbāni; 17 March 1925 – 13 January 2009) was a Lebanese composer, musician,

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...

, philosopher, thinker and producer, known as one of the

Rahbani brothers The Rahbani brothers (Arabic: الأخوان رحباني), Assi Rahbani (4 May 1923 – 21 June 1986) and Mansour Rahbani (1925 – 13 January 2009) were Lebanese sibling musicians, composers, songwriters, authors, and playwrights/dramatists, be ...

, and the brother-in-law of the singer

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 ...

Career

During his musical education he collaborated with his brother Assi in creating the

. They took their new artistic direction to the Lebanese Radio in 1945. The delivery of a ‘Rahbanian’ song was not an easy task; however, it had faced up to the strong current of the traditional song and heritage, which dominated the entirety of the Eastern World since the beginning of the twentieth century, through Salama Hegazi and Abdou El-Hamouli. The two brothers went on to join the ranks of the Near East Radio, where they composed many artistic works as well as a series of sketches entitled “Sabeh and Makhoul”. When Assi married Nouhad Haddad (also known as

) in 1955, the two brothers formed a new Rahbani trio with her. They composed poems and songs, which Fairuz would sing with great prowess.

Poetry

Mansour wrote four Diwans in his life as a poet: # Al-Quṣur Al-Mai'yyah, القصور المائية (The Aquatic Castles) # Osafer Waḥde Malekan, أسافر وحدي ملكاً (Traveling Alone as a King) # Ana Al-Ġareeb Al-Aḫar, أنا الغريب الأخر (I am the Other Stranger) # Baḥar Al-shete, بحار الشتي (The Winter's Sailor)

Theatre

The Rahbani singing theatre is considered as a unique form, which differs somewhat from the international standard for operas. It focuses on the values of dignity, truth, gracefulness, and the depth of its philosophical subjects in order to concentrate on the three main subjects of God, the Human Being, and the Land. The Rahbani Brothers have also extended their activities to the world of cinema, and composed the music for three illustrious films: Biyaa el Khawatem (The Ring Seller), Safar Barlek (Exile), and Bent el Hares (The Guardian’s Daughter).

Death

Rahbani was admitted to the "Hôtel-Dieu de France" hospital in

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 ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

, following a severe case of pneumonia. He spent three days in intensive care after which he died on 13 January 2009, at the age of 83.Naharnet article "Lebanese Composer Mansour Rahbani Dies at 83"
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References

External links