The Lebanese and Arab consensus in expressing sorrow and pain over the departure of the great Lebanese and Arab artist and composer the late Ziad Rahbani, and the rush to count and eulogise his virtues, has been nothing but a vivid and heartfelt expression of the profound impact left by this creative artist, sensitive human being, serious yet satirical philosopher, and principled, frank, and direct thinker who took up clear political, social, and intellectual stances, on the consciousness of successive generations of Lebanese and Arabs.
It also reflects the deep respect and appreciation Rahbani has received and continues to receive, whether from those who agreed with him or those who disagreed with him on political and social grounds, at the Lebanese national level, the broader Arab level, or within the general human context.
From the outset, Ziad Rahbani was not an ordinary artist. He was the son of the iconic singer Fairuz, the “Harp of the East” and the “Neighbor of the Moon,” and of the late great musician Assi Rahbani, who, along with his brother Mansour, founded an influential school in the modernisation of Arabic music and singing. The Rahbani Brothers saw themselves as a natural continuation and qualitative evolution on the path followed by 20th-century Egyptian composer Sheikh Sayyed Darwish.
Of course, this in no way suggests that Ziad Rahbani “inherited” his art from his parents, or that his fame was due to their influence or favouritism from other prominent artists out of courtesy to them. Rather, the point is that from an early age he benefited deeply from two authentic and profound sources of art, music, and singing, a rare opportunity for anyone. This enabled him to begin his creative journey before the age of 17, composing for his mother the song “Sa’alouni al-Nass” (“People Asked Me”) at the request of his uncle Mansour Rahbani.
Ziad Rahbani was not content to be a mere extension of his father’s and uncle’s musical school. He was not an imitator of his late father or his mother but rather forged his own path with talent and seriousness. He developed his own approach and founded his own artistic school that combined intellect, struggle, and a commitment to the concerns, hopes, and disappointments of ordinary people, which he interpreted based on his own leftist political and ideological convictions.
Th artistic school that he built will continue to carry his name and owe him its existence for decades to come.
By composing songs and musical plays for his mother Fairuz in his own musical style, Ziad Rahbani added a new segment to her audience made up of members of the younger generations in Lebanon, across the Arab world, and in the Arab diaspora. This enriched, deepened, and expanded Fairuz’s own artistic contributions.
Ziad Rahbani’s creative output ranged across musical composition, songwriting, singing, and theatre, whether for his mother Fairuz, for himself with like-minded artists who believed in his artistic, political, and intellectual message, or for other performers. He also contributed to many significant artistic works that serve as important markers documenting the major events experienced by Lebanon and its people over the decades, particularly during the country’s contemporary history.
Chief among these was the Lebanese Civil War that raged from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s. That period witnessed one of the highest degrees of historical interaction and human closeness between the Lebanese people and other Arab peoples, and Ziad Rahbani always had revolutionary and progressive perspectives on the events and developments of the time.
One of the most notable works he contributed to at that time was the important film “Whispers” (Hamasat) made by the late great Lebanese director Maroun Bagdadi, which also featured contributions from the famous Lebanese poet Nadia Tueni.
I still remember the magnificent musical album “Ana Mosh Kafir” (“I Am Not a Heretic”), which featured the compositions and vocals of Ziad Rahbani and was first released in the mid-1980s. It is one of his most important albums, in which he combined writing, composing, arranging, and singing. He re-released it with new arrangements in 2008.
I would say that this album carried with it his vision of many of the issues plaguing not only Lebanese society, but also Arab societies as a whole, issues which are often denied or ignored by both governments and peoples alike. Ziad Rahbani was direct and confrontational in exposing some of the painful symptoms suffered by Arab societies, along with structural flaws, shortcomings, and aspects of societal decline. In this remarkable album, he laid bare these societal ills, trying to awaken the Arab peoples and demanding that they shake off the dust of ignorance and oversimplification, shed decades of false consciousness, and recognise the historic dilemmas they have been mired in for decades, if not for centuries.
In this album, he exposes the severe socio-economic disparities within Arab societies and the dangers of these to civil peace, national identity, and unity. He also reveals the risks of exploiting religion, sect, or ethnicity to create artificial divisions among people, fuelling fabricated hostilities that can escalate into civil wars that not only threaten societal peace and security, but also the very existence of societies.
He rejects all forms of religious, sectarian, ideological, and political excommunication and treason, warning of their consequences in marginalising and excluding the other and even denying their existence. He emphasises that a nation is not just an abstract concept, but one that lives in the condition of its people, in their well-being, and in the affiliation and affinity generated through dignity and justice.
Ziad Rahbani, an artist and a humanist, intellectual, and Lebanese-Arab pioneer, was one of those rare artists who never changed his ideological affiliations from an early age until his passing away a few weeks ago. Perhaps because of his steadfast political beliefs he may have sacrificed some broader popularity among certain segments of the population who disagreed with him ideologically and politically. But he remained an artist who refused to sell himself, his ideas, or his art and who would not allow anyone to buy or control him.
One might agree or disagree with him, but there is no doubt that from his early youth to his final days, he stayed true to defending and representing the interests of the Lebanese people and the Arab peoples, according to his own vision of them. He remained connected to the general public, aligned with their dreams and aspirations, sharing in their concerns and frustrations, never wavering or compromising on what he believed to be fundamental principles and constants and always voluntarily willing to pay the price in return.
The writer is a diplomat and commentator.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 7 August, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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