Trivia

Ziad Rahbani was a Lebanese composer, pianist, performer, playwright, and political commentator.

Ziad Rahbani, a staunch supporter of the Lebanese Communist Party and a fierce critic of the country's sectarian system, remained in Beirut during the civil war (1975-1990), settling in the city's western sector.

In recent years, Ziad Rahbani had largely withdrawn from the artistic scene, making only rare public appearances - most notably in 2018 at the Beiteddine Festival.

He began his artistic career in the early 1970s with the play Sahriye (evening), which was followed by several others that offered sharp critiques of Lebanese society.

At just 17, he composed his first song, Sa'alouni el nas ("People asked me"), performed by his mother Fairuz. He would go on to write other notable songs for her, including Kifak enta ("How are you?") and Bektob esmak ("I write your name").

Rahbani studied at College Notre-Dame de Jamhour, a Jesuit school.

He also performed at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and collaborated quietly with young Lebanese artists, remaining active on the margins, away from the spotlight.

His offbeat humor and sharp political satire made him a cultural icon in Lebanon. Through plays like Bil nisbe la boukra chou? ("As for tomorrow, what?") and Film amerike taweel ("A long American film"), he blended political satire, social critique, and politically charged jazz, leaving a lasting mark on the country's artistic scene.

Rahbani came under fire from Arab traditionalists for his pioneering efforts to bridge the gap between Arab and Western culture with music.

He was in a relationship with Carmen Lebbos and she said in one of her interviews that they wrote a non official paper marriage together, after 15 years they get separated.