× Ziad Rahbani is one of the Arab world’s many treasures. A brilliant composer, actor and activist, Rahbani sadly left this world on the 26th July 2025, in Beirut, Lebanon. Son of legendary singer Fairouz and Assi Rahbani (one of the founders of modern Arab music), Rahbani became the voice for the unheard, for the ignored and for the ever changing political landscape of the Levant.
Rahbani was born in Antelias, Lebanon on the 1st January 1956, and grew up in a household that was Christian. Once he was a teenager, he found himself surrounded by right-wing ideals, which highly contradicted his very liberal and at the time, radical viewpoints; and from a young age, Ziad showed immense musical talent, playing the piano and composing original pieces.
He made his first public debut in 1973, at just 17, by composing the music for Fairuz’s song “Sa’alouni El Nass”, after his father Assi was hospitalised. This moment marked a quiet but powerful shift in Lebanese music — the son stepping in not only to support, but to innovate.
Ziad Rahbani’s theatrical work is arguably his most significant cultural contribution. His early plays like “Sahriyyeh” (1973) and “Nazl el-Surour” (1974) captured the voices and frustrations of everyday people, using colloquial Lebanese Arabic, which was a radical choice at the time. His dialogue was unpolished, streetwise, and authentic. His characters were flawed, funny, angry, and disillusioned, mirroring the disjointed Lebanese society during the years leading up to and throughout the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990).
His most celebrated plays, such as “Bennesbeh La Bokra Shu?” (1978) and “Film Ameriki Taweel” (1980), used satire and humour to critique sectarianism, capitalism, and corruption. Through these works, Rahbani became the voice of a generation caught between hope and despair, unity and division. His characters often conveyed leftist ideals and questioned authority, whether political or religious.
Ziad Rahbani’s music defied genre. It was deeply rooted in classical Arabic music traditions, his compositions incorporate elements of jazz, funk, classical Western music, and bossa nova. His unique blend created a new sound that resonated deeply with both older and younger audiences. His collaborations with Fairuz during the 1970s and 1980s resulted in timeless pieces like “Oudak Rannan”, “Habbaytak Ta Neseet El Naoum”, and “El Bosta”, which marked a departure from her earlier romantic, pastoral themes and introduced a more introspective, urban, and politically aware tone.
He also released several solo albums, including “Bil Afrah” (1975), “Houdou Nisbi” (1985), and “Mish Kayen Hayk Tkoun” (1995), further pushing the boundaries of what Arabic music could sound and feel like.
Rahbani was a self-declared communist, and had a strong relationship with Lebanese leftist movements. He was an affliate with the Lebanese Communist Party. He had a sharp intellect and a drive to reflect the raw realities of Lebanese life — a stark contrast to the romanticism often present in the works of his parents’ generation. His views, expressed both in his art and in numerous interviews, have sometimes sparked controversy, but they have also cemented his reputation as one of the few Arab artists unafraid to confront political hypocrisy and social inequality head-on.
Ziad Rahbani is a rich storyteller of Lebanese identity in all its complexity — a satirist, a philosopher, and a musical innovator whose work has shaped modern Arab culture and continues to do so. His legacy lies in his refusal to compromise, his ability to channel the voice of the people, and his fearless confrontation of the issues others were too afraid to name.
