Daniel Akill's Blog | 115: FAIRUZ'S CONTROVERSIAL SHOW IN DAMASCUS

115: FAIRUZ'S CONTROVERSIAL SHOW IN DAMASCUS

25 January, 2008

Singer Fairuz's Controversial Show in Syria Angers Some Lebanese

The 73-year-old singer's patriotic songs are enormously popular across the Arab world and she is a Lebanese icon.

Almost three decades after her last performance in Syria, Fairuz travelled to Damascus on Thursday despite appeals by Lebanese political leaders to stay away.

Lebanon is deeply and bitterly divided along pro- and anti-Syrian lines, a prolonged crisis that has left the country without a president since 23^rd Nov., because the two camps cannot agree on a candidate. Eight prominent anti-Syrian figures have been assassinated in Lebanon since 2005.

Fairuz is to take the stage on Monday 28^th Jan., for a six-night run of the musical ‘Sah el-Nom’ – one of her classics.

In Lebanon, anti-Syrian politicians who dominate the government and parliament blame Syria for the country's current crisis – the deepest and the worst since the 1975-90 civil wars. And some politicians took offense at Fairuz's trip.

A leading member of the anti-Syrian majority in parliament made a veiled remark about Fairuz going to Damascus to perform for tyrants: “Some capable singers and performers have volunteered to do their thing for Syria's Intelligence Agencies that understand only the culture and language of killing, tyranny and oppression and do not appreciate art.”

Another said: “Those that love Lebanon do not sing or perform for its jailers.”

A third said: “Our ambassadors to the stars; you painted for us the dream nation. So don't scatter that dream the way the despots/dictators/tyrants of Damascus scattered our dreams of a free and democratic country."

Syria ran wild and free and amok in Lebanon for almost four decades until its army was forced to leave in 2005 under intense international pressure following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Harriri.

Since then, the Western-backed government has accused Syria of orchestrating the chaos, anarchy, havoc, and assassinations in Lebanon. Syria has denied it.

Many Lebanese singers have performed in Syria since the 2005 withdrawal, but Fairuz is a different story. Because she is so closely associated with Lebanese pride and identity, her choice strikes some as a betrayal.

The reclusive Fairuz did not comment on the criticism, but it drew angry retorts from her entourage. Composer and lyricist, Mansour Rahbani, said the singer's performance is “a message of love and peace from Lebanon to Syria – a message of friendship, not subservience.”

“So, please refrain from thrusting our names into the political mud,” he added in a statement last week.

The Rahbani brothers wrote most of Fairuz's works, including ‘Sah el-Nom’ which was staged for the first time in 1970 and was performed again in Lebanon in 2006.

The excitement in Syria was palpable, where the state news agency, SANA, reported Fairuz's arrival Thursday, but for many Syrians, the price for a ticket to see the musical – between $40 and $200 – is out of reach.

Syrians dismissed Lebanese demands that Fairuz not sing for them. “Fairouz is above all such rancorous voices,” said a Syrian government employee.

A Syrian lawyer said: “Fairuz has come to sing for the Syrian people who adore her, not for the political regime. Don't politicize art.”

My comments: I wonder whether Fairuz and her whole entourage – including and especially the manager, composer, choreography instructor, and organizer – knew what their performance in Damascus would entail! They must have known it would result in such repercussions and reactions, and yet they went ahead and went to Damascus, all the same.

What amused and amazed me at the same time was Mansour Rahbani’s HORSE-SHIT about ‘a message of peace and friendship to Syria and not subservience so please refrain from thrusting our names in the Mud of Politics’ and the Syrian lawyer’s HORSE-SHIT about ‘don’t politicize art.’ BY GOD!

Are Lebanon and Syria at war for Fairuz to do that? And who appointed Fairuz Ambassador of Peace, Goodwill, and Friendship for Lebanon and the Lebanese? Also, how could anyone – whether Politician or any other – thrust their names any deeper into the Political Mud-pit? By going to perform in Damascus, they have already dived deep into it, because everyone – in Lebanon and Syria – knows that Politics has its dirty and slimy fingers in every pie in both countries – the Political, the Governmental, the Educational, the Social, the Finer Arts, and the Religious Stratum, and that MONEY is higher than all of the above put together x 2.

It would have clarified matters and put a cork on the bottle of ‘rancorous and vociferous remarks and retorts’ if they had come right out and said that she, and they, needed the MONEY. BY GOD AGAIN!

She may pretend she doesn’t care for now, but the stares and glares and yakkity-yaks and yaps and rumours and FARTINGS she will have to put up with when she returns will be enough to last her for the rest of her life. JEEZ! I hope it turns out to be worth it all and not a loss on top of it all. BY GOD; ONE MORE TIME!

Personally, I say: “Let well alone and let her do her thing – it will be her very last performance; her SWAN SONG, so to speak – and earn a little MONEY, too, if not for her, at least for her entourage and the other greedy vultures, jackals, and hyenas hovering above and about her.” I say: “Back off, ass-holes! And leave her alone – the poor woman probably thinks and believes she will go out in glory with this last performance; and I hope she does!” BY GOD; ONE LAST TIME!

After all, thanks to ass-holes like Michael Aoun and the rest of the Opposition, Damascus has now become The Cultural Capital of The Middle East, The Arab World, and The World.

Posted by akill 16:52 | General | Comment(0) | Permalink

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