Egyptian artists mourn passing of Ziad Rahbani - Music - Arts & Culture

Al-Ahram Weekly

27-07-2025

Several Egyptian artists, along with renowned figures from other fields, expressed sorrow following the death of Ziad Rahbani.
The celebrated Lebanese composer, pianist, playwright, and political visionary passed away on Saturday at the age of 69, leaving behind a prolific artistic legacy that spanned decades.
Tributes poured in from across the Arab world, including Egypt, where fans and the broader creative community loved Rahbani.
The Musicians' Syndicate, headed by artist Mostafa Kamel, mourned his passing with a statement: 'With his passing, we have lost an exceptional artistic figure and a renewing creator who contributed to enriching Arabic music and theatre, leaving an everlasting mark on the Arab consciousness through his musical and theatrical works that combined authenticity, boldness, and innovation.'
Several Egyptian artists voiced their grief on social media and in interviews.
Screenwriter Medhat El-Adl wrote on Facebook that the Arab world had lost a unique voice that had become an integral part of the collective consciousness.
'The curtain has fallen on a chapter of genius,' El-Adl wrote. 'A melody that long stirred our souls and lit up the stage with free words and a tune unlike any other has fallen silent. The impact remains, though the body is gone.'
Actor Yasser Galal called Rahbani 'an exceptional artist who shaped the consciousness of generations.'
Composer Mohamed Diaa Eldin gave an exclusive statement to Al-Ahram Gate (Arabic): 'Although I never met him personally, his music was beyond imagination for me. He was incredibly talented and brought a qualitative shift in music by blending jazz with Arabic and Eastern singing in an amazing way.'
He added, 'Ziad is the natural continuation of the Rahbani legacy. He carried on the artistic journey of his mother, Fairuz, after the passing of her husband, Assi Rahbani, and his partner, Mansour Rahbani. His works with her were advanced and different. He preserved the continuity of Fairuz's voice as an eternal artistic symbol, succeeding in presenting her in a renewed way that blended authenticity with experimentation. With Ziad's passing, we lose a musical voice that will not be repeated, but his legacy will remain alive in our hearts and artistic tastes.'
Egyptian poet and playwright Ibrahim Abdel Fattah echoed Diaa Eldin's sentiment, describing Rahbani's passing as 'the loss of one of the last voices that defended the dream in broad daylight.'
'Ziad was not only 'the son of Fairuz,'' he wrote on Facebook, 'he was the son of Lebanese oppression, the son of the angry streets of Beirut, the son of wars that he knew how to transform into music that laughs and cries at the same time. He was the true heir to the rebellion of Sayed Darwish… boiling his voice with the spirit of the oppressed and shouting against politicians, authority, hypocrisy, and pretension.'
'Ziad did not die today; he died in stages— with every betrayed cause, every buried dream, every square emptied of protesters, every free word crushed in the media or by censorship,' Abdel Fattah concluded.
Tributes also came from outside the artistic sphere.
Ziad Ahmed Baha El-Din, Egyptian thinker, economist, and former Deputy Prime Minister, recalled meeting Rahbani in Beirut 'about twenty years ago.'
'I remember two things that deeply moved me,' he said. 'The first was political: Ziad's presence among the people during the Lebanese war and his conversations with them through his radio program made him a source of inspiration and resilience in the face of siege and bombing. The second was musical: when I asked him how many musicians he would bring with him to Egypt, he replied with surprise, 'Shame on you…Howw could I bring musicians to Egypt when it has the greatest musicians?' I was deeply touched by his profound appreciation for Egyptian art and local talents.'
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