Fans of the legendary Fayrouz, Lebanon's "ambassador to the stars," honored her and praised her contributions to the Lebanese musical canon as she turns 83 today.
As #FayrouzDay trended on Twitter, fans took to social media platforms to wish the singer a long life.
"Her voice makes me hopeful that everything will go right in life, and I just need that security. ... Happy birthday to the Lebanese Legend," one user, Elie Sfeir, said.
"Wishing our Diva @FayrouzOfficial health, joy and [a] long life," another user, Yeran Kejijian, tweeted.
Yet another user referred to Fayrouz as the "icon" of Arabic music and the "start of every beautiful day."
Politicians also wished the Lebanese legend a happy birthday. Free Patriotic Movement MP Ibrahim Kanaan tweeted, "Her voice became the icon of our time. ... She is the image of the next true Lebanon." Lebanese Forces MP Ziad Hawat thanked Fayrouz for "the voice that became a symbol of a nation."
Fayrouz's repertoire includes more than 50 albums, which combine classical Western and Arab musical influences to create her instantly recognizable style.
Among her best-known songs are "Nassam Alayna" and "Kifak Inta," and "Li Beirut," which laments the destruction of Lebanon's capital, "whose scent of bread and jasmine was replaced with fire and smoke."
In December 2017, Fayrouz's song "Jerusalem, Flower of Cities" was widely shared on social media to protest United States President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Fayrouz was born Nouhad Haddad on Nov. 21, 1935, in Beirut's Zoqaq al-Blat. She later adopted the stage name "Fayrouz," or "turquoise" in Arabic.
In the 1960s, the star was dubbed the "first lady of Lebanese singing." She has also been described as the "jewel of Lebanon" and the "ambassador of the Arabs."
Source: Daily Star
