sign in sign up
<<
Home , Assi Rahbani, Fairuz, Mansour Rahbani, Rahbani brothers, Umm Kulthum, Ziad Rahbani

BE OUR PARTNER, HELP YOUR COMMUNITY, ENJOY THE BENEFITS.

The American Benevolent Association would like to start a partnership with our Lebanese and Syrian owned businesses . Let us promote your business through our website, radio program and newsletter. Now you, as a business owner, can reach thousands of people of your own culture and background by letting AABA relay your message to the vast Arabic speaking community. For a small fee per year , we at AABA will advertise and promote your message on our radio program, which airs weekly AABA NEWS on 1550AM @ 10 AM on Saturdays and in our quarterly newsletter which reaches thousands of Syrian and . As a bonus we will add your name to our website as a sponsor of AABA, so that any person that views our site will see your business AABA presents this article in honor of . card or any ad you wish to post for the latest information. You also will be able to change your ad weekly on our radio program and Volume 22 May 2019 quarterly in our newsletter to offer specials to your listeners. So if your business is a restaurant, variety store, gas station, car dealership, home business or any other business, experts will tell you to offer a coupon or a deal and watch how many new Nouhad Wadie Haddad (November 21, 1934) known

customers you will acquire. What better feeling knowing that you are bettering your business and supporting a charity that works as Fairuz is a Lebanese singer who is one of the most admired AABA OFFICERS President diligently to provide for the Arabic Community. So get started immediately by calling or texting: and influential singers in the . Louis M. Kfoury III Fairuz is an icon in modern and has sold over 150 1st Vice President Bill Seaver @ 617-590-0253 or E-mail [email protected] million records worldwide, making her and the Robert Ferris two best-selling Middle-Eastern artists of all time. Clerk Mary Winstanley O’connor, Esq. Nouhad Haddad was born on November 21, 1934 in into Treasurer a Syriac and Maronite Christian family. Her father was born Ken Raffol in , . The family later moved into a home in Zuqaq Asst. Treasurer el Blatt in . Darya Gamel By the age of ten, Nouhad was already known at school for her 2nd Asst. Treasurer unusual singing voice. She would sing regularly during school Steve Salhaney shows and on holidays. This was how she came to the attention of Mohammed Flayfel, Recording Secretary a well known musician and a teacher at the Lebanese Conservatory, who happened to Linda Ayoub attend one of the school's shows in February 1950. Impressed by her voice and Corresponding Secretary performance, he advised her to enroll in the conservatory, which she did. At first, Sally Sabino Nouhad's conservative father was reluctant to send her to the conservatory; however, Board of Directors 5264 Washington Street he eventually allowed her to go on condition that her brother accompany her. That hav- Checrallah Abichaker ing been said, Nouhad's family as a whole encouraged her in her musical career. Elias Audy West Roxbury, MA 02132 John Byda - - Mohammed Flayfel took a close interest in Nouhad's talent. Among other things, he Edmund Clark 617 325 5555 taught her to recite verses from the Koran (in the recitative style known as Tajweed). On Maurice Daaboul

www.salhaneyinsurance.com one occasion, Nouhad was heard singing by Halim el Roumi, head of the Lebanese June M. David radio station and a prominent musician in his own right (also the father of the famous Rose M. Dow AND FEEL THE POWER Lebanese singer Majida Roumi). Roumi was impressed by her voice and noticed that it had a rare flexibility that allowed her to sing both Arabic and Western modes admirably. David Franciosi At Nouhad's request, El Roumi appointed her as a chorus singer at the radio station *Marilyn Ganame in Beirut and went on to compose several for her. He chose for her the stage *Louis S. Hadaya name Fairuz, which is the Arabic word for turquoise. Albertina C. Hajjar, Esq. Andrew Howard A short while later, Fairuz was introduced to the , Assi and Mansour, Nabil Hourani who also worked at the radio station as musicians, and they discovered her talent as Nicole Kfoury well. The chemistry was instant, and soon after Assi started to compose songs for Robert R. Khouri II Fairouz, one of which was "Itab", which was an immediate smash hit in all of the Arab Richard Laham world, establishing Fairuz as one of the most prominent Arab singers on the Arabic mu- Loretta Merageas sic scene. Assi and Fairuz were married on January 23, 1955. *Shelby Mudarri Fairuz and Assi had four children: Ziad, a musician and a composer, Layal (died in 1987 *Dr. Jerry Owen of a brain stroke), Hali (paralysed since early childhood after meningitis) and Rima, a Alain Pollak photographer and film director. Elaine Sabbag *Michael G. Saegh Fairuz's first large-scale concert was in 1957, as part of the Baalbeck International Lisa Salemi Festival which took place under the patronage of the Lebanese President Camille *William Salemi Chamoun. She performed alongside the British prima ballerina Beryl Goldwyn and William Seaver the Ballet Rambert. Fairuz was paid one for that show. Musical Rosanne Solomon operettas and concerts followed for many years, eventually establishing Fairuz as one of the most popular singers in and throughout the Arab world. * Emeritus

As the 1960s wore on, Fairuz became known as the "First Lady of Lebanese singing", EDITORIAL STAFF as Halim Roumi dubbed her. During this period the Rahbani brothers wrote and Editor composed for her hundreds of famous songs, most of their operettas, and three motion Bill Seaver Staff pictures. David Franciosi Byblos Restaurant In 1969, Fairuz's songs were banned from the radio stations in Lebanon for six months Darya Gamel because she refused to sing at a private concert in honour of Algerian President Sally Sabino 678 Washington Street Steve Salhaney Norwood, MA 02062 Houari Boumedienne. The incident only served to increase her popularity. Fairuz made it clear then and since that while always willing to sing to her public and to various CONTACT INFORMATION countries and regions, she would never sing to any individual. 18 Cheriton Road Email: [email protected] West Roxbury, MA 02132 In 1971, Fairuz's fame became international after her major North American tour, which Phone: (781) 762-8998 or (781) 278-0000 617-323-2722 was received with much excitement by the Arab-American and American community E - Mail : [email protected] and yielded very positive reviews of the concerts. People In The Community John Michael Demerjian

COMMUNITY NEWS JOHN WAS ONE OF ELEVEN CHILDREN BORN TO WADIA MOBAYED GAMEL AND MICHAEL DEMERJIAN ON SEPT. 22,1924 IN CAMBRIDGE, MA. HIS SIBLINGS WERE ADELE, MARY, LOUIS, ANTHONY, AND GEORGE GAMEL, ARMEN, JOSEPH, MARY, JOHN, ALICE, AND ELAINE DEMERJIAN. AT A VERY EARLY AGE, THE FAMILY SETTLED DOWN IN THE SOUTH END OF BOSTON. JOHN ATTENDED THE JOHN J.WILLIAMS, BANCROFT, AND RICE SCHOOLS, AND HE SPENT ONE YEAR AT THE BOSTON CONTINUATION SCHOOL, BEFORE ATTENDING MECHANIC ARTS HIGH SCHOOL FROM WHICH HE GRADUATED IN 1942. EAGER TO HELP IN THE WAR EF- FORT, JOHN WENT TO A SCHOOL TO TAKE WELDING. AFTER FINISHING THE COURSE, JOHN WORKED THE NIGHT SHIFT AT HINGHAM, FORE RIVER, AND QUINCY SHIPYARDS UNTIL HE WAS St. John of Orthodox Church INDUCTED INTO THE US ARMY ON MAY 18, 1943.

HE WAS SENT TO BOOT CAMP AT THE NEWPORT NAVAL STATION IN RHODE ISLAND. HE THEN Our Lady of the Cedars of Lebanon Church WENT TO LIDO BEACH, LONG ISLAND FOR WEAPONS TRAINING. JOHN’S COMPANY WAS ASSIGNED TO PIER 92 AT Tenth Lebanese Festival NEW YORK FOR EMBARKATION OVERSEAS. INSTEAD OF GOING TO EUROPE, THE COMPANY WAS SENT TO PORT Friday, June 7, 6-11PM, Saturday, June 8, 3-11PM, Sunday, June 9,12-6PM HUENEME (Y-NEE-ME) IN CALIFORNIA AND ASSIGNED TO AN ACORN 24 UNIT, A LAND BASE NAVAL CONSTRUCTION UNIT TO SECURE, BUILD, AND MAINTAIN ADVANCE AIRFIELDS FOR THE LONG-RANGE BOMBERS. ON DEC. 19, 1943, LEBANON October 2-16, 2019 Sponsored by the Saint Maron Society THE UNIT WAS SENT OVERSEAS AND EVENTUALLY LANDED ON THE ISLAND OF LOS NEGROS IN THE ADMIRALTY 14 days /13 nights $3,200.00 per person + airfare ISLANDS. HERE THE UNITED STATES AMASSED A POWERFUL ARMADA TO ATTACK THE PHILLIPINES AND JAPAN. For full pricing, itinerary and registration details, please contact: [email protected] or 617-331-2747 WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER, THE UNIT WAS SENT HOME FOR DISCHARGE ON DEC.19, 1945. DURING HIS TWO YEARS - - IN THE PACIFIC, JOHN EARNED THE WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL, AMERICAN THEATRE MEDAL, ASIATIC PACIFIC [email protected] or 617 327 1317 MEDAL WITH ONE STAR, AND THE RANK OF SHIP’S COOK THIRD CLASS. WHILE IN THE PACIFIC, JOHN’S FAMILY MOVED TO ROSLINDALE. St. Mary Orthodox Church 90th Anniversary Saturday, May 18, 2019 AFTER DISCHARGE, JOHN TOOK A COLLEGE REFRESHER COURSE AND THEN OPENED A VARIETY STORE IN SOUTH - BOSTON. TWO YEARS LATER, HE ENROLLED AT THE FRANKLIN TECHNICAL INSTITUTE ELECTRICAL COURSE AND Crown Plaza Boston Woburn GRADUATED IN 1950. HE WENT TO WORK AT THE BOSTON NAVAL SHIPYARD IN CHARLESTOWN AS AN ELECTRCIAN Cocktail Hour 6-7PM Dinner and Dancing 7-11PM UNTIL 1955. WITH THE YARD BEING PHASED OUT, JOHN TRANSFERRED TO THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE UNTIL Contact Church office for more information HE WAS RETIRED IN 1973. - WHILE WORKING IN THE POST OFFICE, JOHN MET JEANETTE GANEM AND AFTER A BRIEF COURTSHIP, THEY St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church Boston MARRIED ON JULY 29, 1966. THEY SETTLED DOWN IN ROSLINDALE, PUTTING TWO FAMILIES TOGETHER AND WERE St. George Weekend May 10th-May 12th BLESSED WITH TWO BOYS. WITH ALL THE LOVE OF A HOME THAT YOURS, MINE AND OURS COULD HOLD, THE KIDS Adult Fellowship Lobster Dinner June 7th, 5-7PM WERE BROUGHT UP AS SISTERS AND BROTHERS. MUSIC, LAUGHTER, AND PLENTY OF GOOD FOOD WAS THE THEME AT ALL THE FAMILY GATHERINGS, FOR NO ONE COOKED LIKE MOM.

Our Lady of the Annunciation Cathedral JOHN WAS A MEMBER OF THE ANNUNCIATION CATHEDRAL AND A PAST PRESIDENT OF THE ANNUNCIATION Bishop Nicholas’ 30th Anniversary CATHEDRAL MELKITES. HE WAS A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST IN ROSLINDALE, A RECIPIENT OF AWARDS FROM THE CITY Thursday, October 3, Divine Liturgy 5PM, Banquet 7PM OF BOSTON AND THE LIONS CLUB, A COMMISIONER OF THE ROSLINDALE PARKWAY SOFTBALL LEAGUE, A PAST COMMANDER OF THE NICHOLAS G. BERAM VETERANS ASSOCIATION, AND A RECIPIENT OF THEIR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD AND VETERANS SERVICE AWARD. JOHN PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 17, 2019. St. Matthew’s

Friday, May 3rd at 8 PM, “Resilience, Christian Faith, and the Challenges of Youth”  presented by Melissa Kelley, Associate Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

2019 AABA GOLF TOURNAMENT AABA Monday, September 16, 2019 RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE COME AND JOIN THE FUN MAY 29, 2019 BROOKMEADOW COUNTRY CLUB 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM CANTON, MA CHERITON HEIGHTS

If you would like to help or for more Information. contact the COMMUNITY ROOM AABA office at 617.323.2722 Presentation of the Hannoush Diamond Necklace to Maguy Pollak, 1st Prize Winner of the Rose Raffle On September 22, 1972, Assi suffered a brain haemorrhage and was rushed to the hospital. Fans crowded outside St. Valentine’s Day Luncheon the hospital praying for him and lighting candles. After three surgeries, Assi's brain haemorrhage was halted. , the eldest son of Fairuz and Assi, at age 16, gave his mother the music of one of his unreleased songs February 14, 2019 "Akhadou el Helween" (that he had composed to be sung by Marwan Mahfouz in "Sahriyyi" Ziad's first play) and his uncle re-wrote new lyrics for it to be called "Saalouni n'Nass" ("The People Asked Me") which talked about Fayrouz being on stage for the first time without Assi. Three months after suffering the hemorrhage, Assi attended the premiere performance of that musical Al Mahatta in Piccadilly Theatre on Hamra Street. , Assi's younger brother, took over the orchestration and musical arrangement for the performance. Within a year, Assi had returned to composing and writing with his brother. They continued to produce musicals, which became increasingly political in nature. After the erupted, the brothers continued to use political satire and sharp criticism in their plays. In 1978, the trio toured Europe and the Persian Gulf nations, including a concert at the . As a result of this busy schedule, Assi’s medical and mental health began to deteriorate. Fairuz and the brothers agreed to end their professional and personal relationship in 1979. Fairuz began to work with a production team helmed by her son, Ziad Rahbani, and Assi and Mansour composed for other artists such as Ronza. During the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), Fairuz never left Lebanon to live abroad and did not hold any concerts there with the exception of the stage performance of the operetta Petra, which was performed in both the western and eastern parts of the then-divided Beirut in 1978. However, during that time period, Fairuz held many very successful and record-breaking concerts and tours in numerous countries around the world.

Canvas Painting After the artistic divorce between Fairouz and the Rahbani brothers in 1979, Fairuz carried on with her son,

March 20, 2019 composer Ziad Rahbani, his friend the lyricist Joseph Harb, and composer Philemon Wehbe. Her first CD, The Very Best of Fairuz was published in 1987 and contained the emblematic "Aatini al Nay wa ghanni" (Give me the flute and sing) based on a poem in "The Procession" by Khalil Gibran. It was first sung at the end of the sixties. In the 1990s, Fairuz produced six albums (two Philemon Wehbe tributes with unreleased tracks included, a Zaki Nassif album, three Ziad Rahbani albums, and a tribute album to orchestrated by Ziad) and held a number of large-scale concerts, most notably the historic concert held at Beirut's Martyr's Squarein September 1994 to launch the rebirth of the downtown district that was ravaged by the civil war. She appeared at the Baalbeck International Festival in 1998 after 25 years of self-imposed absence where she performed the highlights of three very successful plays that were presented in the 1960s and 1970s. She also performed a concert in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Arena in 1999 which was attended by over 16,000 attendees. Ever since, Fairuz has held sold out concerts at the Beiteddine International Festival (Lebanon) from 2000 to 2003, (2001), Paris (2002), the United States (2003), (2004), (2005), , , Baalbeck, BIEL (2006), , Amman (2007) Damascus, and (2008). New England Conservatory Fairuz now works exclusively with her composer son Ziad. Her first album in the new millennium "Wala Keef", was released in 2002. Concert April 10, 2019 Happenings at On January 28, 2008, Fairuz performed at the in an emotional return to the Syrian capital, where she played the lead role in the musical Sah el-Nom (Good Morning), after more than two decades of absence from the country, in one of a series of events highlighting UNESCO's designation of Damascus as the Capital of AABA VILLAGE Arab Culture that year. Commenting on the event, the BBC wrote: "Every day the sun rises over Syria you hear one voice across the country – Fairuz, the legendary Lebanese singer and greatest living Arab diva". Syrian historian, Sami Moubayed, said that the Syrians were thrilled about the performance and that Fairuz reminded them of the "good old days". People from all ages attended the concert and the auditorium was packed with listeners. Fairuz said that she had never seen such an audience in her life. However, her decision to perform there drew criticism from Lebanese politicians who considered Syria to be a hostile nation. Fairuz's new album entitled Eh... Fi Amal was released on October 7, 2010, produced by Fairuz productions and written entirely by Ziad Rahbani. Two concerts took place at BIEL Center in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 7 and 8. She performed in the Netherlands for the first time in on June 26, 2011. Fairuz's last appearance on stage was in Platea – Jounieh – Harer Sakher in December 2011, where she had 6 concerts extending from December 9 to 23. Fairuz released her first album in seven years titled "Bebalee" on September 22, 2017. On June 21, 2017, her daughter Reema Rahbany released the first single from the album "Lameen". The song is a tribute for Fairuz's late husband Assi Rahbany and was released in commemoration of his anniversary. Lameen is inspired by the French song "Pour qui veille l'étoile" and was adapted into Arabic by Reema Rahbany. Fairuz has performed in many countries around the globe including Syria, , , Kuwait, , , Bahrain, , , , , France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Netherlands, Greece, Canada, United States, Mexico, , , Australia, Belgium, Italy, and her home country Lebanon. Fairuz, Assi, and Mansour have become the most famous and dominant music production phenomenon in the Arab world, and their music has spread beyond the Arab world to Europe, the Americas, and Australia.