Collage created by Jaimee Lee Haddad.
In 1958, Fairuz and Assi Rahbani welcomed their second child, Hali, who was born with a severe physical and mental disability that made him unable to speak, hear or walk for his entire life.Fairuz refused to place him in a specialized institution, taking care of him at home instead.Over time, the weight of the couple’s domestic life became increasingly unbearable. Their home was shaped by the harshness of Assi Rahbani, who saw himself as a Pygmalion figure, resistant to opposition— especially when it came from his ‘creation.’Fairuz herself spoke with restrained candor about their relationship during an interview with Frederic Mitterrand in 1998. Read also: Fairuz and the Rahbani Brothers: The golden years of the iconic trio (3/5) “He was very creative and I was very receptive. We lived a very solitary life ... We worked night and...
In 1958, Fairuz and Assi Rahbani welcomed their second child, Hali, who was born with a severe physical and mental disability that made him unable to speak, hear or walk for his entire life.Fairuz refused to place him in a specialized institution, taking care of him at home instead.Over time, the weight of the couple’s domestic life became increasingly unbearable. Their home was shaped by the harshness of Assi Rahbani, who saw himself as a Pygmalion figure, resistant to opposition— especially when it came from his ‘creation.’Fairuz herself spoke with restrained candor about their relationship during an interview with Frederic Mitterrand in 1998. Read also: Fairuz and the Rahbani Brothers: The golden years of the iconic trio (3/5) “He was very creative and I was very receptive. We lived a very solitary life ... We worked...