Collage created by Jaimee Lee Haddad.
On the occasion of the icon's 91st birthday, we invite you to revisit Fairuz's lifelong legacy through this special series published in 2024.Fairuz would not sing. It didn’t matter that the guest of honor was none other than Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba. Nor did it matter that he had expressed a wish to hear her divine voice, unmistakable and unmatched. The recital that was meant to be dedicated to him was canceled. In protest against the singer’s behavior, Lebanese authorities banned her songs and performances from airing on Radio Lebanon. It was March 1965, spring had yet to arrive, and Fairuz had come perilously close to sparking a diplomatic incident.At the time, there was much media speculation as to what had happened.An article in L’Orient on March 18, 1965, cited objections from Jezzine MP Jean Aziz, who opposed the...
On the occasion of the icon's 91st birthday, we invite you to revisit Fairuz's lifelong legacy through this special series published in 2024.Fairuz would not sing. It didn’t matter that the guest of honor was none other than Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba. Nor did it matter that he had expressed a wish to hear her divine voice, unmistakable and unmatched. The recital that was meant to be dedicated to him was canceled. In protest against the singer’s behavior, Lebanese authorities banned her songs and performances from airing on Radio Lebanon. It was March 1965, spring had yet to arrive, and Fairuz had come perilously close to sparking a diplomatic incident.At the time, there was much media speculation as to what had happened.An article in L’Orient on March 18, 1965, cited objections from Jezzine MP Jean Aziz, who...
