Curtain

November 3, 2007 at 2:22 am · Filed under Arabisms, Art, Pop Culture, Roba

http://www.al-akhbar.com/files/images/p12_20061202_culture1.full.jpg

Today, I scratched off one of the things I knew I had to do in this life time; a teeny-weeny accomplishment of no real substantial value that makes me feel so content and so ecstatic.

We went, we stood in line, and then we sat and waited impatiently until the blue curtain rose and the music started playing. She came in and started singing, we stood up and clapped and clapped and clapped. Then we sat, and she went back to her singing and her acting. Her band danced the dabkeh, and the plot started unfolding, and we sat mesmerized through the whole two hours. Then the ecstasy was over and our dose was done, she bowed, we whistled, cheered, wanted more, and then the curtains fell. Today, we attended a Fayrouz play.

Fayrouz! Ambassador to the stars and the lullaby of my childhood, “Yalla tnam, yalla tnam, ladba7lek teir il 7amam.” The song of home and the tune of happiness, “Teeri, teeri, ya teyarah.” Fayrouz the legend. I do not think any other musical entity has ever had as much effect on my life. A woman of over 70 who could make me feel like I was floating!

I suppose more about that soon, for now, I have to go dream of the day when it felt like I was living a Fayrouz play, with their frilly skirts, happy smiles, and beautiful voices.






  • http://pressureovercappuccino.blogspot.com Deee

    Lucky you!! I’d give a few years off my life to watch her sing live just once in my lifetime! :)

  • http://www.caledoniyya.com Layla

    Fantastic. A true living legend – you are so fortunate :-)

  • http://hareega.blogspot.com Hareega

    i heard that her voice these days is not nearly as good as it sounds on radio, is that true?

  • http://soulblossom.wordpress.com Hala

    Oh Roba you are really lucky, I hope I get a chance to see her perform live. It is one of my dreams :(

  • http://moeys.net Moey

    I couldn’t make it, didn’t have the budget, I’m glad you did

  • http://blog-of-d.blogspot.com Dandoon

    You are so LUCKY
    If I was you I would not be able to sleep for a week from my excitement. I dream about the day I attend anything life for her!
    I would do anything to go back in time and watch Mais El-Reem life :(

  • http://saqf.vox.com/ Saqf

    Lucky you! I have always dreamed of attending a Fairuz play, but I was fortunate enough to attend her two latest concerts in Amman (1999 and 2004). Due to geographical difficulties, I is hard to make it to tonight’s second show.

    I am glad, you, as a young person, got this great chance to meet a legend in person, which by the time your kids grow to appreciate good music, there will be no legend around to look up to or wish to see in person.

    As for those who keep ranting about “her voice” and how it hasn’t been as good as before, well, she is not making an audition for Super Star, nor she is coming to sing on stage to test the acoustics of the Arena Hall with her voice, but to allow thousands of people live a dream.

    When she was much younger, Assi Rahbani was too perfectionist, he also had her record the songs previously for her live plays, but never for her live concerts.

    She has played a great role in forming the definition of purity and beauty for any human and musical sound.

  • http://www.360east.com Ahmad Humeid

    Although I admittedly have nothing to do with Arabic music, I attended her concert in 2004. It was unbelievable to see the person and and listen to the voice of someone who defined the sound landscape of Arab life over decades.

    Her voice is everywhere. Ubiquitous. And here we were sitting in front of the source.

    It was quite something!

  • http://www.omernos.com/blog omar

    Lucky you!!
    I missed it ya rabbi, I wish I could’ve attended.

    anyway, it’s “Teeri ya Teyyara Teeri” btw! hehe
    you mixed it up with “Teeri Teeri ya 3asfoora” hehe

  • http://www.za3tar.net za3tar

    Lucky you ;-).
    Fairuz is just quite awesome!!

  • Abed

    Read the racist and hateful post by American in Amman.

    http://www.american-in-jordan.com/index.php/2007/11/03/a-simple-matter-of-logic-verses-emotion

    “I understand that my Western culture tends to not place the same priorities on issues that may be important to someone in an Eastern culture.”

    the most racist and narrow minded post i have ever seen on the jordanian bloggosphere. this has nothing to do with east vs west. this has something to do with someone in a state of war over land and root with an enemy who seeks to replace him.

    and the quote about the “black one” reflects your racist mentality. shame on your for scandalizing your “friend”

    NEVER LET AN AMERICAN INTO YOUR HOME THINKING HE IS A “DEAR FRIEND” BECAUSE YOU WILL BE AL OVER THE NET.

  • http://unitedbloggersofarabia.com Dua’a

    Wow, I can only imagine how amazing that would have been.
    I have absolutely nothing to do with Arabic music, but Fairuz is something else, she’s the only Arabic singer I listen to, and Elham El-Medfa3i!

  • Laila

    I was there too :D

    and i saw her from close as well :D

    that was ticked off my to do list as well :D

  • http://blog.haniobaid.com Hani obaid

    She’s one of the only 3 Arab singers I listen to (the others being Abd Il-Halim, Diana Haddad), and not to be contradictory, but I’d rather remember her amazing flute like voice at its peek rather than now.

  • http://www.katsaidso.blogspot.com Katia

    Fairouz is still on my list, but last night I also scratched off something: Sabah Fakhri it was… Talk about getting into a trance mood!

  • http://sillybahrainigirl.blogspot.com/ sillybahrainigirl

    I am turning GREEEEEEEEEN ;)
    Glad you enjoyed it.

  • http://nousha.wordpress.com nousha

    ya bakhtek !! :)