Beirut, Lebanon – Lebanon is mourning the loss of one of its most influential and unconventional cultural voices, Ziad Rahbani, who passed away Saturday morning at the age of 69 following a heart attack. The news was confirmed by the hospital treating him in Beirut, where tributes have been pouring in from across the Arab world. Rahbani, a towering figure in Lebanese music and theatre, was the son of legendary singer Fairuz and pioneering composer Assi Rahbani, members of the Rahbani Brothers duo that revolutionized Arabic music in the 20th century. Yet Ziad carved his own path—fusing jazz, funk, classical,…
