Fairouz turns 90: Lebanon's beloved icon marks milestone amid Israel war

Fairouz, Lebanon's most iconic singer, turns 90 on Thursday, at a time the country she spent her whole career singing for reels under another Israeli offensive.

Nohad Haddad, her real name, was born on 21 November 1934, when Lebanon was under the French mandate. She was born in the Beirut quarter of Zuqaq al-Blat, which was targeted in an Israeli drone strike at the start of this week.

The singer, who also starred in many films, was given her stage name Fairouz – Arabic for turquoise – by Lebanese composer Halim al-Roumi, who along with her would-be husband Assi al-Rahbani discovered her in the 1950s.

Her birthday also holds symbolism as it comes right before Lebanon's Independence Day from France, on 22 November.

Dubbed Lebanon's "ambassador to the stars", Fairouz's music has brought solace to Lebanese and Arabic-speaking audiences, addressing themes such as nationhood, love, heartbreak, and even the changing seasons.

Her songs have especially been widely shared over the past year, as violence erupted in Gaza. The cross-border fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon spiralled into a full-blown war in September.

"Li Beirut" (For Beirut), "Ya Hawa Beirut" (Oh love of Beirut), "Bhebbak Ya Libnan" (I love you, Lebanon), "Ya Zahrit al-Mada'in" (Oh flower of the cities, sung for Jerusalem) are some of her biggest classics that have resurfaced amid Israel's wars on Lebanon and Palestine.

Fairouz's public appearances have been rare in recent years. Recently, images of her circulated online as she welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to her home in 2020, when he was visiting Lebanon in the aftermath of the 4 August explosion at the Beirut port.

Her fans flooded social media platforms on Thursday to wish her a happy birthday.

"On this morning 90 years ago, the one who would become hope for millions every morning came to life. They listen to her and take on life to the sound of her voice!" one X account that uses Fairouz's name wrote.