Zaki Nassif ( ar, زكي ناصيف; 4 July 1918 – 10 March 2004) was a Lebanese music composer and singer. He was influential among the first generation of composers for the mass audience for music on radio in Lebanon in the 1940s and 1950s, and continued to be a force in Lebanese music until his death in 2004. His compositions continue to be performed in Lebanon today.

Biography

Born in

Machghara Machghara ( ar, مشغرة), also spelled Mashghara, is a town in the Beqaa Valley of Lebanon, situated in the Western Beqaa District and south of the Beqaa Governorate. It lies just to the northwest of Sohmor and southwest of Lake Qaraoun, south ...

, the largest town in the western

Beqaa Valley The Beqaa Valley ( ar, links=no, وادي البقاع, ', Lebanese ), also transliterated as Bekaa, Biqâ, and Becaa and known in classical antiquity as Coele-Syria, is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon. It is Lebanon's most important ...

in 1918 and was involved in music and country folk poetry ('' zagal'', maannaa, ''

'ataba The ataaba ( ar, عتابا, meaning "plaint" or "dirge", also transliterated 'ataba) is a traditional Arabic musical form sung at weddings, festivals, and other occasions. Popular in the Middle East, it was originally a Bedouin genre, improvised ...

'', mijana, abu el zuluf, etc.) at an early age. He was one of the Big Five who contributed material to Radio Orient and Radio Liban in the 1950s (among whom were

Halim El Roumi Halim el-Roumi () (July 1919 – 1983) was a singer and composer from Palestine. Born in Tyre, Lebanon. He began his amateur artistic career in 1935. Later, as a radio chief, he discovered the singer Fairuz. He composed her music, introduced her ...

, father of Magida El Roumi, and Tawfic al Basha, Phélémone Wehbé, etc.). During the 1990s he did singing performances on multiple primetime television entertainment shows in Lebanon. On his 85th birthday he was interviewed at length in Lebanon by various mass media venues. Despite his popularity, Zaki Nassif remained a man with limited income, as his 60 years in the music industry did not win him a rich living. This is the case with many Lebanese musicians. Zaki Nassif is still popular in many Arab countries, specially Lebanon.

Music

Nassif does not belong to the Rahbani School of music that married western classical and folk music with old Lebanese traditional gigs. Rather, he remained with the old material but with a fresh spirit of the Lebanese country side. The lyrics of his songs are very often of the patriotic kind (''Baladi Habibi'', ''Ya Daya'ati''- my village, etc.). When his recordings are played on Lebanese TV stations, it is always along with scenery from Lebanon. Zaki Nassif is remembered during the civil war for his anthem song "Rajeh Yittammar" (Lebanon will be rebuilt) at a time when violence and destruction were the rule rather than the exception in Lebanon. The song is upbeat and inspires patriotism and is recommended as a staple Zaki Nassif's material. Zaki Nassif had many

protégé Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...

new singers to whom he composed material suitable for their vocal abilities. In 1995, to the surprise of many who thought that Zaki Nassif could not produce new material, Zaki Nassif composed a full album for

Fairuz Nouhad Wadie' Haddad ( ar, نهاد وديع حداد, ; born November 21, 1934), known as Fairuz ( ar, فيروز, ; also spelled Fairouz, Feyrouz or Fayrouz), is a Lebanese singer. She is considered by many as one of the leading vocalists a ...

(''Fairuz Chante Zaki Nassif'', Voix de l'Orient label). The CD contains excellent material that shows the variety of expression Zaki Nassif had. Watch for the Andalusian passages, the poem by

Gibran Khalil Gibran Gibran Khalil Gibran ( ar, جُبْرَان خَلِيل جُبْرَان, , , or , ; January 6, 1883 – April 10, 1931), usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran (pronounced ), was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist ...

(''Ya Bani Oummi'') and its entry piece, or the love song ''Ahwak''.

Albums

Zaki Nassif's albums are readily available. He is a household name in Lebanon. There are at least four CDs of re-issued recordings in relatively recent years on the ''Voix de l'Orient'' label. Zaki Nassif's CDs have over 20 songs or 70 minutes. This is similar to reissues of

's old material, re-issued by the same company.

Death

Zaki Nassif died in

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

on 10 March 2004 from a heart attack.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nassif, Zaki 1918 births 2004 deaths Lebanese composers 20th-century Lebanese male singers People from Machghara Performers of Christian music in Arabic

Biography

Music

Albums

Death

See Also

References