Lebanon - Music - Fairouz - Joseph Haddad Her Brother Recounts
Nishee
Joseph W. Haddad
http://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/700/780/fairuz/legend/biography.html
Nouhad (known later as Fayrouz) was born in Beirut, in a modest house.
She attended the St. Joseph School for girls. Our father worked hard as
a typesetter in a printing shop to provide the proper shelter and
education for us. Due to World War II, he could no longer afford the
luxury of private schools, so Nouhad had to go to a public school. Our
family had a rough time but our mother Liza al-Bustani did the
impossible to retain our pride among other children. She encouraged us
to go to church every Sunday. She raised us on the love of others. "Do
not envy others, be satisfied with what you have, and always love each
other" - those were her daily words to us from our first day till she
passed away in 1961 (she was only 45). Our youth was full of pain and
poverty, but we grew up with dignity and pride.
Fayrouz 's brother Joseph Haddad and sister Hoda God gave my sister the
virtues of silence, endurance, and love for others. I always considered
her to be wiser and stronger than myself. Her truly good nature was
demonstrated in a small incident which I still recall. During my
childhood I used to get scared of darkness and my father, realizing
this, tried to help me out by placing an orange in the backyard and
telling my sister and me, "the one who brings the orange will receive
extra pocket money on Sunday." So, Nouhad would go out without any
hesitation, get the orange and give it to me without my father's
knowledge, so that I could get the extra money, as well. Of course, this
encouraged me, later, to get the orange myself and overcome my fear of
darkness. She never stopped looking after me, even after we grew up.
Every year we used to go to our village, Dbayeh al-Chouf, and spend the
summer at our grandmother's (on my mother's side). We loved our
grandmother very much and enjoyed her stories about Mexico and America,
where she spent a few years of her youth with grandfather. My sister
used to enjoy getting wood from the forest during September for winter
use, and when in the forest she would sing in a very loud voice with
echoes reaching the village. It was then that we realized my sister had
a beautiful voice. In fact, she enjoyed singing and never turned down a
request; she would sing for hours and hours as an amateur.
Nouhad Hadded (left) with
two friends, at grandmother's
garden in the village of
Dbayeh al-Chouf - 1942. When she was 14 years of age, the principal of
her school asked her if she would sing in the presence of Muhammad
Fleifel, a musician and one of founders of the Lebanese Conservatory,
who was looking for new voices forming a choral group for a program to
be given on an official occasion. Fleifel liked her voice and asked her
if she would join his group of singers. She accepted but had to obtain
our father's permission first. When she sang on that day she never
thought that she had earned the key to fame and success.
My mother and I were pleased when my sister told us about this event,
but we decided not to tell my father because we were positive that, with
his conservative mentality, he would object to the idea of seeing my
sister singing in public. So, I started accompanying her to the
Fleifels' for four or five years where she learned how to sing with
method. At the same time Mr. Fleifel arranged for her to study at the
Lebanese Conservatory. She was a very bright student, and passed the
requirements for graduation. My mother and l were under the impression
that my father was unaware of the study program and decided to surprise
him on graduation day (though it appeared later on that my father may
have been aware, but was prevented by his pride from admitting it
openly, in order not to discourage his talented daughter). On that day,
we told him that we had received invitation cards to attend a concert
and wanted him to be with us. After a long argument, he agreed to
attend. We arrived there on time, the curtain went up and after a short
while Nouhad appeared on the stage and that was the biggest shock of his
life, seeing his own daughter standing majestically, singing a variety
of songs and receiving her diploma. I looked at his face to see tears
flowing down on his cheeks. He was the happiest of all the audience, but
never admitted that.
Nouhad Haddad (Fayrouz) to the
right with a friend at the
staircase of the neighbors - 1944 Later on, she was offered a job at the
Lebanese Radio Station, but my father raised hell as he wanted her to
pursue her normal high school studies. My uncle (my mother's other
youngest brother), whom father loved very much and whose opinions he
respected, was the one who convinced him to let her accept the job. My
father gave his consent on condition that she not go alone and that I
always accompany her. She joined the Lebanese Radio Station as a
"Distinguished Singer" in the chorus and worked very hard. One day,
Halim al-Rumi, a musician and the program's director, called Nouhad and
told her that she would sing as a soloist. He further suggested that her
name be changed to Fayrouz because that was easier to pronounce, and
Fayrouz became her artistic name. I remember that the first time she
sang solo, she was rather frightened, as I could see from the control
room. When she finished her first song, all the staff ran toward her to
congratulate her and I was the only one who could not move an inch, as I
was stunned with her performance. In time she sang more songs and
started to become popular.
During this time the Rahbani brothers ('Assi and Mansour) were coming to
the Radio Station to present their programs and there Fayrouz and 'Assi
met. She st arted singing their songs and her fans increased in number
and Fayrouz be came famous. Neighboring countries asked for her songs
and we used to go with 'Assi and Mansour to Damascus, Syria, every week
to record her songs. I accompanied her day and night until she got
married to 'Assi in July 1954. Naturally, I felt very badly about her
absence but with her tenderness and sensitive feelings she managed to
call me almost daily and this kept our relationship very close.
Fayrouz has become a very famous singer who is adored by millions of
people, but to me she is still Nouhad, my sister.
Nouhad with her mother
Liza al-Boustani crossing
Marty's Square in Beirut - 1945. Very few of the many things which have
been said and very few of the things that have been said and written
about her, particularly during the past few years, are true, and no one
knows about my sister except she and I.