Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Breaking: Golden Girl of Music and film Sabah "Shahroura" Dead at 87



The longest survival of the golden age of Arab cinema and movies is no more. Sabah has passed away today in Lebanon. There has been multiple rumors about her death throughout her career, but today this is confirmed.

Al-Nahar newspaper said the Lebanese diva passed away on Wednesday morning at her residence at the age of 87. The Lebanese official news agency cconfirmedher death, saying she passed away in Beirut. During her more than six-decade long career, Sabah, who was born as Jeanette Gergis Al-Feghali, released over 50 albums and acted in 98 films.

Real name Janet Girgis Faghali born on November 10th, 1927 in Bdadoun, a Lebanese town in the Baabda-Aley province.

She has been active in the entertainment industry for over six decades in half a dozen Arab countries. She held Egyptian, Jordanian and US citizenship as well as Lebanese, and continued to perform and make television appearances into her 80s.

She is reportedly the first Arabic singer who performed at Olympia in Paris, Carnegie Hall in New York, and Piccadilly Theatre in London and Sydney Opera House in Sydney, according to the Beirut-based Daily Star newspaper.

She is known for her multiple marriages, tying the knot with at least nine men. She brought out her first song in 1940, while her parallel screen career began three years later in Egypt, the centre of the Arabic film industry.

Sabah was nicknamed "Shahroura", Arabic for "singing bird" and "the Sabbouha," a diminutive for "Sabah" by millions of fans across the Middle East. Born to a father who owned a barbershop and operated two taxis, she came to memorize Lebanese folklore from her uncle Saad. She attended a Jesuit school where she and her sister acted and sang. Sabah is her fame name was actually chosen by a survey of what to call this talented young woman.

Not many cared much for her in her peers, but now they are all racing to write sweet words about her and pretend to care much for her. No doubt, they love her music, but toward her later days, many did not give her the attention she deserved.

Here's one of her last songs that was released in 2008 as duets.

Sabah & Rola - Yana Yana / صباح و رولا - يانا يانا

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