Ziad Rahbani, icon of Lebanese music and theatre, dies at 69

Ziad Rahbani, one of Lebanon’s most influential cultural figures and the son of Arab music legend Fairuz, has died at the age of 69.

A playwright, composer, and political commentator, Rahbani shaped the landscape of Lebanese theatre and music with his biting wit, leftist and secular politics, and sharp portrayals of his country's fractured society.

"On Saturday at 9:00 am [6am GMT], the heart of the great artist and creator Ziad Rahbani stopped beating," said a statement from the Beirut hospital where the artist, who has long suffered from health problems, was being treated.

The son of Fairuz, who turned 90 last year, and the late composer Assi Rahbani, Ziad first rose to prominence in the 1970s. He broke away from the romanticism of his parents’ work to create art rooted in social critique and everyday struggles.

Tributes poured in for the enfant terrible of Lebanese music, whose theatre productions and songs left an enduring mark on generations of Lebanese - many of whom know his lyrics and playscripts by heart.

Rahbani was a versatile composer and a pioneer of oriental jazz. He mixed traditional Arabic melodies with jazz, funk and classical influences, creating a unique and instantly recognisable sound.

Rahbani composed for Fairuz in her later years, bringing political depth to her repertoire. 

Throughout Lebanon's civil war (1975-1990) and in the decades that followed, Rahbani's plays became spaces where Lebanese audiences confronted their harsh realities. He often highlighted the hardships of Lebanon’s working class. His characters were disillusioned citizens, ex-revolutionaries or everyday people caught in the complexities of Lebanon’s political and sectarian struggles. 

One of his most influential plays, Nazl el-Sourour (Happiness Hotel), is a political satire set in a run-down hotel, where two laid-off workers take the guests hostage in a failed attempt at revolution. Through humour and absurdity, the play critiques class divisions and the hollowness of political slogans in pre-war Lebanon.

Another one of his landmark works, the 1980 production Film Ameriki Tawil (A Long American Film), is a satirical portrayal of the civil war, set in an asylum where the patients represent different segments of society.

Rahbani articulated a collective frustration and longing for change. For many in Lebanon and across the Arab world, his death marks the loss of a singular voice that never stopped asking uncomfortable questions.