Elias Rahbani: A Lebanese musical icon | Music

The genius of Elias Rahbani, one of Lebanon’s most prolific composers, is evident in his creation of new sounds by fusing traditional Arab music with Western popular genres. His two elder brothers were famous for working with Fairuz, but Elias launched his own career and became a leading figure in Lebanese pop music. He also composed movie soundtracks, themes for popular Lebanese TV series, and music for commercials. This two-part documentary series tells the story of his extraordinary career, through interviews with musicians, singers, and his family and friends, evocatively intercut with the Lebanese TV archive of some of Arab music’s most famous names. They used to call him “The Third Rahbani”, but Elias became a true musical icon in his own right.

The film’s second part picks up the story after his career had already taken off and he’d won international song competitions in Germany, France, Bulgaria and Austria. He composed movie scores, music for stage plays, children’s songs, TV and radio commercials. He finally fulfilled his dream of composing songs for the iconic singer Fairuz and emerged from the shadow of his famous brothers, Mansour and Assi. The film also provides a snapshot of life in Lebanon and its character before the Civil War. In later years Elias’s health declined, and he died of complications arising from COVID-19 during the pandemic in January 2021.