Bebalee

This is an album where Fayrouz, the 82 years old Arab diva, sings her favorite international classics, such as "My way", "Besame Mucho", "Imagine" and so forth. This concept is very foreign to the Arab audience, as fans in the Arab world expect singers to sing their own songs. However, in "Bebalee" Fayrouz proves what she once said: "I'll never bribe my fans by giving them recycled work, and will always come up with something new". This is exactly what she did in this album. The topics of the songs are varied, the lyrics are so simple, yet powerful. The music is arranged by Steve Sidwell who worked with Sarah Brightman, Sting, George Michael, Amy Winehouse, Shirley Bassey, Stevie Wonder and others, which added a nice pop touch to the album. Most importantly Fayrouz voice which seemed totally relaxed and comfortable, just like a mature old wine. Some fans might review the album subjectively due to the fact that it is the first time since the 1980s that Fayrouz chooses not to collaborate with her genius son Ziad Rahbani, and choose her daughter, Rima Rahbani, to produce the album instead.

From a die hard Fairouz fan. I will listen to anything she sings even if she sings the phone book, but does she really need to ? People are bashing the lyrics, orchestration and very thought that she would sing world melodies.I say go for it !Bizarre writing, but I'm willing to get used to it.I actually like some of the orchestration.Fairouz is trapped. Not just in her past, like most artists who sing for decades (besides Aznavour, I think of only Fairouz who has been singing for more than 60 years !!)But, when the voice that is an imprint of our conscience weakens, drops drastically in register and at time slides off the notes at the end of musical sentences, that's when a strong, young creative team enters the picture: and she doesn't have one.When you read reviews from her country, you immediately know they are written by mercenary journalists, on behalf of the angry young rahbanis (the untalented ones) or Ziad Rahbani, the talented son of Fairouz who has hit a writer's block in recent years and developed an obsession with Armenian/Russian sound.Those who hate Ana Weyyak, tell me: is Sobhil Jiz or Nchallah Mabu shi better (the latter sounds like a song going backwards!) ?I say: Fayrouz please deposit all you can in the bank of songs. You should have been doing so all along, so there will be something new from you every year or two (not seven or ten !)World melodies are there for you to tap into since that Arab world has not seen and won't see genious composers like Assi.....But lyrics ? Please, reach out to young writing talent. Julia does !Fairouz' problem is that she retrieved into the circle of her own daughter. A beautiful soul, no doubt, but not a writer. Not even a good photographer or director !!!Enough photos in a scarf in the woods.Enough "slow motion" in your documentaries (you know, Antoine Remi used slow motion as a novelty...in 1970 !!)You need a nicely crafted image. Talented photographers. Talented directors. Talented writers to adapt to world melodies. And orchestrators.But studio engineers ? Why do Ana Weyyak and Lawayn have sooooo much echo in the recording that they cause distortion on the high notes ? That is not permissible. They sound like she is singing into a "tankit Nido".And Lameen ? That's not adaptation. Kanou ya habibi, Libayrout and Ya Ana Ana Wiyyak are adaptations.But you know, I still listen to Lameen frequently. Just To hear you. You take me to lovely places. But that's no reason to sing those words. Such lyrics test our limits.So this was my review of the available three songs. More importantly, a synopsis of the reason why we care to review you.Love your daughter Rima as you do. We do as well. But not at the expense of your art and legacy.I can't wait for the rest of the album.I will listen with pleasure and nostalgia.Hope your producer/daughter knows there's a limit to even that kind of passion about an artist.Keep recording. At 81, I say: you go girl Set a record among artists. Just don't dismiss that we need to hear some substance..........With great love and respect,A fan ( I dare to say like no other)Update 9/23/2017The album is out. And I listened, and listened and listened.........You hit the nail on the head with Bighayr Dini. It is a chilling autobiography Vol oneHkayat Kteer is autobiography Vol two. But, it takes a lot of effort to get used to the lack of rhyming. Even worse, at times, the musical sentences are more packed with words than any thing we hear even in western music. I trust this is meant to be a new school of some sort. At times it is more irritating than beautiful. What is the name of that school of lyrics writing ?The theme of the biographical songs is poignant !!! they speak for an aged singer reflecting on her life therefore making the rasp of the VERY LOW register seem very fitting (even though the very first sung note of Hkayat Kteer is very uncomfortable to hear). Fairouz sounds too sharp on pitch at times.But "le comble" as they like to say in Lebanon is this "Lameen piano" track.First of all, please stop putting fraction of songs and calling them "A song". Very irritating.But the disaster is that the clip has been digitally processed to raise the pitch, so Fairouz is sounding like a chipmunk !! How sad for her legacy !!Rima Rahbany should hold a press conference, apologize for this and call it "an engineering error" and release on YouTube the full piano track at THE CORRECT pitch.Because of this "Lameen Piano" , I am lowering the rating of the album to 2 stars.Fairouz, we love you. But you deserve our honesty much more than Rima thinks we deserve yours !Hope the next release will be technically more respectable ! should we say in 10 years ?