New book explores the significance of Fayrouz, Lebanese icon, to the Arab world

The emotional impact of Lebanese singing legend Fayrouz’s voice on Arabs in the diaspora, permeating their homes and hearts, is the subject of a new English-language academic book.
“Fairouz (sic) and the Arab Diaspora: Music and Identity in the UK and Qatar” was written by media communications professor Dima Issa from the University of Balamand, Lebanon. Issa herself has lived abroad most of her life, in Canada, Qatar, and the UK.

“I was introduced to Fayrouz through my parents. Every morning with their coffee, they listened to her. Ever since I can remember, she was always there,” Issa told Arab News. “My friends and I were listening to other types of music, but there was always something comforting about her for my parents.”
She warmed up to Fayrouz’s Arabic songs as she got older. When she moved to the UK to study, and felt out of place, she found solace in Fayrouz. “When I was listening to her, there was that feeling of comfort, belonging, and home,” she said. “She kind of travelled with me.”

Issa describes Fayrouz as an “inherited” artist who transcends time and borders. She is not just a singer for the Lebanese, but, truly, an artist for all Arabs, Issa suggests. She also notes how Fayrouz’s melancholic, emotional voice enables listeners to ‘travel,’ as she sings about the Alexandrian shore, or the pilgrims of Makkah, or the temples of Jerusalem.

In Issa’s theory-based book, she examines the personal lives of Arabs in the diaspora through Fayrouz’s music. “People can relate to her on different levels,” said Issa. The book is divided into a number of themes, including space, absence, time and ‘Arabness.’

During her research, people opened up to Issa about how Fayrouz’s music helped them to build relationships with their parents. She also engaged with Syrian refugees, some of whom only started listening to Fayrouz when displaced from their homes. “When people discuss her music, there is a sense of loss, whether it’s a homeland, a person, or childhood,” said Issa.

Conversations with Arab Londoners were also held at the advent of Brexit, when many were questioning where they belonged. “It’s a very nice way to understand the time frame of what was happening culturally, socially, politically, and economically,” Issa said. “And to understand personally what Fayrouz meant to them in their lives.”