LEBANON-SABAH/FUNERAL Lebanon bids farewell to its 'singing bird', Sabah

Record ID: 432015

  • Title: LEBANON-SABAH/FUNERAL Lebanon bids farewell to its 'singing bird', Sabah
  • Date: 30th November 2014
  • Summary: PEOPLE CARRYING SABAH'S COFFIN DRAPED IN LEBANESE FLAG INTO CHURCH, CLAPPING (AUDIO OF MUSIC PLAYING IN BACKGROUND) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING SABAH'S COFFIN DRAPED WITH LEBANESE FLAG, PEOPLE CLAPPING (MUSIC HEARD IN BACKGROUND) PEOPLE STANDING ON STREET CLAPPING AS THEY BID FAREWELL TO SABAH WHILE HER BODY IS CARRIED INTO CHURCH PEOPLE STANDING ON STREET OUTSIDE CHURCH WHERE SABAH'S FUNERAL IS TAKING PLACE
  • Embargoed: 15th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA38422FMNKJLF0GJFDS3GM0PGA
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: QUALITY AS INCOMING
    Hundreds mourned Lebanese singing diva Sabah on Sunday (November 30) in a funeral service at a church in the Lebanese capital.
    One of the leading Arab performers of her generation, Sabah died at the age of 87 in Beirut, her family said on Wednesday (November 26).
    Born Jeanette Feghali and known to her fans as the "singing bird" or ''shahroura'' in Arabic, Sabah recorded at least 4,000 songs in her lifetime, experts on her career said.
    Artists, TV celebrities, and regular fans gathered in a church in downtown Beirut to bid a farewell to Sabah.
    Lebanese singer, Walid Tawfik, who attended the funeral, said that Sabah's funeral felt more like a carnival as many sang her songs.
    "I give my condolences to all of Lebanon and the Arab world for losing one of our icons, one of Lebanon's most important icons, the legend Sabah. I give my condolences to all artists. Today I feel there is a sense of carnival. She has passed, but she remains in our hearts, a legend with one of the most beautiful voices. She taught all of us and was a role model for her kindness and humanity. May God bless Sabah's soul," he said.
    In the mid-1970s, Sabah became the second Arab singer after Egypt's Oum Kalthoum to perform at L'Olympia in Paris. She also performed at London's Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House.
    Armenian-Lebanese television personality and celebrity talk show host, Neshan Der Haroutiounian, said Sabah's death was a loss for the whole region.
    "Through the death of Sabah, we'd like to express to Fairuz (Lebanese singing legend) how much we love her, to what extent we appreciate her and are proud as Lebanese people of her. Today, when you say Lebanon has lost Sabah, actually in Egypt they are saying they have lost Sabah and in Morocco they are saying they lost Sabah and the Arab Gulf has lost Sabah," he said.
    Known affectionately across the Arab world as "Sabouha", a diminutive of Sabah, she began her singing and acting career in the 1940s in Egypt, the centre of Arab cinema and entertainment.
    Lebanese actor, Jihad al-Andari, who attended the funeral said that Sabah's singing brought great joy to many people.
    "Sabah gave a lot of happiness to people. We are living sad times now and we feel a huge loss as though a pillar has been removed from this country. She is an icon of Lebanon, linked to a beautiful era and I don't know if it will ever be repeated or if we'll ever have as great a lady as Sabah," he said.
    Sabah acted in 83 movies that played to audiences across the Arabic-speaking world and in 27 Lebanese plays.
    Artists from across the Arab world attended her funeral, like Egyptian actress Lebleba.
    "I give my condolences to the entire world. She was a sweetheart. We came a long way together, I first worked with her when I was eight-years-old in a film called "Ya Zalimni" (You Who Are Unjust to Me) and our relationship continued from then on," she said.
    Sabah married formally seven times. Her husbands included a politician and some of the Arab world's famous actors and musicians.
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