Sabah (singer)

Lebanese singer and actress (1927–2014)

Not to be confused with Saba (singer).

Sabah

صباح

Sabah in the 1960s

Background information
Also known as| ash-Šaḥrūrah (lit. 'the Songbird'), Šaḥrūrat ul-Wādī (lit. 'Songbird of the Valley [of Shahrour, in reference to Wadi Shahrour (speculated to be her birthplace)]'), aṣ-Ṣabbūḥa (diminutive of Sabah), Šams uš-Šumūs (lit. 'the Sun of Suns'), The Notorious Diva (in the 2009 duet of Yana Yana with Rola Saad)
Born| (1927-11-10)10 November 1927
Bdādūn, French Lebanon
Died| 26 November 2014(2014-11-26) (aged 87)
Beirut, Lebanon
Genres| Mawwāl, traditional Arabic music
Occupation(s)| Singer, actress
Instrument| Vocals
Years active| 1943–2014
Spouse(s)| Najīb Shammās
Anwar Mansī
Aḥmad Farrāj
Rushdī Abāẓa
Yūsif Shaʿbān
Yūsif Ḥammūd
Wasīm Ṭabbāra
Fādī Lubnān
Joseph Gharīb

Musical artist

Sabah, (Arabic: صباح, Egyptian Arabic: [sˤɑˈbɑːħ], lit. 'morning') born Jeanette Georges Feghali, (Arabic: جانيت جرجس فغالي, Lebanese Arabic: [ʒaˈnet ˈʒerʒes feˈɣaːli]) was a Lebanese singer and actress. She specialised in the Mawwāl, a popular genre of traditional music in the Arabsphere, and performed in many Egyptian films and songs.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

Over the course of her career, she earned many nicknames; the most popular being 'Al-Shahrura' (Arabic: الشحرورة, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [ʔeʃ.ʃaħˈruː.re], lit. 'the songbird'), in reference to her her strong and rhythmic voice.[8][9][10][11]

## Early life

[edit]

Sabah was born to a Maronite family in Wadi Chahrour, Aley District as the youngest of three daughters. During her childhood, she was harassed by her father who had hoped for a son. Her brother eventually killed their mother, suspecting her of having an affair.[1][12][13] Sabah was the sister of famous Lebanese actress Lamia Feghali and a maternal first cousin of famous Lebanese singer and actress Alexandra Nicholas Badran, known as Nour Al Hoda. She grew up in the nearby town of Bdadoun.[14]

Sabah was the paternal aunt of Brazilian congresswoman Jandira Feghali and her brother Ricardo Feghali, a member of the band Roupa Nova, through her brother Albert.[14][15][16]

## Career

[edit]

Sabah on the cover of Al Shabaka Magazine, April 1965

Sabah emerged in a period when the field of Arab singers included many notable talents, such as Umm Kulthum (1898–1975), Nagat El Saghira (born 1938), Warda Al-Jazairia (1939–2012), Shadia (1931–2017), Fairuz (born 1934 or 1935), among others.[citation needed]

Sabah began singing at a young age and released her first song in Lebanon in 1940 at the age of 13.[2] In the early 1940s, she was invited to Egypt by actress and producer Assia Dagher. Sabah acted alongside Dagher in her first movie, El-Qalb Luh Wahid (The Heart Has Its Reasons), released in 1945, which brought her regional fame.[2][17] She then became widely known by her character's name, Sabah, which means "morning" in Arabic.[2]

Sabah was active in Egyptian cinema and resided in Egypt for two decades. Among her most popular films were The Night is Ours (1949), My Father Deceived Me (1951), That's What Love Is (1961), Soft Hands (1963), Three Women (1968), Paris and Love (1972), and The Second Man (1959), where she played a cabaret singer seeking to avenge her brother's death at the hands of a smuggling ring.[2] In the 1990s, Sabah and her former husband, Fadi Lubnan (Kuntar), produced a documentary about her life. Titled The Journey of My Life (مشوار حياتي, Mishwār Ḥayātī), the documentary aired on Future Television.

Throughout her music career, Sabah recorded over 3,000 songs, collaborating with numerous renowned Egyptian composers, including the late Mohammed Abdel Wahab.[17] She specialized in the Lebanese folk tradition known as mawwāl, and among her most famous songs were "Zay el-Assal" ("Your Love is Like Honey on my Heart") and "Akhadou el-Reeh" ("They Took the Wind").[2][18] Sabah released more than 50 albums and appeared in 98 films.[2] Known for her youthful spirit and vibrant performances, she became a symbolic figure of the "belle époque" and the "joie de vivre" in the Levant and the Arab world.[12] Despite the Lebanese civil war, she continued to sing at weddings in Lebanon.[19]

Until 2009, Sabah performed in concerts and on television, including appearances on programs like Star Academy. She collaborated closely with singer Rola Saad in remaking some of her previous hits, such as "Yana Yana". The accompanying video, which pays tribute to Sabah as "the notorious diva", received significant airplay on Arabic music channels. Additionally, Sabah hosted the TV show Akher Man Yalam on 31 May 2010.

During the 2011 Beiteddine Art Festival, a performance was staged that retraced Sabah's journey as a singer and movie star.[20] Rouwaida Attieh played the title role, alongside more than 40 singers and dancers, paying tribute to Sabah's contributions. [citation needed]

In 2010, Sabah retired from public life for health reasons, which resulted in paralysis affecting one of her arms and legs.[21]

## Personal life

[edit]

Sabah (second from right) with Abdel Halim Hafez, Huda Sultan, Kawthar Shafik and Mariam Fakhr Eddine celebrating Ezz El-Dine Zulficar's birthday, 1959

Sabah held passports from Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and the United States.[2]

She married Lebanese businessman Najib Chammas at the age of 18[19] and later married nine more times. Her notable spouses include Egyptian actor Rushdy Abaza,[22] Egyptian musician Anwar Mansy, Egyptian television presenter Ahmed Farraj, Lebanese politician Youssef "Joe" Hammoud, and Lebanese author-director Wassim Tabbara.[2] Hammoud reportedly divorced Sabah in the 1970s following a scandal related to a performance in which she wore revealing shorts.[19][18] Her second-to-last marriage, which lasted 17 years, was to the much-younger Lebanese artist Fadi Lubnan.[19] Her final marriage took place in 2013, at the age of 85, to Joseph Gharib.[19]

She had two children: Sabah Chammas, from her marriage to Najib Chammas, and Howayda Mansy, from her marriage to Anwar Mansy.[19] Sabah Chammas is a medical doctor, while Howayda Mansy is known as a singer, actress, and socialite.[23] Both of Sabah's children reside in the United States.[2]

After selling her house in Hazmieh, which she felt as "too big and cold for only one person", Sabah relocated to the nearby Hotel Comfort in Baabda, Mount Lebanon, a hillside city with views of Beirut and the Mediterranean Sea. Later, she resided in another hotel adjacent to Baabda. [citation needed]

## Death

[edit]

Sabah at a restaurant in Beirut, c. 2007

Rumors of Sabah's death circulated days before she died. Amused by the rumors, Sabah said, "Even in my death, I'm making people busy."[2][18] She died on 26 November 2014, at approximately 3:00 a.m., sixteen days after celebrating her 87th birthday, at her residence in Hotel Brazilia, due to unspecified reasons. The news was first published by Clauda Akl, daughter of her sister Lamia Feghaly. It was mentioned that Sabah expressed a wish for people not to mourn her and to dance the dabke at her funeral, stating "I've lived enough." Following her death, her hairdresser and husband Joseph Gharib shared in an interview that Sabah had a fondness for wearing red lipstick during her final days.[citation needed]

Sabah's funeral was held four days after her death at St. George Cathedral in downtown Beirut. Her family, Lebanese officials, and numerous Arab delegates attended the ceremony. Outside the cathedral, the official Lebanese Army band performed the national anthem, followed by several songs from Sabah's extensive repertoire. Additionally, a group of dancers dressed in traditional attire performed to her music, which played through loudspeakers.

Sabah mural on the Assaf building in Hamra Street, Beirut

During the funeral mass, Sabah's coffin, draped in a flag, was placed near the altar alongside a large photograph of the singer during her younger years. Following the service, mourners escorted the casket to a waiting hearse outside. People expressed their respects by applauding, throwing flowers, and reaching out to touch the coffin and take photographs. Sabah's body was transported through several towns to the church in her hometown of Bdadoun, where she was laid to rest.[24]

## Legacy

[edit]

The TV drama Al Shahrourah, based on Sabah's life, aired during Ramadan in 2011,[25] with actress and singer Carole Samaha portraying her. Sabah generally responded positively to the series, though she noted some inaccuracies, such as the portrayal of her father in traditional Lebanese attire.[26] Months before her passing, Lebanese journalist Rima Njeim hosted a live TV episode on MTV Lebanon honoring Sabah.[27]

Her music is included in music classes in Lebanon.[citation needed] In 2015, graffiti artists Halwani and the brothers Omar and Mohammad Kabbani created monumental murals on buildings in Beirut to commemorate Sabah. These artworks celebrated her for challenging gender-based and other social taboos, and for offering an alternative to the dominant images of political leaders and their slogans in Lebanese culture.[28]

On 10 November 2017, Google honored what would have been her 90th birthday with a Google Doodle.[29] In Marvel's Moon Knight TV series, her song "Saat Saat" from the 1980 Egyptian movie A Night When The Moon Cried is featured at the end of Episode 5.[30][31]

On 6 September 2023, the Alexandria Film Festival announced the results of a poll it conducted to compile a list of the top 100 Egyptian musical films. Approximately 32 film critics and cinematographers participated in this poll. Sabah appeared in six of the selected films, including "Love Street" (1959), "The Unmarried Mother" (1950), "Bolbol Afandi" (1946), "Soft Hands" (1964), "Leila Baka Feha Al Qamar" (1980), and "He Stole My Wife" (1954).

## Awards

[edit]

In 2004, Sabah was recognized at the Alexandria Song Festival and the Cairo Film Festival.[32] Additionally, she was honored with a statue in Beirut during the same year.[32]

In 2010, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dubai International Film Festival.[33]

She received multiple honors from the Lebanese Republic, including the National Order of the Cedar medal.[citation needed][34]

## Work

[edit]

Sabah in El Hub Keda (1961)

Sabah released more than 50 albums and appeared in 98 films, along with over 20 stage plays. She was known for having a vast repertoire of over 3,500 songs.

### Selected filmography

[edit]

Source:[35]

* 1986 Ayyam El Lulu ايام اللولو aka = Days Of The Lulu
* 1972 Paris wal Hob باريس والحب aka = Paris and Love
* 1970 Kanet Ayyam كانت ايام aka = It Were Days
* 1970 Nar El Shoq نار الشوق aka = Fire Of Longing
* 1969 Easabet El Nesa عصابة النساء aka = Gang Of Women
* 1968 Thalath Nesaa ثلاث نساء aka = Three Women
* 1966 Mawwal El Aqdam El Zahabiyyah موال الاقدام الذهبية aka = Popular Song Of Golden Feet
* 1963 El Aydi el naema الايدى الناعمة aka = The Soft Hands
* 1963 El Motamaradah المطاردة aka = The Chase
* 1961 El Hub Keda الحب كده aka = That's What Love Is
* 1961 Goz merti جوز مراتى aka = Husband Of My Wife
* 1960 El Ragol El Thani الرجل الثانى aka = The Second Man
* 1959 El Ataba El Khadra العتبه الخضرا aka = The Green Threshold
* 1958 Shari' El Hobb شارع الحب aka = Love Sreet
* 1958 Sallem Al Habayib سلم ع الحبايب aka = Say Hello To Lovers
* 1956 Izayy Ansak ازاى انساك aka = How To Forget You
* 1956 Wahabtak Hayati وهبتك حياتى aka = I Gave You My Life
* 1954 Khataf merati خطف مراتى aka = He Kidnapped My Wife
* 1953 Lahn Hobbi لحن حبى aka = Melody Of My Heart
* 1953 Zalamuni El Habayib ظلمونى الحبايب aka = Were Unjust To Me, The Lovers
* 1951 Khada'ni Abi خدعنى ابى aka = My Father Deceived Me
* 1950 Ana Satuta انا ستوته aka = I'm Sattutah
* 1949 Al lailu lana الليل لنا aka = The Night is Ours
* 1948 Sabah El kher صباح الخير aka = Good Morning
* 1947 Albi W Sefi قلبى و سيفى aka = My Heart And My Sword
* 1947 lebnani Fi El gam'ah لبنانى فى الجامعة aka = Lebanese In University

### Selected discography

[edit]

Source:[36]
Release Year  | Original Title  | Translation  | Label  | Main songwriter(s)/producer(s)  | Notable Songs

|
|
|
|
|

1957  | Alhan Bilady | Favourite Oriental Melodies | Voix de l'Orient | Folk  | Ya Huwaidalak
Abu Al-zuluf
Ghanni Maa Sabah | Sing with Sabah | Tayyib Tayyib
1959  | Ajmal Aghani Sabah | Sabah Sings Love Songs | Philémon Wehbé  | Al-iza'a
Al 'Asfuriyya
1960  | Mawsam El 'Ezz
(with Fairuz & Wadih El Safi) | Baalbeck International Festival
| Assi & Mansour Rahbani
Wadih El Safi
Philémon Wehbé  |
Ain Al Roumane \- Musical
(with Fairuz & Wadih El Safi) | The Village | Assi & Mansour Rahbani | Finjan Qahwa
Al Tayir
1963  | Share' Al Hob - Soundtrack From Ezzel Dine Zulficar's Motion Picture
(with Abdel Halim Hafez) | Street of Love | Orient  | Hussein Al Sayed
Munir Mourad  | Rahat Leialee Wa Jat Leialee
1964  | Ash-Shallal \- Musical  | The Cascade | Voix de l'Orient | Walid Gholmieh
Younes El Ebn  | Ya Mrouj
Fatinat Ajjamahir | Girl for the Masses | Assi & Mansour Rahbani
Mohamed Abdel Wahab
Zaki Nassif
Philémon Wehbé  | Sana Helwa
1966  | Dawaleeb Al Hawa \- Musical  | The Pinwheels | Assi & Mansour Rahbani
Philémon Wehbé  | Esmy Hala
Shams El Shoumous \- Musical  | Sun of Suns | Allo Beirut
1967  | Sabah |  | Philips | Philémon Wehbé
Elias Rahbani
Michel Tohme  | Al Bassata
1968  | Al Al'aa | Baalbeck Festival | Romeo Lahoud  | Ya Ahl Al Al'aa
1969  | Sabah |  | Mohamed Abdel Wahab
Philémon Wehbé
Michel Tohme
Halim El Roumi | Jary Ya Jary
Ya Msafer
1970  | Al Wahm \- Musical  | Illusion | Najib Hankash
Maurice Awad  | Nehnal Hawa
1972  | Ahlan Wa Sahlan Wa Marhaba | Hello and Welcome | Voix de l'Orient | Walid Gholmieh
Younes El Ebn  | Al Bassata
1974  | Sett El Kol \- Musical  | The First Lady | Voice of Lebanon  | Philémon Wehbé
Michel Tohme  | Ya Dalaa Dallaa
Helwe Ktir \- Musical  | So Beautiful | Nicolas El Deek
Michel Tohme  | Marhaba Ya Habayeb
Bawsa
Oghniyat min Lubnan | Songs of Lebanon | Cairophon  |  | Rabie Loubnana
1976  | Sabah in Paris (live) |  | Voice of Lebanon  | Toufic Barakat
Nour Al Mallah  | Dek El Kaf
1977  | Shahr El 'Asal \- Musical  | Honeymoon | Melhem Barakat
Elie Choueiri  | Men Aboukra
Hala Hala
Sabah |  | Melhem Barakat
Farid El Atrache
Romeo Lahoud  | Helwet Lebnan
Zay El Amar
Allah Makom Ya Chabab | God Be with You Guys | Duniaphon  | Allah Makom Ya Chabab
Zein El Abidin
Wetdallou Bikheir \- Musical
(with Wadih El Safi) | May You Be in Good Health | Zaki Nassif  | Ward El Janaen
1979  | Live Performances (live) |  | Voix de l'Orient | Michel Tohme
Philémon Wehbé  | Marhabtein W Marhabtein
1980  | Ghnany 'Al Bal
(with Wadih El Safi) | Souvenirs | Wadih El Safi
Philémon Wehbé  | Altaf Diney
Aatouni Derbake
Leyla Beky Feeha Al Amar - Soundtrack From Ahmed Yehya's Motion Picture | The Night the Moon Cried | Sout El Hob  | Mohamed Abdel Wahab
Omar Batiesha  | Yalla Naish El Hayat
1982  | Wadi Shamsine | Sings Elias Rahbani | Rahbania  | Elias Rahbani | Waadouni W Natarouni
Rakesni Hayk
1985  | Sabah in Hollywood (live) |  | Sphinx  | Ma'moun El Shinnawi
Samy Farag  | Ahlan Wa Sahlan
Ayam El Loulou | Days of Loulou | Relax-In  | Elie Choueiri  | Ayam El Loulou
1988  | Yalla Naish El Hayat | Let's Live This Life | Jamal Salama  | Yalla Naish El Hayat
1993  | Khatwa Khatwa | Step by Step |  | Khatwa Khatwa
Shoufo Shoufo
1996  | La Tiaanidni | Don't Hate Me | Disco 99  |  | La Tiaanidni

## Notes

[edit]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Mostyn, Trevor (7 December 2014). "Sabah obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Sabah, Lebanese singing legend, dies aged 87". BBC News. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
3. ^ "Presence des musiques arabes en France : Immigrations, diasporas et musiques du monde" (PDF). Revues-plurielles.org. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
4. ^ Statistics: Series - Al-Shahroura - 2011, retrieved 28 April 2023
5. ^ "Cedars Art Production - Al Shahroura". Cedars Art Production. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
6. ^ محطات غنائية في أفلام الشحرورة, retrieved 7 July 2023
7. ^ Series - Al-Shahroura - 2011 Cast، Video، Trailer، photos، Reviews، Showtimes, retrieved 28 April 2023
8. ^ "الشحرورة صباح.. وزيجاتها المثيرة للجدل". سكاي نيوز عربية (in Arabic). Retrieved 24 July 2023.
9. ^ "أثارت الجدل حية وميتة.. قصة الشحرورة صباح أغرب من الخيال". فيتو (in Arabic). 26 November 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
10. ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "الشحرورة صباح... نجمة حتى الرمق الأخير | DW | 26.11.2014". DW.COM (in Arabic). Retrieved 24 July 2023.
11. ^ "Ten Things You Should Know About Lebanese Singer Sabah (Jeanette Gergis Al-Feghali) | Blog Baladi". blogbaladi.com. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
12. ^ a b Tsioulcas, Anastasia (26 November 2014). "Remembering Sabah, An Iconic And Thoroughly Unconventional Arab Star". NPR. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
13. ^ Web Desk (26 November 2014). "Lebanese officials, artists bid adieu singing legend Sabah". Arab Press Updates. Retrieved 11 November 2022.[permanent dead link]
14. ^ a b Garcia Fonseca, Bruna (25 March 2023). "Das origens árabes à política brasileira". ANBA (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 3 December 2024.
15. ^ "'Imperatriz', santo e padre: livro resgata origem sírio-libanesa de políticos". O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Globo. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
16. ^ "Devastado, porto de Beirute tem significado histórico para o Brasil". Yahoo! (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
17. ^ a b "ET commemorates Iconic Lebanese singer Sabah on her birth anniversary". EgyptToday. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
18. ^ a b c "Sabah, actress and entertainer who thrilled and scandalized the Arab world, dies at 87". The Washington Post. 26 November 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
19. ^ a b c d e f Mostyn, Trevor (7 December 2014). "Sabah obituary". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
20. ^ Elcinema website, "In its opening, Beiteddine Festival honors Sabaah", article dated June 26, 2011
21. ^ Khalaf, Hala; Ghazal, Rym (27 November 2014). "Sabah, iconic Lebanese singer dies aged 87". The National. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
22. ^ "Sabah - obituary". The Telegraph. 1 December 2014. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
23. ^ "Legendary Sabah". Prestige. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
24. ^ "Thousands bid farewell to Lebanese diva Sabah". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 14 December 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
25. ^ "myTV - Al Shahroura". My-tv.us. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
26. ^ "El Shahroura". IMDb. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
27. ^ MTV Lebanon website, MTV Pays Tribute to Legendary Lebanese Singer, article dated June 26, 2014
28. ^ Sinno, Nadine (9 March 2017). "A War of Colors: Beirut Street Art and the Reclamation of Public Space". ASAP/Journal. 2 (1): 71–104\. doi:10.1353/asa.2017.0017. ISSN 2381-4721. S2CID 193868123.
29. ^ "Sabah's 90th Birthday". 10 November 2017.
30. ^ Egypt Today website, Arabic tunes from Marvel Studios’ ‘Moon Knight’ score big on Spotify, article dated May 9, 2022
31. ^ Radio Times website, Every Song Featured in Marvel Series
32. ^ a b "Al Mawed- Akhbar Musawara". 19 August 2004. Archived from the original on 19 August 2004. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
33. ^ "Dubai International Film Festival". Dubaifilmfest.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
34. ^ "صباح.. نجمة حتى الرمق الأخير". 1-a1072.azureedge.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 24 July 2023.
35. ^ "Retrospective of Sabah's work at Dubai film fest". Emirates247.com. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
36. ^ "Sabah Discography at Discogs". discogs. Retrieved 6 July 2017.

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*[lit.]: literal translation
*[c.]: circa