2005 was a decisive year in Fadel Shaker’s life, as he decided to leave his Mar Taqla home in the Christian suburbs of Beirut and return to Sidon after a fifteen-year absence. The reasons cited by those close to him do not seem sufficient to explain the importance of this move. They say his wife couldn’t get used to life outside Sidon and that the artistic milieu in which he found himself in Beirut required a personality that Shaker was uncomfortable with. They also cited Fadel’s wish to have his sons near his brothers and relatives in Sidon during his constant travels. However, 2005 was also an important year politically for the Sunni community in Lebanon. Former PM Rafiq Hariri’s assassination led to a wealth of private and public events in Lebanon. Fadel even wrote a song dedicated to Hariri’s memory. He signed contracts to perform in the United States but when he got there, he discovered that his Lebanese public there had cancelled their reservations and stayed home out of grief and distress. He thus cut short his trip and returned to Lebanon. [Read More]