BY Daily Star Lebanon

Daily Star BEIRUT: Family and friends filled the Saint Nicolas Church in Beirut’s Ashrafieh area Sunday as they said their final goodbyes to one of Lebanon’s most beloved singers and composers, Melhem Barakat, who passed away two days ago.

His coffin arrived from the nearby Hotel Dieu Hospital at around 10 a.m. to the Greek Orthodox church, where a funeral mass was held by Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut Elias Aoude at around 1 p.m. It arrived in a black hearse with a large picture of the late singer on top, as loudspeakers played his songs.  His life-time friend and Lebanese poet Nizar Francis helped carry the coffin inside the church.

Many Lebanese singers and politicians were present at the funeral mass.  “We are going to miss a lot of his songs, words and laughter…It’s not only a loss for his town, family and fans, but one for all music,” Lebanese singer, Ragheb Alama said.  The renowned singer passed away Friday at the age of 71, after battling an illness.

The funeral convoy later departed to the Mount Lebanon town of Kfarshima, the home town of Barakat, where he will be buried. Hundreds of people joined in the funeral procession in the town, which took place around 3 p.m. Barakat was one of the few Arab singers to perform in colloquial Lebanese Arabic, a stylistic choice that he defended throughout his career.

The Lebanese musical icon also launched an acting career, appearing in several films in the 1980s and participating in many of the acclaimed Rahbani Brothers’ musicals. When the musical legend wasn’t singing, he was composing songs and collaborating with famed artists such as Ghassan Saliba, Majida Al-Roumi, Najwa Karam and Carol Sakr. He is survived by his three children from his first marriage Majd, Waed and Ghinwa, and a son named Melhem Junior from his second.

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s state news agency says Lebanese singer and composer
Melham Barakat, who was highly esteemed and popular across the region,
has died. National News Agency said Barakat, 71, died Friday at a Beirut hospital where he was admitted weeks earlier.

Barakat rose to prominence more than three decades ago. He was
influenced by the late Egyptian composer Mohammed Abdul-Wahhab, who was
widely regarded as one of the Arab world’s best songwriters. Among Barakat’s most popular songs are “Two Moons at my Door,” and “Habibi Inta (You are my Love)”. He was married twice and is survived by four children.

By Daily Star: The esteemed singer and composer, who began his long career in the
1960s, was admitted to the Hotel Dieu Hospital in Beirut more than a
month ago, local media reported. Barakat was one of the few Arab
singers to perform in colloquial Lebanese Arabic, a stylistic choice
that he defended throughout his career. The Lebanese musical icon
also launched an acting career, appearing in several films in the 1980s
and participating in many of the acclaimed Rahbani Brothers’ musicals.

In
the early 1990s, Barakat performed with Lebanese dancer Dani Boustros
in a Lebanese play titled “Wemsheet Bee Tariki,” or “I walked my own
path.”

When the musical legend wasn’t singing, he was composing
songs and collaborating with famed artists such as Ghassan Saliba,
Majida Al-Roumi, Najwa Karam and Carol Sakr.

Born in the Mount
Lebanon town of Kfarshima in 1945, Barakat showed an innate talent from
an early age and was inspired by Egyptian singer Mohammad Abdel Wahhab,.

Moments
after news of his passing, Lebanese poet Nizar Francis tweeted: “My
lifelong friend has gone, and I am saddened until my death.”

Prominent
Lebanese politicians also mourned Barakat with Lebanese Forces chief
Samir Geagea tweeting: “Goodbye composer of Lebanon.”

He had three children from his first marriage Majd, Waed and Ghinwa, and a son named Melhem Junior from his second.

Former
Prime Minister Najib Mikati said “with the departure of Melhem Barakat
we fold a page from the beautiful time that he contributed to with a lot
of significant work.”

By Lorient-Le Jour

Le chanteur et compositeur libanais Melhem Barakat est décédé
vendredi à l’âge de 71 ans des suites d’une longue maladie. C’est à
l’Hôtel-Dieu, où il avait été admis il y a plusieurs semaines, que cette
figure de la musique libanaise a rendu l’âme après un long combat.

Né en 1945 à Kfarchima, dans le caza de Baabda, Melhem Barakat
s’était illustré dans la musique dès son plus jeune âge, sur les bancs
de l’école où il avait chanté une chanson dont il avait composé la
musique avec des paroles tirées des colonnes d’un journal. Il s’était
inscrit ensuite à un concours de musique pour les nouveaux talents. Les
grands de la musique libanaise avait décelé en lui un talent inégalé,
notamment en raison du timbre de sa voix. Il avait poursuivi sa
formation chez les frères Rahbani. C’est alors que sa carrière
artistique a été lancée.

Il était membre de la troupe de chant des Rahbani, jouant dans plusieurs de leurs pièces, notamment “Al-Rabih al-Sabeh”.

Melhem Barakat a été le compositeur de plusieurs grands noms de la
chanson libanaise, notamment Sabah, Wadih el-Safi, Samira Toufic et
Majida el-Roumi.

L’une de ses premières compositions était “Belghi Kil Mwaaidi”.
Récemment, Melhem Barakat avait signé la musique de “I’tazalt
al-Gharam”, chantée par Majida Roumi et “Ya Habibi Tsabbah Fiyi” de
Carole Sakr.

Parmi les plus grands tubes composés et chantés par Melhem Barakat et
qui resteront gravés dans la mémoire des Libanais : “Aala babi wa’ef
amarein”, “Hamama Béda”, “Habibi enta”, “Ya hobbi ili ghab”, “Hanna
el-Sekran”… 

Melhem Barakat a eu un premier mariage avec la sœur de Sabah, Souad,
ensuite avec Randa Azar, mère de ses enfants Majd, Waad et Ghinwa. Il
s’est remarié avec May Hariri, avec qui il a eu un fils, Melhem Junior,
avant de divorcer.