Fairuz

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Nouhad Wadie' Haddad (Arabic: نهاد وديع حداد‎‎) (born November 20, 1934), known as Fairuz (Arabic: فيروز‎‎), also spelled Fairouz, Feyrouz or Fayrouz, is a Lebanese singer who is one of the most widely admired and deeply respected living singers in the Arab world. Her songs are constantly heard throughout the region.

She was first noticed at the International Festival of Baalbeck, where she performed many of her songs. She became famous after appearing on the "Lebanese Nights" part of the festival for many successive years. Fairuz is commonly known as "Ambassador to the Stars", "Neighbor to the Moon" (for her song about the moon of Machgara), and the "Jewel of Lebanon".

Personal life

Fairouz was born to a Lebanese Christian Maronite family. She is of the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith, having converted when she married Assi Rahbani, one of the two Rahbani brothers who helped shape her singing career. She is also the mother of a Lebanese composer, pianist and playwright Ziad Rahbani and of Lebanese director and photographer Rima Rahbani. Fairouz' third daughter, Layal died in 1988; she also has a second son, Shady, who is disabled.