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Ziad Rahbani cause of death: How did Lebanese composer and political satirist Ziad Rahbani die at 69?
Lebanon mourns the death of Ziad Rahbani, iconic cultural figure, composer, and political satirist, at 69.
Ziad Rahbani, one of Lebanon’s most influential cultural voices and a fearless critic of political powers, has died at the age of 69.
“On Saturday at 9:00 am (0600 GMT), the heart of the great artist and creator Ziad Rahbani stopped beating,” read a statement from the Beirut hospital where he had been undergoing treatment, per France24.
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How did Ziad Rahbani die?
Lebanon state-run National News Agency confirmed the news of his death on Saturday and was followed by a source close to the family but the cause of death was not stated, according to i.
Born on 1 January 1956in Antelias, a coastal town just outside Beirut, Rahbani came into the world already surrounded by greatness. His mother was Fairuz, Lebanon’s most beloved and iconic singer, and his father, Assi Rahbani, was one half of the legendary Rahbani Brothers duo, known for transforming modern Arabic music.
Rahbani began composing for Fairuz in his late teens, introducing a fresh sound called ‘Oriental jazz.’ Their collaborations provided the new generation with reasons to love her music; hence, she was a cultural bridge between the old and the new.
His theatre pieces, in particular, became defining reflections of Lebanon’s troubled soul. In the 1980 play Film Ameriki Tawil (The American Motion Picture), he used the setting of an asylum to portray the fractured state of Lebanese society during the civil war.
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Rahbani, fiercely secular and leftist, remained a sharp critic of Lebanon’s religious divisions and corrupt political elite. “I feel like everything has gone. I feel like Lebanon has become empty,” wrote actress Carmen Lebbos, his former partner, on X.
“We dreaded this day as we knew his health was worsening and that his desire for treatment was dwindling,” culture Minister Ghassan Salame posted on X.
