Live from Beiteddine

Subject:

Comments:
: Hello everyone, : I just got back from the concert and it was AMAZING!! What a night.. The set-up was incredible, the lighting, the background, the whole thing was just perfect. Fairuz was incredible as we would expect and I can't wait until tomorrow night.. : The concert started late with several requests for people to be seated so the program can begin. Finally it did and the opening was the music from Lulu. Then Fairuz appeared on stage looking better than ever in a shiny, glittery honey-colored dressed (similar to Paris and last year's Beiteddine - the same designer). She opened with Fee 'ahwee 3al mafra'. Then came Bizakar Bil-Khareef. Both were incredible and she appread moved from the very beginning (hand/arm movement from the first song). The chorus followed (irtah irtah and 3ala mahlak) afterwhich she returned to sing Shadi (AMAZING), Salimly 3aley (Most INCREDIBLE, you could tell she enjoyed singing it) and finished with Immy Namet 3a Bakkir which drew a lot of invovlement from the crowd. The chorus continued with tallu el-siyyadeh (similar to Vegas) which was followed by music from Natooret El Mafateeh. Fairuz returned, and in a similar fashion to her Paris concert sang Ghaba Naharun Akhar, Beesan (which was so incredibly amazing where she hit some incredible high notes and her voice was in rare form) and she finished with Saifun Falyushhar (the program indicated Ya rubu3 biladi but it was not performed). Intermission followed. : Here I have to say that the crowd in Paris was far more involved in those songs and responded in much stronger way than here.... : The second half began with more music from Natooret El Mafateeh and Fairuz appeared again looking DIVINE in a silver/off white shimmery dress (similar style to the others) and she sang Ana Fiz3aneh. She followed with Li Beirut (and I must say several people around me almost fell off their seats when she sang that! They were so incredibly overjoyed) and continued with Tareek El Nahil and finished with Habeitak Bil Seif (both were amazing and the crowed went WILD). The chorus followed woith Sa'alooni Ennas (the crowed probably was louder as everybody joined in) and finished with 3eishay wahda balak. Fairuz returned for the final set which included Leiliye Btirja3 Ya Leil, Milhib Jayeh, El Qamar Bi Dawee 3al Naas, Marakibna 3al Meena (at this point many people had moved out of their seats and were rushing the stage) and her finale was Biqulu Zghayyar Baladi, which she sang with a lot of emotion and movement and people were throwing flowers and cheering the whole time. She bowed to the audience and then did an encore of the last song. After much more cheering, bowing, and waving she left the stage only to return to her begging audience (on a personal note I think I don't have a voice anymore from all the cheering and screaming and singing I was doing!) to sing Shatti Ya Dinny which was INCREDIBLE.. WOW! It was an incredible surprise and the orchestration was beyond words. I am still in awe and people upfront were jumping up and down as she sang. Flowers were flying (sometimes a little too close to her) and Fairuz again sang one more song (which was previously done by the chorus).. It was amazing (there was a moment where the chorus was supposed to sing with her and they didn't so she turned slightly and motioned while stressing the words with her voice and that prompted them to join in!).. The crowed was wild and people were standing on chairs, screaming, cheering, it was just out of this world. She bowed again, waved, walked back, turned around (as she did in Paris) waved again and left. Judging from her previous concerts I knew she was done for the evening but the crowed was unrelenting. She returned only to wave and bow, with a promise of more to come tomorrow. : It truly was classic masterpieces and Fairuz is always and forever a piece of heaven. In her presence greatness touches even the most ordinary of us. : On a side note, Ziad was not there and very few people (and I do mean very few) shouted a couple of times "Ziad, Ziad". : I flew from Chicago to see Fairuz and it was more than worth it. I look forward to the second concert tomorrow. : Till then, live from Beirut, I think its time for me to go to bed. : Bashar

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL: