Sabah (singer)
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| Sabah صباح | |
|---|---|
| Image:Sabah in 2007 in Beirut.JPG Sabah in 2007 in Beirut
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| Background information | |
| Born | November 10 1927 |
| Origin | Image:Flag of Lebanon.svg Beirut, Lebanon |
| Genre(s) | Arabic music, Arabesque-pop music |
Sabah (Arabic:صباح) (b.November 10, 1927–) is a Lebanese singer and actress whose career has stretched from the year 1943 to the present.
Sabah was born as Janet Gergi Fighali in Beirut, Lebanon, although other records state that her birth place is the village of Wadi Shahroor. She began singing in the 1940s, then started to acting in Egyptian movies while continuing to sing. She has released over 50 albums and has acted in 98 movies, as well as almost 20 stage plays. She is among the most prolific Arabic-language singers, with a reported 3,500 songs.
Still a prominent performer at 80 years of age, she continues to perform both in concert and on television, including such programs as Lebanon's Star Academy (the Arabic equivalent of the United Kingdom's Fame Academy) where she sang her new single on a stage lined with mannequins displaying costumes from several of her early films and musical plays.
The singer is known to fans by the diminutive "Sabbouha" and is also called "Al Shahroura," or the singing bird. She is well known for her lively and expressive voice, especially the ability to sustain a single note for over a minute when performing in the Lebanese ataba style. Her vibrant and throaty roar in the rendition of dabke songs is unmatched.
In 2005, she released a new Dance single. Her 2006 release, a duet with Lebanese singer Rola, is a remake of a 1970s hit. The accompanying video, in which Sabah is shown as "the notorious diva" to whom her younger colleague pays tribute, has received wide play on Arabic music channels.
In November 10, 2007 Sabah had a Birthday party where she received a phone call and a rose from General Aoun. She was with her friends and fans.
[edit] Marriages
Sabah has been married seven times, and most recently was engaged to Amr Mihio ("Mr. Lebanon") in 2003. The relationship did not last, and in 2004 she admitted that it had been a stunt to catapult Omar, who was starting his acting career, into the spotlight. Her former husbands include Najib Shammas, Anwar Mansy, composer Baligh Hamdy, Egyptian television presenter Ahmed Farrag, Rushdy Abaza (to whom she was married for three days in 1967), Joe Hammoud, Wassim Tabbara, and Fadi Kuntar, alias Fadi Lubnan.
She has two children, Sabah from Najib Chammas, is married to Zeina Chammas. Her other child, the actress Howayda Mansy (by Anwar Mansy), lives in the United States. She has two grandchildren Danielle Chammas and Naji Chammas who live in California.
It is also known (in the Arab world) that Sabah showers in cow or goat milk in order to become more fair and whiter.
[edit] Films
Many of Sabah's movies have not been released commercially on either VHS tape or DVD. Movies she has acted in include:
- Nar el shawk (1970)
- Mawal (1966)
- Aydi el naema, El (1963)
- Motamarreda, El (1963)
- Jaoz marti (1961)
- Rajul el thani, El (1960)
- Ataba el khadra, El (1959)
- Sharia el hub (1959)
- Salem al habaieb (1958)
- Izhay ansak (1956)
- Wahabtak hayati (1956)
- Khatafa mirati (1954)
- Lahn hubi (1954)
- Zalamuni el habaieb (1953)
- Khadaini abi (1951)
- (1950)
- Sabah el khare (1948)
[edit] External links
- [SABAH @ YAHOO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sabah_Of_Lebanon] Unofficial SABAH website
- Last.FM Sabah page
- Sabah (I) at the Internet Movie Database — contains a more detailed list of films Sabah has acted in
- (Arabic) Sabah's Songs at 6arab.com
- (Arabic) "صباح : "الشحرورة" و "الأسطورة"", CNN, 10 July 2005. Retrieved on 2006-05-19.
- Biography
- Sabah Songs
he:צבאח
