Tribute to Beirut: Fairouz and the voices of Lebanon

City of memory and creation, city of contrasts and lights, Beirut carries within it a unique cultural richness, shaped by generations of artists, poets and musicians. Despite the complicated trials it is going through today, the capital remains an inexhaustible source of inspiration where music continues to keep hope, beauty and the bond between peoples alive. It is to this city that this evening is dedicated: a tribute in music to Beirut and its living heritage. At the heart of this concert, the soprano Fairouz Oudjida proposes a re-reading of the great Lebanese voices that have marked the musical history of the country, in particular that of the great Fairouz, an essential and universal figure whose first name she bears. Her grandmother, fascinated by the voice of the great singer, had indeed affectionately nicknamed her granddaughter “Fairouz”, in tribute to this legendary Lebanese diva. Having become an opera singer, Fairouz Oudjida returns to her musical roots to offer a vibrant tribute to the one who accompanied her imagination, but also to a whole lineage of Lebanese female voices, among which Majda El Roumi and other iconic performers. The soprano Fairouz Oudjida grew up in the Algerian desert. Passionate about singing from a very young age, she was trained in classical singing in Algiers and Milan. Recognized for her exceptional timbre and her mastery of several repertoires, she puts her lyrical voice at the service of traditional Maghrebian, oriental and modern songs. Her music is a beautiful fusion between traditional and classical music. Fairouz was the first Algerian to represent her country in Russia and Italy in the field of classical singing, and the first woman to perform the Algerian national anthem on the occasion of the 2016 African Summit. She also received the Algerian President's Prize for young talents in 2007 and was chosen to perform Arie religiose antiche, at the Parocchia San Marco de Milan, in memory of the great Luciano Pavarotti. Awarded many times, the artist has given numerous successful concerts and shows highlighting Arab and Mediterranean music. She released an album in 2021 and is currently preparing a new EP.