The golden voice of Lebanon : Wadee’ El-Safi
This episode is dedicated to the Lebanese singer Wadee “(Wadih) El-Safi (1921–2013) often called the voice of Lebanon. He is less known in the western world than his fellow Lebanese Fairuz, but was one of the greatest names and most beautiful voices of the Arab world in the period between the 1940s and 1970s. He is an icon of Lebanese musical culture.
Musically, Wadih – who often wrote his own songs – has developed his own style that has played an important role in Lebanese musical culture. A mix between the “classic” vocal and modal techniques that directly address the emotions and interacts with the audience (often described under the Arabic term Tarab) and the modern western influenced Arabic short song as developed especially in Egypt from the 1920s onwards. This with a strong influence from the folk music of Lebanon’s mountains and countryside. In almost every song (even if it sounds very modern and pop-like at the beginning) there is room in the middle or the end for vocal improvisations that are rooted in these traditions. many listeners wait for this part where Wadih shows the capabilities of his beautiful voice.
This clip from a popular Lebanese TV program (around the early 1970s) shows Wadih as a guest improvising with his fellow lebanese great singer Sabah (and singing a piece of the song Allah ma’aak).
Playlist:
1. Abou El- Zoulouf (Trad.) 2:44
2. Mijana Ou l’ataba (Trad.) 3:20
3. Remche Ouyounek 5:28
4. Ya Weyl Hali 2:59
5. Weili Laou Yedroun 4:21
6. Jayine Ya Arz El-Jabal 7:38
7. Annajmat Sarou Yisalu 5:50
8. Walaw (Original) 5:57
9. Ya rait baqdar 10:31
10. Allah ma’ak ya beyt.. 5:59
11. Allouma Allouma (original record 1940s) 06:00
