The author of "I write your name, my country" and "Lulu days"

Arabic music loses Elie Choueiri

Choueiri participated with the Rahbani brothers in more than 25 works. Archival

Lebanon lost composer and singer Elie Choueiri, who enriched the artistic scene for six decades with a bouquet of patriotic songs and musical theatrical works.

Since his artistic beginnings, Choueiri has translated his love for his country with songs that became on every tongue during the civil war that took place between 1975 and 1990, including "Books Your Name, My Country", which was composed and composed in 1973, and sung for the first time by the Lebanese singer Joseph Azar, and then echoed by many Arab artists, including the Syrian actor Duraid Lahham.

Elie Choueiri was born in Beirut in 1939 and married in 1966 to Aida Abi Aad, with whom he had three daughters: Nicole, Carol and Selena.

Among his most prominent songs are "Saf al-Askar" and "Ya Ahl al-Ard" with his voice, and the song "Taala wa Ta'mar Ya Dar" sung by the late Sabah.

He participated with the Rahbani brothers in more than 25 works, including the role of Fadlo in the play "The Sale of the Rings" in 1964, and in the film directed by Youssef Chahine the following year.

He participated in most of the plays presented by Rahbaniya, which were presented on the stairs of the Baalbek International Festivals, from "Dawaib Al-Hawa" with Sabah to Fairuz's plays, including "Days of Fakhr Al-Din", "Hala and the King", "The Person", "The Key Keeper", "Sah Al-Nom", and "Mays Al-Reem".

Choueiri described that era as a dream of legends that allowed him to go through the most beautiful artistic experiences, as he was chambered from the source of art and accompanied the time of the nobles with his geniuses.

In 1975, he presented in cooperation with the late journalist Sami Ghamiqa, the program «Ya Allah», a social criticism that met with remarkable success, and stood next to Sabah on the stage in the show «Set Al-Kul», and wrote the most famous songs of Wadih Al-Safi such as: «We planted your hills Ya Biladi» and «Baladi» and «You and I Ya Lail» and «Men Day of Two Days» and «Ya Bahr Ya Dawar».

Majida El Roumi sang from his compositions «Fall the mask» and «Meen na Ghirek» and «Still age is thieves», and competed both Sabah and Samira Tawfiq to perform the song «Days of Lulu», which provoked at the time a dispute and competition for its performance until it was issued by the voices of three artists.

Former Lebanese President Michel Aoun awarded him the National Order of the Cedar Commander in 2017 in recognition of his artistic, social and national contributions.

Choueiri said at the time that "the Order of the Cedars today is a feast for all the songs I sang."