Zaki Nassif
Zaki Nassif was a Lebanese music composer and singer. He was influential among the first generation of composers for the mass audience for music on radio in Lebanon in the 1940s and 1950s, and continued to be a force in Lebanese music until his death in 2004.
Biography
Born in Machghara, the largest town in the western Beqaa Valley in 1918 and was involved in music and country folk poetry at an early age. He was one of the Big Five who contributed material to Radio Orient and Radio Liban in the 1950s. During the 1990s he did singing performances on primetime television entertainment shows in Lebanon.Music
The lyrics of his songs are very often of the patriotic kind. When his recordings are played on Lebanese TV stations, it is always along with scenery from Lebanon. Zaki Nassif is remembered during the civil war for his anthem song "Rajeh Yittammar" at a time when violence and destruction were the rule rather than the exception in Lebanon. The song is upbeat and inspires patriotism and is recommended as a staple Zaki Nassif's material.In 1995, Zaki Nassif composed a full album for Fairuz. The CD contains material that shows the variety of expression Zaki Nassif had.