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Sabah, Lebanese Singer and Actress, Dies at 87 Sabah, Enduring Star in Arab World Entertainment, Dies at 87
(about 14 hours later)
Sabah, a prolific and provocative Lebanese singer and actress whose fame in the Arab world endured for six decades, died on Wednesday in Beirut. She was 87.Sabah, a prolific and provocative Lebanese singer and actress whose fame in the Arab world endured for six decades, died on Wednesday in Beirut. She was 87.
Her death was announced by the National News Agency of Lebanon.Her death was announced by the National News Agency of Lebanon.
She was known by a single name — Sabah means “morning” in Arabic — but little about her was understated. She recorded 50 albums, appeared in nearly 100 films, married at least seven times and underwent an undetermined number of cosmetic surgeries.She was known by a single name — Sabah means “morning” in Arabic — but little about her was understated. She recorded 50 albums, appeared in nearly 100 films, married at least seven times and underwent an undetermined number of cosmetic surgeries.
Her hair had its own narrative — morphing from brown and basic when she emerged in the 1940s to blond and big, impervious to the elements, fashion or the conservative mores of the Middle East.Her hair had its own narrative — morphing from brown and basic when she emerged in the 1940s to blond and big, impervious to the elements, fashion or the conservative mores of the Middle East.
Her real name was Jeanette Gergis Al-Feghali, but she took her stage name as a teenager in 1940s, when she began appearing in films by the Egyptian director Henry Barakat. She went on to become a draw for decades. Among her better-known works are “How Can I Forget You?” (1956), “The Street of Love” (1959) and “Laila Baka Feha al Qamar” (1980).Her real name was Jeanette Gergis Al-Feghali, but she took her stage name as a teenager in 1940s, when she began appearing in films by the Egyptian director Henry Barakat. She went on to become a draw for decades. Among her better-known works are “How Can I Forget You?” (1956), “The Street of Love” (1959) and “Laila Baka Feha al Qamar” (1980).
Although she was Lebanese, many of her films were made with Egyptian production companies, and her stardom spanned much of the Middle East. In 2010, when she received a lifetime achievement award at the Dubai International Film Festival, Abdulhamid Juma, the festival chairman, described Sabah as “a bridge” between Lebanon and Egypt. This week, Ramzi Jreij, Lebanon’s information minister, said Sabah “was an Arab artist that invaded every Arab country, especially Egypt.”Although she was Lebanese, many of her films were made with Egyptian production companies, and her stardom spanned much of the Middle East. In 2010, when she received a lifetime achievement award at the Dubai International Film Festival, Abdulhamid Juma, the festival chairman, described Sabah as “a bridge” between Lebanon and Egypt. This week, Ramzi Jreij, Lebanon’s information minister, said Sabah “was an Arab artist that invaded every Arab country, especially Egypt.”
While her films were mostly seen by Arab audiences, Sabah appeared around the world as a singer, performing Arab pop songs and also Arab classical and folk music. She specialized in mawwal, a slow, a cappella form of singing. In 1956, she appeared in the United States for the first time in concerts in Boston, Detroit and New York, where she sang at the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn.While her films were mostly seen by Arab audiences, Sabah appeared around the world as a singer, performing Arab pop songs and also Arab classical and folk music. She specialized in mawwal, a slow, a cappella form of singing. In 1956, she appeared in the United States for the first time in concerts in Boston, Detroit and New York, where she sang at the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn.
“She practices in her suite on a high floor in the Navarro Hotel on Central Park South,” Meyer Berger wrote in The New York Times that year. “Other hotel guests pause in the corridor, entranced by the melodies.”“She practices in her suite on a high floor in the Navarro Hotel on Central Park South,” Meyer Berger wrote in The New York Times that year. “Other hotel guests pause in the corridor, entranced by the melodies.”
She was born into a Christian family on Nov. 9, 1927, in a village outside Beirut. Her father abused her and took some of the money she earned early in her acting career, according to the National News Agency of Lebanon.She was born into a Christian family on Nov. 9, 1927, in a village outside Beirut. Her father abused her and took some of the money she earned early in her acting career, according to the National News Agency of Lebanon.
“She married early to leave her father’s overbearing financial control,” the agency said. It also said that Sabah’s brother “killed her mother because he believed she was seeing someone outside marriage.”“She married early to leave her father’s overbearing financial control,” the agency said. It also said that Sabah’s brother “killed her mother because he believed she was seeing someone outside marriage.”
Information about survivors was not immediately available.Information about survivors was not immediately available.
Sabah was married at least seven times, though some sources say 10. One of her husbands was Anwar Mansy, a prominent Egyptian violinist. Another was Joe Hammoud, an official in the Lebanese government. The marriage she seemed to treasure the most was the shortest, to the Egyptian film star Rushdy Abaza. They were married in the late 1960s for three days.Sabah was married at least seven times, though some sources say 10. One of her husbands was Anwar Mansy, a prominent Egyptian violinist. Another was Joe Hammoud, an official in the Lebanese government. The marriage she seemed to treasure the most was the shortest, to the Egyptian film star Rushdy Abaza. They were married in the late 1960s for three days.
She told an interviewer several years ago that Mr. Abaza was the true love of her life and that their marriage was so brief because it turned out that he was married to another woman at the time, the belly dancer Samia Gamal.She told an interviewer several years ago that Mr. Abaza was the true love of her life and that their marriage was so brief because it turned out that he was married to another woman at the time, the belly dancer Samia Gamal.
“When I see him in a film,” Sabah said, “he’s so real and I feel that he’ll come out of the screen any second to be with me.”“When I see him in a film,” Sabah said, “he’s so real and I feel that he’ll come out of the screen any second to be with me.”