Lebanese singer Julia Boutros, who has been praised for her efforts to voice her people's plight during the Israeli occupation of South Lebanon, is to perform in Dubai tonight. Boutros, who rose to fame early in her career with her fervent nationalistic lyrics, will sing numbers from her soon-to-be released album for the first time in a concert at the American University in Dubai (AUD) auditorium.

She is part of a generation of artists whose careers have been shaped by the Lebanese civil war. "This has heightened her commitment to humanity both in her own community and the world at large," said Elias BouSaab, vice-president of AUD.

Boutros' first album, "C'est la Vie" (This is Life), was composed by Elias Rahbani, brother-in-law of the inimitable Lebanese diva Fayrouz. In 1985, Boutros released her first politically-charged song, "Ghabet Shams Al Hak" ("The Sun of Truth and Justice"). Composed by her brother Ziad, the song was a channel through which the two artists were able to express "anger against the killing of children, women, men and elderly civilians" in South Lebanon.

"The only thing we were able to do at the time was to raise our voices and send a message to the world, and that was achieved by my song," Boutros said. A week after the song was released, her voice entered the homes of millions of Arabs throughout the region. Teachers began to play the song in classrooms to explain to students the full meaning of her lyrics.

Following the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon last year, Boutros gave "The Liberation Concert" in the town of Arnoun, where the official celebration was held. Some 64,000 people attended. "Today, many Lebanese consider her a national symbol for patriotism, resistance and even romance," Bou Saab said.

She was recently granted the Lebanese President's Award for her contribution to the Lebanese resistance against the Israeli occupation and aggression in Lebanon. However, tonight's concert with Armenian musicians from Yerevan reveals another side of Boutros, whose mother is of Armenian descent, which is representative of her dual identity.

Lebanese-Armenian Harut Fazlian will conduct the musicians who will be playing stringed and brass instruments. Lebanese musicians from the Lebanese Conservatory and the Lebanese Symphonic Orchestra will provide the Oriental sounds. The concert, Boutros' fourth in Dubai, starts at 8:30pm. For ticket information call 04 3998545.