Dubai: Lebanese singer and musician Elie Choueiri died on Wednesday in Beirut. He was 84.
Born in Beirut in 1939, the prolific musician wrote songs for Sabah and Wadih Safi and collaborated in 25 plays alongside the Rahbani brothers and Fairouz.
Choueiri began his career in 1960 on Kuwaiti radio, before returning to Lebanon and collaborating with the biggest names in the Lebanese music scene, including the Rahbani brothers, Fairouz, Sabah, Wadih Safi and Samira Toufic.
In Kuwait, Choueiri participated in several events that allowed him to discover the music of the Gulf countries. In 1962, he attended a concert of several Lebanese artists including Wadih Safi, Souad Hachem, Zaki Nassif and Toufic Bacha, which drove him to return to Lebanon to launch his singing career.
After returning to Lebanon, he was supported by the musician Joseph Chamaa as he joined a choir with him and Nicolas Deek. The team performed with several singers including Fahd Ballan and Nazha Younes.
Choueiri, who survived by three daughters, received the insignia of Commander of the National Order of Cedar in 2017 for his musical career.
