An early discovery and an exceptional marriage that lasted 24 hours… Secrets from the life of the blackbird Sabah

Sabah was born as Janet Girgis Feghali in 1927 in the Lebanese town of Wadi Chahrour, and from here came her famous nickname, “The Blackbird,” a symbol of the energy and vitality that distinguished her personality and artistic presence.

Sabah began her artistic career since childhood, when she was discovered by producer Asaad Bey Feghali, then she moved to Egypt in the 1940s at the invitation of producer Asia Dagher, to enter the world of fame and artistic glory.

“Al-Sabouha” participated in more than 83 films and 27 plays, and performed about 3,000 songs in classical Arabic and the Egyptian and Lebanese dialects, working with major composers such as Mohamed Abdel-Wahab, Farid Al-Atrash, Riad Al-Sunbati and Baligh Hamdi, and performed at the most prestigious international stages such as the Olympia in Paris and Carnegie Hall in New York.

Her love life was known for its diversity, as she married nine times, including musician Anwar Mansi, journalist Ahmed Farrag, and artists Rushdi Abaza, Wassim Tabbara, Fadi Lebanon, and MP Youssef Hammoud, so that her personal life became the focus of public attention, like her artistic career. One of her most prominent marriages was her short marriage to Rushdi Abaza, which lasted only 24 hours, but she maintained a special affection for him throughout her life.

Sabah passed away in October 2014 at the age of 87, after an artistic career that spanned more than six decades. Thousands of people mourned for her in a funeral that was described as a celebration of life as she loved it, with dancing and singing, in honor of the Lebanese blackbird. (Al Ain)