Fairouz First Interview in 17 years

Σε bulletin της σελίδας της Fairuz στο Myspace μεταφέρεται στα αγγλικά η συνέντυξη της στο Σταθη Τσαγκαρουσιάνο για τη Lifo που έγινε το καλοκαίρι λίγο πριν τη συναυλία της στην Αθήνα. Όπως αναφέρεται είναι η πρώτη της συναυλία μετά από 17 χρόνια. Παρακάτω παραθέτουμε το bulletin:

Fairouz First Interview in 17 years. Fairouz's last interview was in 1990 with Al Shabaka magazine. But now she speaks again in this interview with a Greek newspaper. Journalist: Do you miss the old Beirut? FAIROUZ: Of course I do, I miss a lot. Journalist: What do you miss about it? FAIROUZ: The peace, the beauty -in every level-the calmness. Things that you could see everywhere around you but don’t exist anymore. Life was pleasant, happy and full of simple things that you cant determine or explain, because you live them just like your breath. You can only feel some things not describe them. Journalist: Why do you think the western elements that you added in Anatolian music were so much appreciated and accepted? FAIROUZ: Cause my people are very open to all nations and all civilizations and artistic beauty have many faces, not just one. Journalist: What I feel as a Greek is a deep and intense melancholy in your voice-even in your patriotic songs. Is it true or I just don’t understand? FAIROUZ: It is true, you are absolutely right. Journalist: Why is that? FAIROUZ: The pick of happiness is sorrow. Its something I believe deeply and it comes out when I sing. My song doesn’t describe the beauty I was talking about before. The country I loved exists only in my songs; it has nothing to do with the reality I live in. Journalist: Is this the reason why you don’t smile often? FAIRUZ: And this. Its also cause of the songs, they don’t speak for happy things. Smiling while singing them would be weird. Journalist: Is there something that makes you happy today? FAIRUZ: The fact that there isn’t war and unjustice in many parts of the world. The mind, in order to think creative, have to live in peace and safety and calmness and to not need to care constantly for such things. Journalist: Is there something you would like to change in your country's condition today? FAIRUZ: The immigration. If I could, I would stop the immigration. Journalist: How do you spend your summers? FAIRUZ: Depends on what’s behind every summer. I may have to concert, appear in a festival, or hiding in a shelter. Journalist: During summer, you usually sing in BAALBEK. How come you chose that mystic place? FAIRUZ: The place chose me, I followed. Journalist: The fact you unite and move all the Arab world, does it make you feel responsible? FAIRUZ: Of course. Journalist: And how do you express that responsibility? FAIRUZ: With great fear, to not seem less than what they expect to see. If not do my best then not disappoint them. Journalist: In this world, the Arabic, is nationalism a bless or a curse? FAIRUZ: Whatever its name may be, nationalism is something important and necessary. Our country is our big home. You accept it as it is. Journalist: What did you do during the Israeli bombing of BEIRUT? FAIRUZ: The war started the same night that my concert would begin in BAALBEK; the July of 2006.It was canceled. We went back home running, under aircraft invasions, we hide and waited till it ends. Journalist: Today that there is no war, what is your greatest fear? FAIRUZ: I am worried for my job, my kids, our lives, and our health. I worry for everything. Journalist: What do you like the most in a person’s character? FAIRUZ: His honesty and his generosity. Journalist: What do you know for modern GREECE? FAIRUZ: Unfortunately not much. The GREECE I know is the country of ancient history and mythology. I admire a lot Maria Callas. I like her voice and I appreciate her personality. I have her as a synonym of GREECE.I am also moved by the songs of Mikis Theodorakis and Chatzidakis. Journalist: Do you know ATHENS? FAIRUZ: No, it’s my first time here. Journalist: You don’t like to travel? FAIRUZ: No. Journalist: Isn’t there a journey you want to make? FAIRUZ: My best journey is my song, wherever they may take me, no matter where I really am. Journalist: If you had to live somewhere outside LEBANON, where would that be? FAIRUZ: Jibal al Sawan Journalist: How was New York? FAIRUZ: New York isn’t waiting to hear what my opinion is about it! Journalist: Even if you are traveling in Arabic countries, isn’t there things you like? FAIRUZ: Of course there are, I like their generosity and their kindness, those that are the basic characteristics of Middle East. Middle eastern people are very sentimental, that might be their greatest weakness. Journalist: Are there any moments you feel tired of all these civil conflicts? FAIRUZ: Yes, I am tired Journalist: Would you like to withdraw? FAIRUZ: How can anyone withdraw from his reality? Wherever you go it follows you. Journalist: Are there any international personalities that you admire? FAIRUZ: I admire Gandhi. As a human being, his passion for peace, the way he tried to succeed it. His way was unique, doesn’t remind anything of the ugliness of our world. Journalist: What gave you the greatest sorrow in your life? FAIRUZ: The early loss of my husband, Assi. The void he left in arts, in our family. Journalist: Which phrase can summarize the philosophy of your life? FAIRUZ: Whatever may happen to you, never give up? There is always a light in the end, close or far, it doesn’t matter. Journalist: Do you pray? FAIRUZ: I pray all the time. Journalist: What do you say in your prayers? FAIRUZ: If I tell you what may prayers say, it wont be prayers anymore but news. Journalist: What is the pick of your life? FAIRUZ: My job. Almost all my life is my job. Journalist: But something is bothering you, like you don’t feel complete. FAIRUZ: The word completeness doesn’t exist in my life. Fear has covered everything; even those that are meant to give happiness and satisfaction. Journalist: And God? In this country (of LEBANON) with the remarkable religious freedom, in which language does your God speak? FAIRUZ: My God doesn’t speak, He listens. Journalist: Did you ever read something, a phrase that changed your life? FAIRUZ: No, life is too complicated to be changed by one phrase. Journalist: Wasn’t it ever simple? FAIRUZ: Maybe. Sometime Journalist: In your first years, you had met Oum Kalthoum and Dalida.What do you remember from those days? FAIRUZ: Memories of beautiful days in a happy time. Times that we lived and unfortunately will never come back. Journalist: What’s the most valuable thing you still possess? FAIRUZ: My voice. Journalist: What’s in this voice that people from allover the world love to listen? FAIRUZ: I can’t tell you that. You will have to ask those who listen to it. Journalist: Is there any English song you sing to when you are alone? FAIRUZ: Not one song but many parts of them. Strangers in the Night, Silent Night, I Believe, and I could also add the In The Night (smiles). In general all parts that talk about night. Journalist: Why the night? FAIRUZ: Night fits a lot. Journalist: What would you like Athenians to know tomorrow that they will watch your concert? FAIRUZ: Just that I am coming. And I hope they will like my song Journalist: When you will be singing you will be watching ACROPOLIS under the moonlight. Does this symbol mean something to you? FAIRUZ: ACROPOLIS isn’t something foreign to me, even if I am coming to ATEHNS for the first time. I think it will bring to my mind the feelings of all those great artists who have stood up in this theatre before me, the wealth of Greek culture through ages, the glory and the feeling of awe that fit so many "giants”. The moonlight will be the string that will unite us through time. Fairouz was the first Arab to preform in the Acropolis. She sang to the Lebanese Troops and returned twice to the stage after her first exit.