Lebanese singer Marwan Mahfouz has died of complications due to Covid-19, at the age of 78.
The veteran performer died in hospital in the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday, after being admitted last week with a fever and shortness of breath.
The death was announced through the Syrian press agency Sana.
Mahfouz had been living in Damascus for a month, having arrived in the city to perform a sold-out, and live-streamed, concert at the Damascus Opera House on June 23.
Accepting an invitation by the Syrian Ministry of Culture, Mahfouz elected to remain in the capital amid the pandemic, until it was safe to return to Lebanon.
The Syrian Ministry of Culture released a statement on its Facebook page, mourning the loss of Mahfouz.
“The great Lebanese artist Marwan Mahfouz died on the land of a country he loved and sang for,” the statement reads. “Coronavirus has managed to betray him despite the care and attention surrounding him. The ministry of culture extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Marwan Mahfouz and confirms that his sad departure is a painful blow to real art. He will leave behind an irreplaceable gap and the name of Marwan Mahfouz will live for ever when it comes to authentic Arabic music.”
Mahfouz was also remembered in his homeland with pop star Najwa Karam leading tributes from scores of Lebanese cultural personalities.
"God have mercy on the soul of artist Marwan Mahfouz," Karam posted on her social media accounts.
Documentary filmmaker and journalist Firas Hatoum paid tribute to the artist whom he felt was underappreciated in Lebanon. "And we are shocked to discover that all the Lebanese people know and love Marwan Mahfouz?" he said on Twitter. "For 20 years this person did concerts in Syria because if he had performed a concert in Lebanon, maybe you wouldn't find 50 people.”
Mahfouz is one of a growing list of regional cultural personalities to have died from health complications related to the coronavirus. They include Saudi Arabian singer Saad Al Tamimi, who died aged 93 on July 16, and Egyptian actress Ragaa Al Geddawy who died on July 5 at the age of 81. On July 21, Saudi Arabian singer Waed revealed her 20-year-old daughter, Hossna, tested positive for Covid-19.
While Mahfouz might not have been a blockbuster name, his six-decade contribution to the Lebanese artistic landscape is indisputable. His death is especially resonant as he was one of the few remaining artists, along with Fairuz, 84, whose career links back to what many view as the golden age of Lebanese music and stage – a period between the mid-1950s and 1970s. It was a period full of influential figures, such as the late Wadih al-Safi, Sabah and brothers Assi and Mansour Rahbani.
From supporting roles to a solo career
Mahfouz was born in the city of Zahle, east of Beirut, and moved to the Lebanese capital in his early twenties to study Arabic vocalism in a conservatory.
He landed his industry break in 1965, after The Rahbani Brothers spotted his television debut on the talent show Hiwayat.
The duo were impressed by Mahfouz's performance of al-Safi's Tal Al Sabah, and his rich tenor and technique. They promptly signed him up to perform in their 1965 Baalbeck Festival musical stage production Dawaleeb Al Hawa, alongside star Nasri Shamseddine and then up-and-coming artist Sabah.
This was the beginning of an eight-year partnership (1965 to 1973) with The Rahbani Brothers, which included supporting roles in seminal musical plays such as 1967's Ayam Fakhr Al Deen (starring Fairuz) and 1969's Al Shakhs. Both were performed at key Lebanese cultural events including the Baalbeck, Beiteddine and Cedars festivals.
It was in 1973's musical Sahriya, written by Ziad Rahbani, that Mahfouz came into his own as a performer. He played the co-leading role of a struggling musician, alongside star Georgette Sayegh, and critics raved about his performance, particularly his takes on a string of now Lebanese stage standards, including Ya Saif El Al Aada Tayel and Khayif Koun Ashqatik wa Habibatik.
For the next four decades, Mahfouz focused on his solo career, having produced dozens of albums filled with songs written by some of the most esteemed Lebanese composers and poets including, Abdel Jalil Wehbe and Botros Dib, as well as covers by El Safi and Melhem Barakat.
On the shoulders of giants
While it can be argued that Mahfouz didn’t get the acclaim he deserved in his homeland, the man himself didn’t seem to mind.
In one of his last interviews with Syria's Al Madina FM in March, he said working with the giants of Lebanese music over the course of his career gave him the most satisfaction.
"There is no doubt that I am lucky. It is nothing short of a blessing to be born in a time full of great people who heard you and encouraged you to keep going,” he said. “I realise that I have never performed or worked with a person whom I didn’t love or they loved me. When you work in such an environment then the music comes from the heart. And what comes from the heart reaches the heart.”
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
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UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 820Nm
Price: Dh683,200
On sale: now
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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UAE v Zimbabwe A, 50 over series
Fixtures
Thursday, Nov 9 - 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 11 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Monday, Nov 13 – 2pm, Dubai International Stadium
Thursday, Nov 16 – 2pm, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 18 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
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Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20profile
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HOW TO WATCH
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Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, six-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 395bhp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: from Dh321,200
On sale: now
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
