Lebanese diva, Fairuz is, and has always been, far from the media. She has surprised the media in Lebanon by meetings conducted at her home — a move that is one of a kind. Fairuz is famous for her refusal to meet with the media, and for refusing to hold press conferences. This of course makes us wonder why she seems to have changed her position so drastically. Was she driven by personal motives?
The story begins during the last Beit Addin Festival when something happened with the photographers before Fairuz’s performance. They were prevented from approaching the stage and taking pictures of her; this led to the Photographers’ Association boycotting her performance though she was unaware of the decision at the time. Sources close to Fairuz say that she had no knowledge that the photographers were being prevented from photographing her; she was totally occupied with, and focusing on, her performance. The sources asserted that that had Fairuz known of the incident, things would have been handled differently. Because she was so surprised by the reaction of the Photographers’ Association, she invited a group of them to dinner at her house about a month ago in order to explain things to them.
At that time, the matter was cleared up but Fairuz did not stop at this. She seems to have taken the advice of those who told her that it would be necessary to have regular meetings with the media and solve the problems created by her isolation. These meetings between Fairuz and the media take the form of informal casual visits rather than formal press conferences mired in a totally predictable question-and-answer format. There are no tape recorders or cameras, only meetings over a meal.
When Fairuz’s secretary contacted the journalists to invite them to a ‘friendly meeting’ as she put it, the journalists were shocked. One journalist was chosen from each organization and in the end, about 20 of them met Fairuz at home.
Journalist Eliyas Haddad spoke about the meeting to Sayidaty, a sister publication of Arab News: “I was Fairuz’s neighbor for 35 years and I never met her or spoke to her until I got this ‘surprise’ invitation. She received us with the utmost hospitality and politeness and encouraged us to write our impressions of the meeting. We felt comfortable with her because so many of us were able to see a dream come true in meeting and talking to her.”
Journalist Yahya Jaber was afraid of meeting Fairuz for two reasons. The first was personal because of an article published in his magazine which she had been unhappy about. The second was his fear of the idea he has had of her since his childhood being altered. He has pointedly never attended any of her performances so she can keep the halo he has endowed her with. He was able to present his apology to her for the article and she at once forgave him. Jaber said: “Honestly, Fairuz has every right to be wary of reporters and to fear what they may write. Nonetheless, I support her decision to hold these meetings with the press. She’s an amazing woman who radiates feminity; she is simple in her elegance and does not surround herself with superficial glamour as so many other artists do.
The meeting was held in a romantic setting with dim lights and classical music. I received the best possible gift from my visit with Fairuz face to face.”
During the Meeting
. Fairuz sat on a ‘divan’ — a separate seating arrangement so she appeared a little distant, like royalty.
. She did not join the journalists when they ate though she did sit with them at the table. One of them said that he was happy simply to say that he had eaten in her house.
. None of her family was present, not even her daughter Rima who is always with her.
. She was witty and displayed a genuine sense of humor; she was neither artificial nor superficial.