She sang in 1979 "Paris, Oh Flower of Freedom"
Fayrouz receives the President of France over a "cup of coffee" ... today
Today, the great Arab artist, Fayrouz, welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron, at the start of his visit to Lebanon, which he chose to start by meeting with a national symbol whose name all the Lebanese meet.
The Elysee Palace included the name of the Lebanese artist at the forefront of the French President's program, during his second visit to Beirut, in less than a month.
Macron wrote in a tweet two days ago: "A date for a cup of coffee with Fayrouz in Antelias on Monday evening."
Macron returns to Beirut and on his agenda is a program crowded with political meetings, in an attempt to extricate the country from its many predicaments.
The French president concluded a visit to Beirut on August 7, and wrote on Twitter the phrase “I love you, Lebanon,” which is the title of a famous song by Fayrouz that accompanied the Lebanese throughout the 15 years of the civil war.
Macron will visit the Lebanese artist upon his arrival this evening at her home in Rabieh, near Antelias, north of Beirut, away from the media lenses.
Fairouz has strong friendship with the French state, which was cemented in 1975, when she appeared for the first time on French television, as part of the program "Special Matteo", presented by her friend, the French artist Mireille Mathieu, and there was the song "Your Love in the Summer."
The relationship took a deeper form during the Lebanese war when Fayrouz gave a huge party at the 1979 Olympics in Paris and sang "Paris, Oh Flower of Freedom."
And the last part of the song says: (Oh France, what do you tell your family about my wounded country / About my country that is in danger and wind / Our story from the beginning of time / Lebanon is wounded, Lebanon is destroyed / They say it died and it does not die / And he returns from Hajaru above my homes / It adorns Tire, Sidon and Beirut).
Fayrouz received the highest French honors, including the Commander of Arts and Letters from the late French President Francois Mitterrand in 1988, and the Knight Legion of Honor from the late President Jacques Chirac in 1998.
Macron chose to start his visit by meeting with a national symbol in whose name all the Lebanese meet.