The irreplaceable great who voiced a generation

As the 1970s ushered in a new era with an influx of talent, Lebanon would greatly benefit from names who carried the art form during the toughest of times. Joseph Sakr, with his distinctive voice and charisma oozing from every pore, personified the changing landscape with longtime friend and collaborator Ziad Rahbani. While the latter is heaped with praise for his genius work, Sakr has gone underappreciated as the driving force behind the most memorable masterpieces. Joseph Sakr started his musical career with Al-Firqa Al-lshabiya Al-Lubnaniya, invented by the Rahbani Brothers in the ’60s.

He joined the choir to accompany Fairuz in many of her performances while also taking on minor acting roles. Her son Ziad Rahbani was a pianist at the time with dreams of developing his own plays, and he instantly developed chemistry with Sakr. It wasn’t long before their first play Sahriye debuted in 1973. From a French teacher to an overnight star, Sakr left the school in mid-year to embark on his newest journey as Nakhle Al-Taneen. When Nakhle Al-Taneen was recruiting a new talent in the play, his stardom was threatened by one particular name, and the battle of “Ahhh” that ensued is iconic: Long gone were the days of background singing as he joined Fairuz in two supporting roles in Loulou (1974) and Mais El-Reem (1975).

With his indisputable talent, Joseph Sakr became an instrumental presence to assist Ziad in carrying the Rahbani legacy for years to come. He starred in Nazl El Sourour where he shone in the role of Barakat, carrying the majority of musical workload in the play. While Fairuz shied away from Ziad’s contentious lyrics, Sakr tackled those tracks in ways that only he could. She was a noted fan of the duo and would request to perform some of their work, including an appearance at Beiteddine Festival. It was a crowning moment for the man who merely had a role in her earlier plays. What set Sakr apart from his contemporaries was a distinguishable persona and vocal flair that resonated with listeners of all ages.

He gladly experimented with ad-libs that added lively energy to the songs, morphing into trademarks that illustrated his image. Long gone were the days of background singing as he joined Fairuz in two supporting roles in Loulou (1974) and Mais El-Reem (1975). With his indisputable talent, Joseph Sakr became an instrumental presence to assist Ziad in carrying the Rahbani legacy for years to come.

He starred in Nazl El Sourour where he shone in the role of Barakat, carrying the majority of musical workload in the play. While Fairuz shied away from Ziad’s contentious lyrics, Sakr tackled those tracks in ways that only he could. She was a noted fan of the duo and would request to perform some of their work, including an appearance at Beiteddine Festival. It was a crowning moment for the man who merely had a role in her earlier plays.

What set Sakr apart from his contemporaries was a distinguishable persona and vocal flair that resonated with listeners of all ages. He gladly experimented with ad-libs that added lively energy to the songs, morphing into trademarks that perfectly illustrated his image. Joseph Sakr remained loyal to his closest associate, opting to only release songs composed by Ziad Rahbani. He turned down several offers in the ’90s and remained mostly out of the spotlight until the release of his final album “Bema Enno” in 1995.

At 55 years old, Sakr was taken too early from his family and a country that needed his voice. In 1997, New Year day celebrations were cut short in some Lebanese households upon hearing the news of Joseph Sakr’s sudden death, which coincidentally fell on Ziad Rahbani’s birthday. While Ziad had been the mastermind behind all the classics, it was Sakr who steered the wheel to deliver his messages in a captivating way. The greatest testimony came from Ziad Rahbani who admitted that nothing had affected his artistry more than the absence of the irreplaceable Joseph Sakr.

With the 21st anniversary of his death coming up, a new website is set to launch containing an archive of songs, videos and photos, according to his son Raji Sakr. And while most of the younger generations have been raised on his songs without having seen his image, they are still able to immediately recognize his mellifluous voice ringing through parties and various events.