Fadel Shaker

Fadel Shaker was born in Lebanon in 1969 and started making music in the mid-1990s. His voice had a soulful quality that connected with listeners, and songs like 'Ya Ghayeb' became staples in the Arab world. That track in particular seemed to capture something people recognized, a feeling of absence or longing that resonated widely.

In 1999, there was some noise about his song 'Asmar Halah' sounding too much like an Egyptian tune, but it didn't really slow things down. More significantly, in 2013 he publicly backed Hezbollah, which drew sharp criticism and led him to step away from music entirely. He hasn't been active since.

Before that exit, he put out albums like 'El Hob El Awel' and 'Nawt El Ghorbeh', and worked with singers such as Elissa and Amr Diab. The band around him usually included Ali Daoud on drums, Bassam Fayad on bass, and Emad Samarkandi on keyboards. Even with the controversies, 'Ya Ghayeb' still gets played, and his earlier recordings hold a place for many listeners.