Ghassan Rahbani

Biography

He was raised in a family of musicians, led by his late uncles Assi Rahbani and Mansour Rahbani, and by his father Elias Rahbani. He started his involvement with music very early by stealing music and began composing between the age of 7 and 10.

At the age of six he started his classical piano courses under the guidance of his teacher Mr. Agop Arslanian, followed by Solfege theory, both traditional and modern harmony, contre point, fugue, musical analysis, and orchestration.

At the age of 11, he sang along with his brother Jad Rahbani, famous long playing songs composed by their father "Elias Rahbani", containing 13 of what became famous kids songs on which many Lebanese in the 1970s grew up listening to such as, "Kellon Indoun Sayarat", "Toll' Eddaou al Wawi", "Ammy Bou Massoud"...etc.

He also pioneered in combining of Hard rock in Lebanon with the music of the Middle East.

He spent the first 10 years of his career writing and composing in this genre. At the age of fifteen, he released his first album (in English), followed by two more the next year, as a solo artist.

In 1981 and at the age of 17, Gassan formed a band called "WILD HAZE" with George Hayek (Guitars & Vocals), Fida Zalloom (bass), and Tony Samaha (Drums & Vocals). The band was formed during the climax of the Lebanese war which heavily affected Gassan's ideas in Heavy Metal music.

Wild Haze's first album At Last the First was so called for being the very first heavy metal English album in the Middle East under the name of a band and not as a solo artist. This album has been left unreleased due to internal conflicts; it appeared only on cassettes. Wild Haze performed at Mont La Salle (1982), USEK university(1983), and George V theater (1984). The band broke up in (1984).

The same year, he created The Ghassan Rahbani Group. "GRG" took the audience by storm specially with its one step ahead performances and stage appearances starting with the unforgettable "Dog river rock concert" in 1985, followed by " The Casino du Liban rock concert" in 1986. The musicians that went through "GRG" were many... Guitarists : Marwan Nahle, Habib Sleilati, Mario Ashy, Kabalan Samaha, Nabil Heshy, George Hayek and Alain McDessi. Keyboardists : Jad Rahbani, Hadi Sharara Jean-Claude Issa. Bass : Anto Katerjian, Tarek Kabbani, Andre Segone, Roger Abi Akl and Richard Fawaz. Drummers : Nanoo Khoory, Tony Samaha, Ramsey Khattar, Michel Matar, Johnny Badran, Sammy Jureidini, Walleed Taweel and Sako Sagherian. The group's current members are : -Anto Katerjian (Former, Manager) -Ghassan Rahbani (Keyboards and lead vocals) -Alain Makdessi (All Guitars) -Richard Fawaz (Bass) -Sako Sagherian (Drums).

In 1987 GR. won the press prize in the International song contest in Sopot, Poland, performing 2 of his compositions.

In 1990 the imposed "fake peace" in Lebanon pushed GR to express his pain, thoughts and ideas in the Lebanese Language beside the English singing defending ecology and criticizing authorities, Lebanese and Arab governors. In this field "GRG" Knew lots of hits written and composed by GR such as : Vitamine, Mamnooh, Kossitna bhal mujtamaa (Lyrics Ghady Rahbani Music Ossama Rahbani), Baladyyet Beirut (Lyrics Assad Rustom and Mr Mansoor Rahbani Music Ossama Rahbani), Shteghel, Iza Zaajak Sheelo, Wen'elkon nehna meen, Tareek el mataar, Maaly Lwazeer, Sentel 2000 part one and two and El jamhoor aayez kidah.

In 1996 a big turning point in GR's artistic career was his first historical musical epic "HANNIBAL" which he wrote and composed with more than 60 actors on stage directed by Mr. Yacoob Shedrawi. This historical epic played around 12 months in Lebanon and then moved to Tunisia for five performances inaugurating the 33rd Carthage summer festival and the Madina festival.

Ghassan Saleeba played Hannibal's role, Ranya Ghosen El Hajj played Imilsa, Joseph Boo Nassar played Scipio Africanus, Pierre Dagher played Maharbaal along with 60 actors and dancers. "HANNIBAL" is considered to be a turning point in the Lebanese and Arab theater for dealing with it from a different angle, a lots of renovations were made in the "HANNIBAL" epic such as realizing the whole life of a hero from birth until death within 2 hours, working on the scenes from a cinematic point of view, first to show real battles between soldiers fighting on stage, mixing hard rock and classical scenes.

In 2000, GR played the role of Judas in "And He roses on the third day", a musical by Ossama Rahbani, written by Mr . Mansour Rahbani and directed by Marwan Rahbani.

"The 4 CATS" band, was his last innovation formed late 1997. Until nowadays both "The 4 Cats" and "GRG" are going stronger, # 1 in Arabian top charts as long as CD selling. -GR has more than 120 English and Lebanese recorded songs (90 English, 30 oriental). 3 music soundtrack for movies. More than 60 live indoor and outdoor concerts were made until the present day by "GRG" in Lebanon and all around the Middle East. 7 CD's were released under the name of "GRG" and Ghassan Rahbani as a solo album. -In summer 2001, June, GR and Ziad Rahbani joined together in the "Mneeha" concert at "Mont la Salle" joining around 10.000 spectators in two consecutive nights.

In 2002 GRG released a heavy metal video clip in Lebanese called "Al Jamhoor Ayez Kidah". In February 2003 GRG released a special Valentine Video clip R'n'B style in English called "Without Ur Love" shot in Beirut.

LBCI has produced the latest GRG Video clip "Karn El Alfen" (part III of "Sent El Alfen", Song) Shot in Beirut in the BUS, the classical part shot in Saint Joseph Cathedral, Monot, with collaboration of 100 Choir and 50 classical musicians and of course it was an honor for GRG to have Elias Rahbani as a special guest in their Video Clip.

In 2003 GRG released the "Al Bayda Wil Takshira" Album containing 15 tracks all in Lebanese, talking about politics, ecology...

November 2003 Ghassan Rahbani has launched his new play called "Kama Aala El Ared, Kazalika ...Min Fawk" at the Casino du Liban Theater, the Story was written, composed, arranged, directed, recorded, mixed and played by Ghassan E. Rahbani, with more than 70 actors, dancers and technicians.

2006 GRG he released its heavy metal Album called "www.redpeace.braindamage" containing 16 tracks from heavy to blues and ballades + A bonus cd containing one song "I'm dead" dedicated to the soul of Gibran Tueini.

His 2006 album was "Kermal laam Bimootoo" in which he collaborated with his father.

In 2007 GRG has released the political video "el horriyeh bi'id el khawaja btejrah" later that year Ghassan has signed the soundtrack of the 4cats "lion and 4 cats". 2008 spring, GRG has release "nahna hon min 3ich" dedicated to Armenian people"

In 2009 Gassan directed the musical "EELA" which was written, composed and produced by Mr Elias Rahbani. The same year ( 2009) GR produced and wrote the English music video "Come back to me" taken from the www.redpeace.braindamage album, and in 2009 GRG released their double album untitled " www.redpeace.braindamage" version 2.

-In 2009 GR produced and released the GRG trilogy DVD set, containing the complete series of GRG's music videos in a 3 DVD box.

- In Summer 2010 GR along with Melhem Barakat, launched their new musical play,"WAMINA EL HOBBI MA KATAL", " TOO MUCH LOVE KILLS" at the International Baalback Festival which was created, composed and performed by Melhem Barakat and Gassan Rahbani, female leading role by Ranya El Hage in collaboration with Pierre Chamoun and Ali El Khalil. The play was written and directed by Gassan and involved more than 120 artists.

- In Winter 2010, GR won the first prize in the French Charles trenet's international songs contest held in Paris France, presenting the song "Fruit interdit" Lyrics and performance by Grace Zeitounian, music and arr by GR.

-2011, the "Ghanni maa Ghassan" Program is still going strong in its sixth season on "New TV" (Al Jadeed TV), in addition, GR produced and released the "Ghanni maa Ghassan" album containing the songs he composed for the winners in seasons one, two and three. Late 2011 he released the double album entitled "Original Musical and Movie Soundtracks" composed, arranged and conducted by Gassan,