1. Melhem Barakat, known as Melhim Barakat or Abou Majd, was a Lebanese singer, songwriter, and composer.
14 Facts About Melhem Barakat
1. 2.
Melhem Barakat toured Australia, South America, Canada, and the United States.
3.
Melhem Barakat was born on 15 August 1945, in Kfarshima, Lebanon.
4.
Melhem Barakat inherited his affinity for music from his father, who was a carpenter and taught Melhem how to play the oud.
5.
In 1960, Melhem Barakat dropped out of school at the age of 15 and enrolled into the National Institute of Music without his father's knowledge.
6.
Melhem Barakat participated as an actor and singer in many of the Rahbani brothers' musicals and operettas.
7.
Since the 1990s, Melhem Barakat had several popular songs, such as "Habibi Enta," which was later sung by his ex-wife May Hariri.
8.
Melhem Barakat collaborated with Najwa Karam, Karol Sakr, Shatha Hassoun, and Majida El Roumi.
9.
Melhem Barakat composed music for some of the best Arab singers of the past century, including Sabah, Samira Tewfik, Wadih El Safi and Majida El Roumi.
10.
Melhem Barakat was known for his energetic songs that mixed classical music with his personal improvisations.
11.
Melhem Barakat was first married to Souad Feghali, the sister of Lebanese singer Sabah.
12.
Melhem Barakat later married Randa Azar with whom he had three children: Majd, Waad and Ghinwa.
13.
Melhem Barakat died of prostate cancer on 28 October 2016 at Hotel-Dieu de France hospital in Achrafieh, Lebanon.
14.
Melhem Barakat's funeral took place at Saint Nicolas Church in Achrafieh, Beirut.