When I spoke with Ṣabaḥ Fakhrī in 1990 about music and performing, the great Syrian singer told me:
With his phenomenal talent, his legendary voice, and his close connection to his audience, Ṣabāḥ Fakhrī (figure 1) has become a respected and beloved ṭarab singer—that is, one who completely engages his audience with the feeling of the music and the lyrics. He moves his listeners through the expressiveness of his melodic renditions and through the spontaneity of music created on stage...