Italian opera singer Laura Allegrini has confirmed her choice of Lebanon as a permanent place of residence, stressing that Lebanese artist Ziad Rahbani was a moral support for her.
In an interview with the National News Agency, Allegrini said: "My decision is final, and my fate and last homeland is Lebanon. I sang with artist Ziad Rahbani, who awakened all my abilities following my feelings of sorrow due to the death of my life partner."
Allegrini hoped that she would live happily in Lebanon after she considered it to be her dear homeland. "My wish is to visit Italy and sing during Christmas before His Holiness, the Pope," she added.
Referring to her relationship with Lebanon, the Italian opera singer said: "I have been studying Arabic for three years, and during this period I visited Lebanon several times, most recently during a musical event by the great Ziad Rahbani, whom I value a lot, and I sang "Sabah wu Massa" in Arabic. During the three years, I have concentrated on getting to know more about the Lady of Arab Tarab Music, Umm Kulthum, and the great Diva Fairouz. I did not only reflect on their biography, but their relationship with the audience and the reasons for people's love for them, and searched for a connection between me as an opera singer and them. I became more and more convinced that Lebanon will be my final destiny and I will live there forever," explained Allegrini.
"Today there is an audience that loves and I adore it," she proudly asserted.
"The Lebanese star Fairouz has managed to maintain her attained status after presenting hundreds of timeless works of art, and she has reached the hearts of listeners around the world," Allegrini said.
"Umm Kulthum is unique and incomparable, and I do not exaggerate if I say that her voice is a divine miracle," she added.
Describing artist Ziad Rahbani, Allegrini said that he deserves to be called a "genius" for he is "multi-talented, being a singer and composer, distributor and songwriter, an author of plays and a writer."
On the extent of awareness of the crises facing Lebanon at the present time, Allegrini concluded by saying: "I come from a poor family and I understand what difficulties the country is facing and I will confront them along with the Lebanese."
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