WORLD ACCLAIMED FAIROUZ TO MAKE LAS VEGAS DEBUT AT THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA
One night only performance on Saturday, May 15

These were originally posted on the message board.
Arranged according to original dates of posting.
If you want to add your review or if you don't
want your review to be included, email me.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

Shafik al-Mansur | Nour Chammas | Joe Hilany | Abir | Mustaheel | Amin Khalil



Shafik:
We arrived back at the MGM Grand Arena around 6:30 pm after having walked 
around the MGM Grand for most of the day amazed by the posters of Fairouz 
throughout the hotel and especially outside on the two huge Marquis where 
Fairouz's image could be seen all the way down the street. We waited
outside the Grand Arena until 7:00pm when the doors were open for seating.
The Grand Arena filled very rather slowly and I was really thinking that
the concert did not actually sell that well because even at 8:00pm, there
were still many whole sections unfilled. But people were still coming in
and taking there seats and by 9pm the whole place was filled I was
fortunate enough to have a seat on the left of the stage about half way up
and real close. It was, in my opinion, about the best place to have been.
Well, around 9pm, the orchestra began to take their seats and then the
maestro came out. When Fairouz appeared in a blue gown, the crowd went
absolutely crazy. She sang many old songs and a few newer ones. As I am
trying to recall as many as possible and this is no particular order:
Wa Dawwee ya hal 'andeel
Ahwak
Keefak Inta
Khudni
Sanarjaou Yauman
'al hadeer al Busta
Ana saar laazem wada3kon
Jisr al-Khashibiyya
Mouwashihat 
 irja3i ya alf leyla
 ya leyl as sab.
Oudak rannan
u lamma al 'amr ghab
Ya Ana Ya Ana
'Atini an Nay
Nahna wa 'Amr Jiran
Ishar
I will try to remember more, but this is a few of the songs that she sang.
She appeared in 4 different dresses. There was the beautiful traditional 
thobe that
she wears for the Mouwashihat and then there was the angelic white gown
with the crown that she wore in the last set. I must tell you, Fairouz
looked so radiant and her voice was the best I have heard. There was a very
funny incident in the concert. After the second set of songs, fairouz left
the stage, then the lights came on and the musicians had also left. People
started saying that the show was over and some people got real angry and
people were actually leaving and were in disbelief. It was just the 
intermission!
Finally, after about 30 minutes, the show began again. The crowd was
tremendous and the seating was almost to capacity with only a few sections
at the ceiling level in the back and some seats behind the lighting area
vacant. The concert was so well done, the songs were so well chosen and the
audience, other than the "obligatory" clapping along to the music, was very
well-behaved, well-dressed and the night was beautiful. The performance was
filmed with two lift cameras and a mobile unit so I do hope that we will
see this on tape one day soon. I can only say that I am glad that I made
it to see Fairouz and it was worth every bit of the travel and effort. I can 
only say that it was like a dream because I was not in this world during the 
concert. When Fairouz appeared, my heart stopped and a rush of emotion went 
through my body. Here was the artist that I love so much, whose very face I 
see every day on this site, on the albums I have, in a painting that hangs in 
my front room, now in front of me. It was heaven on earth!. The sound of her 
voice coming through the speakers above the stage was like a direct feed to 
my soul. The entire audience was in rapture and as soon as the first notes of
a song played and the audience recognized the melody, the applause was 
tremendous. There were whole families, old people and kids, teenagers and 
couples. It was kind of like a big reunion party too as people were seeing 
friends and relatives at the show. I felt like I was in Lebanon just 
listening to all the people speaking Arabic ( or maybe Dearborn!!) Reporting 
from Las Vegas, Shafik al-Mansur




Nour Chammas:
It was the most magical of nights. I don't think that words by themselves
can possibly express the magnificence of this wonderful concert. I began
to get chills when our Angel first appeared on stage, and when she began
to sing "Dawwi Ya Hal-'Andeel", I could not control my emotions and began
to cry. Tears were filling my eyes when she sang "Tariq El-Na7el", "A3tini
El-Naya", "Ya Jisran Khashabiyya", "Sanarji3ou", and "Khidni".

Her voice was absolutely enchanting. Prior to this great night, I had only
listened to Fairouz on cassettes and CD's, and of course fell in love with
her voice. However, listening to her live felt like a whole new experience.
Her magical voice filled every inch of the arena. It was like nothing I
have ever heard before. 

That night I fell in love with Fairouz all over again, and now I love her
more than I ever have. I thank her with all my heart for all that she's
done for me and the rest of the world. I just wish that everyone could have
had the chance to enjoy this heavenly experience. Thank you.



Joe Hilany:
Thank you Fairouz,
What a spectacular event. This is the first time I've seen Fairouz live.
I left Lebanon in 1989. Fairouz is the only singer who can make my heart
beat with affection for Lebanon.

On May 15, Fairouz added an oriental touch to the ever sleeping city, Las
Vegas, with her majestic voice.

Fairouz, you will always be a non-disputable symbol
of our beautifulcountry, Lebanon 



Abir
Hi all friends & Fairouz's fans..
I don't know where to start..By now you've heard a lot about the concert &
I will be repeating many details but I think I'll tell you my reactions
along the story lines..
First of all ,anyone who has read my comments before the concert knows how
anxious I was to meet Fairouz in person.The concert for me was THE BIG
EVENT but my old dream was coming back to me & that was the closest I could
be to make it happen..The night before I left to Vegas I couldn't sleep
trying to figure out how I'm going to see her..Then finally I sat in bed &
wrote her a personal letter telling her about my obsession with her,my love
that started
when I was 3&1/2 yrs old when my dad tought me how to sing "Zahret
almada'en" & I recited the whole thing ,every word of it on the school
theater on mother's day 1969 in front of parents & students.I still have a
picture in black & white & it's my favorite picture ever. I also told her
about every important period in my life where she was always with me,on our
family get togethers singing Zeriab, Kasidet hob..etc to my daily "meshwar"
with my love holding hands & singing her songs,to my engagement night when
I sang with my honey "ya nwatir eltalj" & made it our promise song, to our
wedding night when I sang to my husband "ana la habibi on the stage with
the friends & relatives watching....I told her about coming to the states &
how her voice was the only connection that stayed stronger than anything
else...My little daughter Petra that asked me recently to sing what I
alwasy sang to her when she was an infant "Yala tnam Rima"...I was very
emotional & I asked her if she would let me see her. I had bought a sweet
card that I thought would be appropriate to give to her & I decided to put
the letter inside the card & give it to her with some flowers.& I also
included a picture my Petra made especially for her.. When we got to Vegas.
THAT BIG CITY.I couldn't even feel
the excitement about the city ,all I was thinking of was Fairuz..& Maybe
meeting her..I finally got to the MGM hotel to pick up the tickets & it
only took me 15 minutes to do so.
It took me an hour and a half to arrange for a basquet of flowers to come 
in...I couldn't believe how hard it was.! MGM has a florist located outside
the hotel & by the time I got there it was closed,to make arrangement I had
to use the phone & it wouldn't take Visa so I had to get a calling card to
use the phone .To make a long story short ,I managed to get the flowers
ordered  (a basquet of little white orcades with blue-purple iris & tiny
white star flowers) ,now I had to get someone to deliver the basquet &
attach the card I forgot to mention that I decided to sign the card with
all our names since I knew every one of us would have wanted to do the same
thing,& I wanted her to get something special & find out about people who
really love her deeply,& I finally thought that would be the least that I
could do to say thank you to Khaled who created this wonderful place for us
to experess our love to her..
So ,I had to convince an american bell captain to do the mission & get the
card with the flowers to our angel.It took her about 15 minutes just to get
the ok to do it. Now I had to wait very impatiently til the next day.The
concert day. Before I talk about the concert day I want to tell you all
what I wrote in the card..(Sorry if I'm giving so many details I thought
some might be interested): The card is sweet colorful one that has on the
front a field of white flowers with a little wooden bridge (!) and some
yellow butterflies.It says: Those who bring sunchine to the lives of others
cannot keep it from themselves. On the inside there are few flying
butterflies & it reads:May your day be bright with sunchine ,touched with
warmth & filled with joy.I added something in arabic,& I will write it here
in arabic since I think it will loose its depth if I
translate it: Kafarashat alhakel sayourafref sawtaki ala masame' koulobina
wa yahmilouna ila aalam akhar haysou youhaimen alhob bikoul ashkalihi fawka
koulli raoh,wa fi a'mak kouli kalb yanbod. Wa ba'da rihlatou alintizar
sayousbeh alholm hakika walamal basma touzher ala kouli wajeh.... Ahlan
biki fi kouloubina lam toughadiriha lahzatan rougma albou'ad.
The next day,I was up by 7:00am even though I went to bed after 2:30am. 
Only one thing was on my mind .HOW TO MEET HER...& I decided to call her so
I called the operator with my heart pounding like crazy & I asked to speak
with someone at Fairouz's party ,they kept connecting me (she was staying
at a section called the mansion where every one of her group has his own
"villa") so finally I got the mansion's operator & I told her I wanted to
talk to someone in her party.The phone rang & my herat almost stopped, I
didn't know what to say.Then a male's voice comes on the other line & asks
who I am .With a trembling voice I said my name & that I'm the one who sent
her flowers the night before He said before I continue that he has a signed
picture for me.I almost kissed the phone.I asked him how I can get it & he
said to talk to a security guy & he will get it for me. Then I found myself
asking him who he was ,he said his name is Fawzi. I asked him if I can see
her, he said it was impossible since they were practicing & he had to go.
WOW....!!!! By now all I can think of is the arena.Is she there? Can I
sneak in ? Can I see her??? I ran to the arena & all the doors were closed
but I found finally an opening downstairs that leads to the back of the
arena & without even thinking twice I walked in .I've never felt that way
before.It was like a movie I was living. Sneaking trying not to be cought
& looking for a place where I could see them. From one door to the other I
saw dressing rooms, a door that had a handwritten sign on it says:Fairuz
production office.I felt so close .Then all of a sudden a security guy
bumped into me & I almost jumped. He asked me what I wanted &I said I lost
my group (Fairuz's group) & I'm trying to get to them.I felt horrible that
I lied,but I couldn't go back now.So the guy called another security person
& told him to take me to DR SAADA.I had no idea who Dr Saada was,& there was
no sign of Fairouz or the group.We went down in the arena between people
putting up the chairs preparing for the big evening to the back part behind
the stage itself. It was dark & kind a cold & I was very nervous,What would
I say.I totally lost it.Right now I could thing of anything that I could've
said,like I'm from Fairouz.com & I'm trying to find Rima or something,but
when Dr Saada asked me who I was ,I lacked the words & finally I found
myself saying I'm here to see Fairouz. (I know ,stupid ,huh..All the
preparation & the risks & now I can't come up with anything more
convincing). Well the guy of course said absolutely not not before the
concert.She wouldn't even see him now.I almost begged him but there was no
remorse ..He said he knows how I felt (NOT one bit.!!! He can never know
how I was feeling) ,& that he saw it before so many times ,people who cried
& fainted & that I have no chance...Well.Obviously Fawzi didn't tell me the
truth ,there was no one in the arena other than DR Saada & the MGM
employees so I asked him to deliver her a message that I wanted to meet her
& he PROMISED he would !!(SURE).

Well,what happened next is not as exciting other than the concert itself which
took our breath away. I had all kind of emotions,watching the crowd absorbing
every word that came out of her beautiful mouth.Every sweet song that took us
back ages & ages....She was there for the people ,only for them.She only sang
what they loved from her a long time before they departed...She wasn't there
to introduce anything else other than her belongning to them.Not even the new
album.It wasn't appropriate. She wasn't there to sell,she was there to be with
them & lift up their hearts & take some loads off their tired backs...I can
keep going on & on describing how she was & what she did,but I'll let the
other fans who were there have some of their own...I will send Khaled the list
 of all the songs in order including the coral ones (I wrote them all in order
during the concert) & have him put it on the concert special site.
To end my story,I tried after the concert to talk to someone while the security
people were rushing the crowd out .I asked for fawzi & he was on the stage ,I
introduced my self & almost begged him to let me see her just for one minute
but it was useless. There was no chance .She was gone & I lost my chance again.
I forgot to mention that Fawzi did send me the picure through a security guy
right before the concert .It's a wonderful picture of her in her blue shiny
dress & her signature on the bottoom of it simply Fairouz in arabic.She didn't
write a single word, but it was enough, it was from her.. My angel.. 

Mustaheel
well its been a total of 5 days now and i still have not been able to sleep.
befor the concert it was the anticpation and after the concert it has been
sheer joy of all the songs that fairouz sang in the concert .Im am going to
attempt to put into words what i felt while listening to fairouz perform.
During the first 2 songs i was just in awe at the fact that i am actually
here experiencing this historical event . i found myself taking deep long
breaths, sighing and thanking god for giving me this opprotunity.during the
concert and her songs i was crying and weeping uncontrollably , these were
tears of joy and appreciation.I feel that i am no different than all the other
fans that attended the concert ,yes fairouz made me reminace when iwas a child
at the age of 4 i remember my mother tucking me in bed, playing fairouz music
in the background ,playing with my hair and gazing deeply into my clear blue
eyes and mine onto her eyes. There was always the unspoken feeling that was
brought about of complete peace and serenity . it was an unspoken feeling that
everything was going to be alright. 29 years later i experienced the same
feeling while attending this historic concert.that feeling was nastalgic
beautiful and priceless .i also found myself to be hypnotizes by the fact that
here is an opprotunity where i actually have the ability to listen to fairouz
from the pa system directly into my ears.what i experienced was so beautiful a
beautiful voice so crisp , yet gentle and warm. the violins and piano playing
so melodically that each of these 2 forces were tugging ever so gently onto my
weakened heart making me just float with every note that was played and with
every song that she sang. i would like to thank fairouz for the humble person
that she is , the fans asked her to come out not once twice but three times
after her last song and she was gracious enough to accomodate.i will for ever
treasure this experience. someone asked me , how was the concert..my reply was
that i am truly blessed for i have experienced many wondrful things in my life 
a wonderful supportive family , a wonderful snd understanding wife who urged
me not to miss this opprotunity , 2 beautiful children , and finally seeing
fairouz in concert. If i were to die tomorrow as i reflect back onto my life
experiences , i would look at all the highlights and milestones that i
mentioned above and in the back of my mind wopuld be the fairouz music that i
heard at the concert . i would like to take the opprotunity to thank everyone
for making this possible god bless you all. 


AMIN KHALIL:
DEAR KHALED AND EVERYONE,..
I WAS IN PARADISE,IN HEAVEN,OR MAYBE BEYOND.
THE CONCERT WAS REALLY HISTORICAL.FAIROUZ WAS THE QUEEN OF QUEENS.
MY HEART WAS POUNDING ,RESTLESSLY WAITING FOR HER APPEARANCE,NOT REALISING
YET THAT IT WAS REAL,THAT SHE IS HERE ,SHE IS GOING TO SING,IN FEW MINUTES
(THAT SEEMED LIKE AGES), THE CROWD WERE TAKING THERE TIME SOCIALISING (SADLY
EVEN DURING HER SINGING),... 
THE THEATRE WAS FULL,AROUND 16000 PEOPLE,THE LIGHTS WENT DIM,THE MUSICIANS AND
CHOIR WENT ON STAGE,..MY MIND WAS ALERT,I WAS BREATHLESS,MY SENSES WIDE OPEN,
SOME TISSUES IN ONE HAND(READY FOR THE TEARS TO FLOW), AND MY HEART THAT HAS
STOPPED BEATING IN ANOTHER.
THE OVERTURE WAS (ABOU ALI),BY ZIAD,A VERY GOOD CHOICE AND NICELY PLAYED.THE
MUSICAL ENSEMBLE WAS NATURALLY GREAT,CONDUCTED BY MIKE HERO,AND WHAT`S
REMARCABLE WAS THE FEMALE VIOLENISTS AND KANOON PLAYER(A RARE SCENE IN ARBIC
MUSICAL PERFORMANCES), AND THE QUEEN APPEARED.AS IF FROM THE BEGINING OF
EXSISTANCE,SHE CAME,AGELESS,MAGICAL,AND HOLY.
SHE APPEARED LIKE LIGHT FROM HEAVEN ABOVE,WEARING A BEAUTIFUL BLUE GOWN,..HER
FACE LIKE THAT OF A SAINT OR A PROPHET,SEEMED MELANCOLIC,CARRYING THE JOYS
AND SORROWS OF THE WORLD.
HER VOICE LIT THE HALL WITH DAWEE YA HAL ANDEEL ALA BYOUT KILIL NASS.HER VOICE
WAS BETTER AND MORE SURE THAN EVER.CRISP,PURE AND FOREVER ANGELIC.
SHE CHANTED TAREE`EL NAHEL AND THEN OPENNED OUR WOUNDS WITH NASAM ALAYNAL HAWA.
SHE WAS MAGNIFICANT.SHE DISAPPEARED TO LET THE CHOIR IMPESSIVELY SING NASRI`S
HADOUNI HADOUNI,..
THE DIVA CAME BACK IN A SMASHING YELLOW DRESS AND A TURQUOISE CAPE,AS IF SHE
STEPPED FROM A FARY TALE,A FANTASY DREAM,TAKING ME BACK IN A SECOND TO THE
FAIROUZ OF NASS MIN WARAK, EMBRACING US WITH YA ANA YA ANA,AATINI NAYA WA
GHANI,AND S`HAR BAAD S`HAR, I WAS FLOATING,EVERYBODY WAS,YES WE WERE IN HEAVEN,
AMONG THE STARS,BUT IN ANOTHER GALAXY,A GALAXY,ONLY FAIROUZ CAN REACH,BLESSING
US WITH THE TASTE OF GODS MAGNIFICANT PARADISE.
I STILL WASN`T AWARE OF IT`S REALITY.SHE WAS THERE,FILLING UP THE ENORMOUS
THEATRE WITH HER VOICE AND HOLY PRESENCE,TAKING US TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF
EXTACY, SHE WAS IN FRONT OF ME,NO,.. SHE WAS INSIDE ME.
FAIROUZ SANG LIKE NEVER BEFORE,AND GAVE A LOT ,..LAILIYEE BTIRJAA YA LAYL,
SANARJIOO,YA JISRAN KHASHABIYAN,AHWAK,AND MANY MORE.
THE ANDALOUSIYAT TOOK US INTO A MYSTICAL JOURNEY,AND THE DIVA LOOKED
SENSATIONAL,VAILED IN A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHT,SHAKING US,RECERCULATING THE
BLOOD IN OUR VAINS,ENGRAVING OUR PAST GLORY IN OUR LONELY,PRESENT CONCIOUSNESS.
THE TYPICAL FAIROUZ RITUAL TRADITION(COMING BACK ALL IN WHITE,AND A CROWN,AND
ONLY HER AMONG HUMANS IS FIT TO WEAR A CROWN),WAS ENCHANTING. SHE SANG NIHNA
WIL AMAR JIRAN,KHIDNI,OUDAK RANNAN,IZAL ARD MDAWARA,BOKRA BIRJAA BOU`AF MAAKOM,
..SHE LEFT TO COME BACK TO A CRAZY DRIVEN AUDIENCE,..CRAZY BEYOND IMAGINATION.
THE END WAS GETTING CLOSER,WE WERE ALL STANDING AT THAT POINT,OR WERE WE
FLYING?!! EL BOSTA WAS A REAL (TRIP),AND FINALLY ZOUROUNI.
IT WAS OVERWHELMING,TOO MUCH TO BE DESCRIBED IN WORDS,VERY SAD TO SEE HER GO.
I FELT EXACTLY LIKE A CHILD CRYING DESPERATLY,CLINGING TO HER SHADOW,
HORRIFYED WATCHING HIS MOTHER LEAVING HIM ON HIS FIRST DAY IN SCHOOL. HOW CAN
ONE GO BACK,OR DOWN TO THE REALITY OF LIFE AFTER THAT.HOW CAN YOU FACE THE
MATERIAL WORLD AFTER LIVING THE SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE AT ITS CLIMAX? GOING OUT
(ESPECIALLY OUT THROUGH THE SHOKING REPULSIVE WORLD OF CASINO GAMBLING),WAS
TOO MUCH OF A DISTURBING CLASH. I FOUND MYSELF UNCONCIOUSLY WALKING AGAINST
THE PROSESSION OF THE CROWD,AS IF REFUSING TO LEAVE,APPROACHING THE BACK OF
THE STAGE.I STOOD THERE FOR A WHILE,FROZEN,NOT KNOWING WHERE TO GO,...
I AM OUT NOW,TWO DAYS BACK FROM PARADISE,SO GRATEFUL TO GOD,FOR HIS BLESSINGS,
FOR HER BLESSINGS,..SO THANKFUL THAT LIKE ETERNITY,SHE IS STILL HERE,STILL
SINGING,MAGICALLY BRINGING OUR SENSES AND EMTIONS TO LIFE,.. FAIROUZ,...LITTLE
YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAME FOR ME,LITTLE YOU KNOW YOU SANG ONLY FOR ME, AND WHEN
YOU LEFT,LITTLE YOU KNOW ...YOU ARE NOT ALONE,...MY SPIRIT LEFT WITH YOU.