Fairouz’s ‘Kifak Inta’ to be released on vinyl for the first time

The classic and timeless album was instrumental in modernising Arabic music

A photograph from the early 1990s shows Fairouz at home. Photo: Saeed Al Harmoodi

Legendary singer Fairouz is reissuing one of her most celebrated albums, Kifak Inta (How Are You?), as a vinyl for the first time since its release in 1991 on cassette and CD.

Kifak Inta is Fairouz’s 13th studio album, produced by her son Ziad Rahbani, who had already produced two of her other popular albums, Wahdon in 1979 and Maarifti Feek in 1987.

Blending funk, jazz, Arabic music and Brazilian influences, Kifak Inta took Fairouz’s unmistakable voice and combined it with simple, profound poetic lyrics to create one of the most well-regarded albums from the Arab world to date.

The album's success and its unique sound modernised Fairouz's reputation, as she initially rose to fame for her patriotic songs and folklore-influenced music.

The vinyl, which is set for release in November through Wewantsounds, has been remastered by ColorSound Studio Mastering in Paris and includes liner notes from Mario Choueiry of the Institut du Monde Arabe, who curated the album.

Known as the soul of Lebanon, Fairouz has released 21 studio albums throughout a career that has spanned six decades.

She began her musical career as a teenager, singing as a chorus member at Lebanon’s national radio station in the late 1940s. There, she was introduced to the Rahbani brothers, Assi and Mansour, whom she started working with. The Rahbani brothers started to compose songs for her and were instrumental in the growth and longevity of Fairouz's career.

Her first hit, Itab (Ask), produced by the Rahbani brothers, was released in 1952 and catapulted her to instant fame.

Since then, Fairouz has recorded more than 1,500 songs and released more than 80 albums, which have included live concert recordings and soundtracks for some of the 20 musicals she's been in.

She's also toured internationally and sold more than 150 million records worldwide, becoming the highest-selling Middle Eastern artist of all time and one of the best-selling artists in the world.

Kifak Inta will be released on vinyl on November 4 and is available for pre-order from the Wewantsounds website