My NTS
Live now
1
23:00 - 01:00

Special guest shows from around the world.

2
Tokyo
00:00 - 01:00

A 15-hour tribute to the influential Japanese songwriter, Haruomi Hosono, known from his prolific productions and work in the electronic trio, Yellow Magic Orchestra. Expect mixes exploring his career and adjacent music from NTS' most dedicated Hosono-philes.

Wadih El Safi

Wadih El Safi

Wadih El Safi has been played on NTS shows including Bunny Hoova, with ودي يا جرودي = Wadi Ya Jroudi first played on 1 December 2019.

Wadih El Safi, Arabic: وديع الصافي‎ (born Wadi' Francis, November 1, 1921 – October 11, 2013) was a Lebanese singer, oud player, songwriter and actor. He is a Lebanese cultural icon, and is often called the "Voice of Lebanon".

Born in Niha, Lebanon, Wadih El Safi started his artistic journey at the age of seventeen when he took part in a singing contest held by Lebanese Radio and was chosen the winner among fifty other competitors. Wadih El Safi, a classically trained tenor, studied at the Beirut National Conservatory of Music. He became nationally known when, at seventeen, he won a vocal competition sponsored by the Lebanese Broadcasting Network. El Safi began composing and performing songs that drew upon his rural upbringing and love of traditional melodies, blended with an urban sound, and creating a new style of modernized Lebanese folk music In 1947, El Safi traveled to Brazil, where he remained until 1950. El Safi toured the world, singing in many languages, including Arabic, Syriac, French, Portuguese and Italian. In the spring of 1973, El Safi recorded and released a vinyl single with the songs "Grishlah Idi" lyrics by Ninos Aho and "Iman Ya Zawna" (lyrics by Amanuel Salamon), first one in Western Syriac and second one in Eastern Syriac. The music arrangements were done by Nuri Iskandar and the songs were produced especially for an Aramean Festival, which occurred in the UNESCO building in Beirut at that time where El Safi participated as a singer.

El Safi has written over 3000 songs. He is well known for his mawawil (an improvised singing style) of 'ataba, mijana, and Abu el Zuluf. He has performed and recorded with many well-known Lebanese musicians, including Najwa Karam, Fairouz, and Sabah.

Wadih El Safi (وديع الصافي), the prominent Lebanese composer and singer of his time, often described as the "Voice of Lebanon" and responsible for the mark of distinction and popularity of the Lebanese musical sound. His name is synonymous with traditional Lebanese folklore. His tenor voice commends a unique beauty and evokes the images and sounds of Lebanese terrain. Wadie' grew up in a village in the mountains of Lebanon and later on moved to Beirut, where he began composing and performing music based on his folklore roots incorporating a new urban sound, which would be later described as the urbanization of the Lebanese folk music.

Recently, through his work with Jose Fernandes & Michel Elefteriades through Elefrecords, Wadih El Safi has explored new pathways for his music, exposing a new generation to his sound. Wadih El Safi & Jose Fernades have found great success with their arabic-flamenco fusion.

read more

Wadih El Safi

Wadih El Safi has been played on NTS shows including Bunny Hoova, with ودي يا جرودي = Wadi Ya Jroudi first played on 1 December 2019.

Wadih El Safi, Arabic: وديع الصافي‎ (born Wadi' Francis, November 1, 1921 – October 11, 2013) was a Lebanese singer, oud player, songwriter and actor. He is a Lebanese cultural icon, and is often called the "Voice of Lebanon".

Born in Niha, Lebanon, Wadih El Safi started his artistic journey at the age of seventeen when he took part in a singing contest held by Lebanese Radio and was chosen the winner among fifty other competitors. Wadih El Safi, a classically trained tenor, studied at the Beirut National Conservatory of Music. He became nationally known when, at seventeen, he won a vocal competition sponsored by the Lebanese Broadcasting Network. El Safi began composing and performing songs that drew upon his rural upbringing and love of traditional melodies, blended with an urban sound, and creating a new style of modernized Lebanese folk music In 1947, El Safi traveled to Brazil, where he remained until 1950. El Safi toured the world, singing in many languages, including Arabic, Syriac, French, Portuguese and Italian. In the spring of 1973, El Safi recorded and released a vinyl single with the songs "Grishlah Idi" lyrics by Ninos Aho and "Iman Ya Zawna" (lyrics by Amanuel Salamon), first one in Western Syriac and second one in Eastern Syriac. The music arrangements were done by Nuri Iskandar and the songs were produced especially for an Aramean Festival, which occurred in the UNESCO building in Beirut at that time where El Safi participated as a singer.

El Safi has written over 3000 songs. He is well known for his mawawil (an improvised singing style) of 'ataba, mijana, and Abu el Zuluf. He has performed and recorded with many well-known Lebanese musicians, including Najwa Karam, Fairouz, and Sabah.

Wadih El Safi (وديع الصافي), the prominent Lebanese composer and singer of his time, often described as the "Voice of Lebanon" and responsible for the mark of distinction and popularity of the Lebanese musical sound. His name is synonymous with traditional Lebanese folklore. His tenor voice commends a unique beauty and evokes the images and sounds of Lebanese terrain. Wadie' grew up in a village in the mountains of Lebanon and later on moved to Beirut, where he began composing and performing music based on his folklore roots incorporating a new urban sound, which would be later described as the urbanization of the Lebanese folk music.

Recently, through his work with Jose Fernandes & Michel Elefteriades through Elefrecords, Wadih El Safi has explored new pathways for his music, exposing a new generation to his sound. Wadih El Safi & Jose Fernades have found great success with their arabic-flamenco fusion.

Original source Last.fm

Tracks featured on

Most played tracks

Aandak Baharia Ya Rayess
Wadih Essafi
World Psychedelic Funk Classics2009
ودي يا جرودي = Wadi Ya Jroudi
وديع الصافي, Wadi Al Safi
Duniaphon1981