The renowned Lebanese artist Fairuz has received a wide wave of artistic support from several artists in the Levant regarding a recent comment made by global Canadian star Celine Dion in the streets of the French capital, Paris, expressing her lack of knowledge about Fairuz's identity or having listened to her songs.
Celine Dion's comment sparked a wide debate on social media platforms in Lebanon and the Arab world regarding the incident, shedding light on the extent to which Fairuz's works have reached and spread in France and around the world, especially as singing talent discovery programs in France have long featured the "Moon Neighbor" in the voices of Arab and foreign talents.
A number of artists, including Bassam Ma'ghniyeh, Talal Mardini, Rita Hayek, Carlos Azar, Mohamed Al-Akhras, and Jood Tarad, who attended the 26th edition of the "Murex d'Or 2026" awards ceremony held in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, made sure to direct impactful words of support to Fairuz, unanimously describing her as a "prominent icon" in the Arab musical scene.
Ma'ghniyeh stated that Celine Dion's lack of knowledge about the Lebanese artist Fairuz does not diminish her significance at all, emphasizing that she will always remain an icon of Arab singing. Meanwhile, Carlos Azar remarked, "As long as Fairuz is our ambassador to the stars, it means that the stars know her."
Syrian artist Talal Mardini noted that it is enough for everyone in the Arab world to know Fairuz well, considering her a "crown on the head of every Arab." Lebanese Rita Hayek expressed that she views Fairuz as part of the Arab musical heritage and a legend that will not be repeated, asserting that everyone takes pride in her from Lebanon to the entire world, adding, "There's no one who doesn't know her."
Jordanian artist Mohamed Al-Akhras stated that he does not see Celine Dion's unfamiliarity with Fairuz as a belittlement of her in any way, affirming that cultural differences between the Arab and Western worlds could be a reason for Celine Dion's lack of knowledge about Fairuz.
Conversely, Jood Tarad believes it is possible that Celine Dion was stunned or astonished when asked the question, pointing out that the lack of exposure of Fairuz's songs abroad might essentially stem from issues related to the country's promotion, as he expressed.
Recently, Canadian star Celine Dion sparked widespread interaction after an impromptu interview with a Lebanese journalist in one of the streets of Paris, which included a surprising question about Lebanese artist Fairuz. The Canadian star responded negatively when asked whether she knew Fairuz, before she spontaneously followed up with a look of astonishment, asking her, "Should I listen to her?" in an off-the-cuff dialogue that quickly spread across social media platforms.