Wadi al-Safi
| Wadih El Safi | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wadih Francis |
| Also known as | Sawt Lobnan Al Khaled (The Immortal Voice of Lebanon), Al I'mlak Al Loubnani (The Lebanese Giant) |
| Born |
November 1, 1921 Niha, Lebanon |
| Died | October 11, 2013 (aged 91) Mansourieh, Lebanon |
| Genres | Tarab, Folk |
| Occupation(s) | singer, songwriter, composer, instrumentalist |
| Instruments | oud |
| Years active | 1952–2013 |
| Labels | Omar Mawaki Studios |
Wadih El Safi (Arabic: وديع الصافي, born Wadi' Francis; November 1, 1921 – October 11, 2013) was a Lebanese singer, songwriter, composer and actor. He was a Lebanese icon, becoming, along with many Lebanese musicians who have attained the status, synonymous with the country's musical culture. 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 40 other competitors.
Wadih El Safi being a classically trained tenor, is not a verified fact since none of his known works provide a proof of classical singing techniques. He has been known for singing in the belting school class and his phonation are a testimonial of this practice. This is further confirmed in what arguably is his most famous song "Lebnan Ya Ote'et Sama" ("لبنان يا قطعة سما" in Arabic, specifically Lebanese dialect) in which his voice shifts to the so-called Falsetto or more widely recognized today as the "Voce Piena Testa" or the full head register on the second transition "Secondo passagio" around "EB4" note above middle "C4" not overlapping "F4", meaning that his voice falls in the Baritone categorization rather than a tenor precisely a lyric baritone which is often linked to these transition areas. El Safi has no record for singing the "B4" and "C5" tenors' famous "High C" which are the characteristic signature of a tenor's laryngeal mechanism (constriction of the pharynx ) even though many of his age did. He was a classically trained tenor. He gained national recognition 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.
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