William Nassar who sang for Lebanon and sang for Palestine has passed away at home in Lebanon and his passing has been noticed by many commentators included the Palestinian Authority who sent their warmest condolences to this artist with a conscious.
An activist, leftist, a writer and most of all a music composer beloved by the intellect and people who like music in general passed away after a long struggle with leukemia
William Nassar participated in a number of music festivals around the world (Italy - Germany - Greece - France - Soviet Union - Bulgaria - Czechoslovakia - Belgium - Sweden - Denmark - Norway - Cuba - Canada and the U.S. United States of America), as well as many concerts at the Lebanese theatres.
William Nassar was awarded the Medal of Honor from the Palestinian government in Gaza for his role in breaking the siege in 2009. In 2013 William Nassar was honored by the Association of American Universities Graduates. William had many bold songs, like the one song titled "Jesus filled a form to join the Communist party"
Among his activist hat, he turned down an award in Quebec so he would not have to shake hands with a Zionist composer. He was quoted to have said, "I would rather my hand be cut off a thousand times than shake hands with a representative of a country that occupies our land and murdered our children" He is also considered the first Arab artist to hold concerts inside the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon
Abreeshi | وليم نصار - بكي دم (طريق عيتيت) جودة عالية
William Nassar - Beirut | وليم نصار - بيروت
Bio
William Nassar is a Canadian - Arab composer and performer. Since 1982, he Represents the voice of resistance for freedom. His music and songs added a new dimension to the contemporary Arabic music. The song of Lebanon born on December 25th, 1966. He witnessed the civil war with all its tragedies and cruelty, and that urged him to search for his own world away from bombs and the smell of death. Thus, he formed at an early age with seven of his school friends, most of them were killed during the civil war, a band and called it "Nehna" which means WE, to express their rejection to the war. In 1977, when the civil war was at its peak, his music teacher "Azmi Wawi" asked him to perform at a youth summer camp organized by the "Union of Lebanese Democratic Youth", a youth organization of the Lebanese Communist Party.
William Nassar along with Renowned Lebanese composers such as Ziad Rahbani, Sami Hawat and Marcel Khalife are the pioneers of the Leftist song in Lebanon, or what has been known as "political song .
"The works of William Nassar in addition to that group of composers and artists have led to the formation of a new era of Arabic musical composition and singing, close to the people and draws song lyrics of their daily language. William Nassar has been detained several times between the years 1982 - 1984, after the Zionist invasion of Lebanon, because of his political and musical evenings, which was an expression of the rejection of the fascist system that came to power as a result of the Israeli invasion of Beirut. He's been subject to physical torture at the hands of the of the Lebanese army intelligence officers, who were loyal to the Phalangists Party, the Lebanese Forces collaborating with "Israel".
In 1989, William Nassar Was subject to an assassination attempt at the hands of a Fanatic Religious group, and his family's house was burnt down at the hands of this group which prompted his family to flee Lebanon. In 1994, after the end of the civil war and the entry of Lebanon a new political era, William Nassar decided to leave Lebanon voluntarily and live optionally in exile. He teaches musicology and the history of music at a number of universities and conservatories in North America, in addition he is been hosted to lecture at a number of universities and institutes in Europe.
Besides his musical and academic activities, William Nassar chaired a group of activists "Awlad Albalad" to defend the detainees in the prisons of the Zionist occupation. This active group contributed in the release of a number of prisoners in "Israel's" jails.
William Nassar received numerous awards and recognitions: • International Ethnic Music Festival Award in Canada 1998. • International Festival of Ethnic Music Award for the best composition in May 2008, and has refused to receive the award to avoid shaking hands with a Zionist composer assigned to deliver the Award for him.
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