Iconic Lebanese composer and singer Melhem Barakat died last week at a hospital in Beirut . He was 71. Barakat was one of the most renowned singers and composers in Lebanon and the Arab world. He composed music for some of the best Arab singers of the past century, including Sabah, Wadih El Safi and Majida El Roumi. Melhem Barakat was known for his energetic songs that mixed classical music with his enthralling personal improvisions. He was politically outspoken , and criticised harshly Lebanese artists who sang in Egyptian and Golf dialects.
