# Melhem Barakat

Melhem Barakat (Arabic: ملحم بركات‎; 15 August 1945 – 28 October 2016), also known as Melhim Barakat or Abou Majd, was a Lebanese singer, songwriter, and composer. Barakat was a renowned singer in Lebanon and the wider Arab world. He toured Australia, South America, Canada, and the United States.

## Early life

Barakat was born on 15 August 1945, in Kfarshima, Lebanon. He inherited his affinity for music from his father, who was a carpenter and taught Melhem how to play the oud. In 1960, Barakat dropped out of school at the age of 15 and enrolled into the National Institute of Music without his father's knowledge. He studied music theory, Solfège and Eastern singing. He would drop out of the institute four years later at the advice of Philemon Wehbe, beginning his professional career.

## Career

Barakat started his career in the 1960s. He participated as an actor and singer in many of the Rahbani brothers' musicals and operettas. In 1968, he left the brothers to pursue a solo career.
Since the 1990s, Melhem Barakat had several popular songs, such as "Habibi Enta," which was later sung by his ex-wife May Hariri. He also collaborated with Najwa Karam, Karol Sakr, Shatha Hassoun, and Majida El Roumi.

## Musical style

Barakat composed music for some of the best Arab singers of the past century, including Sabah, Samira Tewfik, Wadih El Safi and Majida El Roumi ("I'tazalt al-Gharam"). Barakat was known for his energetic songs that mixed classical music with his personal improvisations.

## Notable songs

| Year | Original Title | Translation | Songwriter(s) | Label |
| 1975 | Ya Shaweesh El Karakon - with Fairuz & William Hasswani - from the musical Ya'eesh Ya'eesh | --- | Assi & Mansour Rahbani | Voix de l'Orient |
| 1975 | Belghi Kul Mawaidi - duet with Georgette Sayegh | I'll Cancel All My Appointments | Melhem Barakat, Maroun Karam | Voix de l'Orient |
| 1978 | Ya Ahl El Habayeb - from the musical Amira Zmourod | Parents of the Lovers | Romeo Lahoud | Voix de l'Orient |
| 1980 | Can El Zaman W Kan - a.k.a. Hanna Al Sakran | Hanna the Drunk | Elias Rahbani | Voix de l'Orient |
| 1980 | Shu Natir | What Are You Waiting For | Assi & Mansour Rahbani | Voix de l'Orient |
| 1980 | Habbeytak Ou Behebbak | I Loved You and I Still Do | Assi & Mansour Rahbani | Voix de l'Orient |
| 1981 | Wahdi Ana | On My Own | Ghadi Rahbani, Marwan Rahbani | Voix de l'Orient |
| 1994 | Ala Baby Wa'if Amarain | The Beautiful One at My Door | Melhem Barakat, Shafiq al-Mughrabi | Relax-In |
| 1994 | Ya Hobbi Elly Ghab | My Love Who's Gone | Melhem Barakat, Mounir Abdel Nour | Relax-In |
| 1996 | Keef | How | Melhem Barakat, Michel Geha | Relax-In |
| 2006 | I'tazalt Al Gharam - performed by Majida El Roumi | I Forgot About Love | Melhem Barakat, Nizar Francis, Majida El Roumi | EMI |
| 2009 | Taa Nensa | Let's Forget | Melhem Barakat, Nizar Francis | Music Box |
| 2016 | Kermal Al Nisyan | In Memory | Melhem Barakat, Nizar Francis | Music Box |

## Personal life

Barakat was first married to Souad Feghali, the sister of Lebanese singer Sabah. He later married Randa Azar with whom he had three children: Majd (hence Melhem's alias Abou Majd), Waad and Ghinwa. His third and final marriage was to Lebanese singer and actress May Hariri, with whom he had a child, Melhem Junior, before the couple divorced. He was Antiochian Orthodox Christian.

## Death

He died of prostate cancer on 28 October 2016 at Hôtel-Dieu de France hospital in Achrafieh, Lebanon. He was 71. His funeral took place at Saint Nicolas Church in Achrafieh, Beirut. Many Lebanese singers and politicians were present at the funeral mass, including Ragheb Alama, Fares Karam, Majida El Roumi, Rola Saad and Barakat's ex-wife May Hariri.

## Tribute

On August 15, 2021, Google celebrated his 76th birthday with a Google Doodle.