Wadih al-Safi, giant of Lebanese music, dead at 92

Beirut (AFP) - Wadih al-Safi, a Lebanese music legend renowned throughout the Arab world for his singing talent, has died at the age of 92, the official National News Agency reported.

He passed away on Friday night, Lebanon's NNA said.

"He was with his son in Mansouriya (near Beirut) when he began to feel unwell... He was immediately taken to hospital, where he died," NNA said.

Safi was often referred to as the "voice of Lebanon" and belonged to a golden age for music in his country and the wider Arab world, along with Lebanese diva Fairuz.

He held Lebanese, French and Brazilian nationality, and contributed to the revitalisation of Lebanon's music, a movement led by the Rahbani brothers.

He was much admired by his contemporaries, with the great Egyptian composer and singer Mohamed Abdel Wahab once marvelling "it is impossible that someone should be endowed with such a voice."

With a catalogue of some 3,000 songs, Safi was best known for popular and folk themes in his music, but also sang Lebanese and Arabic poetry.

He was married with four sons and two daughters.