Biography:
Rabih was born in Lebanon in 1983, during a critical period where the country was undergoing a brutal civil war (1975-1990), and almost a year after his mother had endured a distressing miscarriage. As a result of the events surrounding his birth, Rabih was an overly-protected child, especially from his father, a successful self-made businessman who had already reached his mid-forties by the time Rabih (his first son, and the eldest of 4 siblings) saw the light.
Rabih’s first encounter with a musical instrument as far as he recalls was with an old keyboard at their house in the mountains where the family used to spend their summers during his childhood. He was about 6 or 7 years old (he doesn’t remember exactly). His parents tried to teach him the piano, and they consecutively hired several private instructors for the mission, but all of their efforts went in vain. The kid was too agitated and he didn’t have any interest in exploring any of his musical abilities at that age. Instead, he had a genuine passion for sports, especially for the game tennis. He could spend hours tirelessly practicing various kinds of sports; but whenever he found himself on a tennis court with a racquet in his hand, the only way to get him out of there was by forcing him out of the field. Rabih’s initial childhood dream was to become a professional tennis player, but he was never encouraged to pursue that dream and he never received the adequate training that would enable him to compete on a professional level.
Rabih suddenly shifted his attention back to music during his adolescent years and devoted himself to learning the guitar at the age of 16. This time, it was a voluntary decision on his part and he was treating the matter very seriously and with a great deal of self-discipline. He even developed a steady routine of waking up every morning between 4am and 6am so he could practice his instrument regularly before going to school or before starting any other daily activity. He got exposed to the music of numerous legendary guitarists early on, and he realized he had so much to learn and to catch up with if he were to be taken seriously. After a while, he took part in a few local bands, performing around as a guitarist (and occasionally as a backing vocalist), but he never fronted a band at that point because of his timid character and his tendency to stutter under pressure.
Rabih’s dedication to music did not distract him from pursuing his formal education by joining College immediately after he completed high school. Despite a slow and hesitant start, he ended up obtaining a science degree in economics and graduating with distinction. He went on even further with his academic pursuits, earning a Master degree in political studies and graduating on top of his class. He received the faculty’s prestigious excellence award associated with that particular year.
During all the years he spent as a University student, Rabih developed a compelling curiosity for books, and the library became some sort of a safe haven for the confused artist. He never ceased practicing the guitar and bolstering his musicianship skills, but in tandem with that, he found himself delving unexpectedly into literature with an unprecedented thirst. He would also spend a lot of extra hours in the library late in the evening retrieving and studying every book he could find about music theory and composition techniques. All of the rich and diverse literary exposure that Rabih had the opportunity to be fed with during the course of his academic years clearly justifies the eloquence in his songwriting style as well as the depth of the lyrical content in his songs.
Rabih’s decisiveness to improve his singing capabilities incited him to join the university’s choir and to start taking private vocal lessons intensively. He noticed that he was turning into a prolific writer but with a major lack of practical experience, so he was determined to develop a healthy voice that would allow him to record and perform his own material. Gradually, he started phasing out of his comfort zone and surmounting his stage-fright issues after a considerable series of concerts and local festivals that he participated in. He also took part in a couple of a capella groups.
Rabih’s very first visit to the United States was in the Spring of 2009 as a member of a selected choral group that was participating in an intercultural event involving choirs from Lebanon and from Los Angeles to perform jointly in Carnegie Hall in New York City. Ever since, Rabih kept travelling back and forth between the United States and his native Lebanon, with the purpose of making a name for himself in the American music scene and with the hope of becoming recognized internationally. His repetitive visits included a trip to Los Angeles, then a temporary stay in Boston, before returning to NYC where it all started for him on the American continent in the first place. He was adamant about settling himself in the big city with an ambitious attempt to establish a career as an authentic singer-songwriter.
After almost a year spent in New York City, and after a bumpy start full of instability and uncertainties, followed by a fruitful collaboration with local producers Andre Fratto and Sean Gill, Rabih is currently on the verge of releasing his debut album as a solo artist. The album is entitled “The Seeker’s Secret” and it is a rather confessional artwork that contains a total of 10 original songs, all of which have been written and composed by Rabih himself.
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