Nasri Shamseddine

Who was Nasri Shamseddine?

Nasri Shamseddine was a Lebanese singer and actor. His recordings remain very popular in the Arab world. He performed in several films and was associated for many years with the Lebanese singer, Fairuz.

Shamseddine was born Nasreddine Moustapha Shamesedine in the village of Joun, in the southern part of the Chouf mountains. As a young man, he spent time in Alexandria and Cairo unsuccessfully looking for work in films. He returned to Beirut and joined the choir of the Lebanese state radio.

In the late 1950s, he joined the Lebanese Popular Troupe of the Rahbani brothers,

Shamseddine performed with Fairuz from 1960 until little after the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War in 1978. His last appearance in a play with Fairuz was in 1978 in Petra. His last concert with her was in London in 1978, where they sang "Dabket Lebnan" together.

Shamseddine suffered a heart attack shortly before a concert in Damascus in 1983. He later collapsed and died on stage during the performance due to a cardiac arrest which followed the attack.