Google marked the 95th birthday of Wadih El Safi, Lebanon’s most prominent cultural icon, with a doodle featuring the musician sitting with his oud at the backdrop of a typical Lebanese landscape.
Born on 1 November 1921, "El Safi became known as the 'Voice of Lebanon' after winning a national radio competition at the age of seventeen. He was a singer, songwriter, composer, and actor, well known for his mawawil (improvised singing) of ‘ataba, mijana, and Abu el Zuluf. He went on to have a 75 year career in music, releasing more than 5,000 songs," Google's doodle reads.
El-Safi, renowned across the Arab world beyond his home country, passed away on 1 October 2013.
Google added that El Safi's doodle is a celebration his rich legacy, "which helped etch an authentic Lebanese musical identity, drawn from the folklore and heritage of his country and region."
The Wadih El Safi doodle is regional and can be viewed in North Africa and the Middle East.
