Oussama Al Rahbani is a Lebanese musician and composer. He is the son of the Lebanese composer, musician and poet Mansour Rahbani. Oussama had his education at Collège des Frères Maristes Champville until 1973, Collège des Apôtres, Jounieh until 1982, and finally Kaslik, where he got his Lebanese baccalaureate. He studied History at the Lebanese University. A keen soccer fan, he played as an amateur. He took piano lessons from a young age, and music courses at Berklee College of Music in 1990 and 1995. His music shows influences from his brother Marwan Rahbani and cousin Ziad Rahbani; classical music; and jazz music. Oussama's background in classical music developed alongside Marwan, and Ghadi Rahbani. He is also an avid music collector.
Career
In 1978 to 1980, he was choirmaster of the youth choir at St Elie's church inAntelias. In 1982 to 1986, he performed as a musician with the Rahbani brothers and in the showHello Beirut by Marwan and Ghadi Rahbani. The show toured a number of Arab countries. In 1986, he founded the Jazz Gate band and performed at the 1987 Byblos International Festival and in 1989 at Casino du Liban. In 1988, he branched out to composing children songs for television programs produced by Ghadi and Marwan Rahbani and later composed "Helm Laylit el Sharq" for Lebanese Caracalla dancing group. He composed music for Chouchou's famous play Carambole directed by Roger Assaf. In 1993, he participated as a composer and conductor in the musical playAl Wassiya by Mansour Rahbani and in Al Inqilab by Marwan & Ghadi Rahbani, also acting in the play. In 1997, he released an album entitled Al Nizam al Jadid and composed the soundtrack of the TV seriesAl Wasaj by Najdat Anzour and in 1998 composed music for the play Last Days of Socrates by Mansour Rahbani and in 2000, Wa kama fil yawm al taleth written by Mansour Rahbani. He also participated in a modern orchestration of the Maronite Mass by Mansour Rahbani and released his own album Bi Sabah el Alf el Talet. In 2001, he took part as composer and conductor in the musical play Abou Tayeb al Mutanabi by Mansour Rahbani and produced a Russian night concert in Lebanon with St Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nicolai Alexyev. In 2003, he took part as composer in Moulouk al Tawaef, a musical play by Mansour Rahbani and in 2004, wrote a musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet in Arabic title Akher Yom with choreography by Debbie Allen and also composed Hekm el Reayen yet another musical play by Mansour Rahbani. Between 2004 and 2007, he was a consultant in the reality TV show Star Academy produced by LBC giving musical culture lessons to the aspiring contestants. In 2005, he composed, orchestrated and produced Gebran wel Nabi, an adaptation of The Prophet by Gebran Khalil Gebran. It was performed at the Byblos International Festival and later at Forum de Beyrouth. In 2007, he composed for Zenobia, a musical play Mansour Rahbani followed by The Return of the Phoenix, performed at the Byblos International Festival, at Casino du Liban and in Dubai. In 2009, came the turn of a remake of the musical play Sayf 840 by Mansour Rahbani along with Ghadi and Marwan Rahbani performed at Byblos festival, and at Casino du Liban. In 2011, he produced, composed and orchestrated the albumLa Bidayi w la Nihayi featuring Hiba Tawaji Since 2007 he's been working with her and they made together 2 albums with new songs and 1 live album He also composed the musical play Don Quixote by Marwan and Ghadi Rahbani performed at Byblos International Festival. He also took part in Ehdeniyat Festival and the Palais des Congrès Lebanon with Hiba Tawaji and Wadih Abi Raad. He is also known for having written songs for a number of artists, produced music videos and a great number of advertisements and jingles for various business and cultural entities and for public awareness campaigns and charities.
