Ronza is a Lebanese artist who grew up in a musical household and inherited her sweet voice from her mother. She grew up with music and specialized in Western classical singing, which she considers one of the finest types of musical arts. She is called the classical artist. She holds a degree in psychology from the Lebanese University. Since 1994, she has taught Western classical singing and solfege at the Higher Institute of Music, and trained choir members at Notre Dame University and Lebanese professional singers. She was known for singing church hymns at school.
Ronza is considered the daughter of the Rahban Theater, as she cooperated with them for most of her artistic career.
Its upbringing
Ronza was born on October 28, 1958, and her real name is Aida Maroun Tanb. The poet Saeed Akl called it Runza, inspired by the names of the gods. She has a degree in psychology from the Lebanese University and holds a diploma in oriental classical singing under the direction and supervision of Mrs. Badia Haddad at the Lebanese Higher Institute of Music. She also specialized for six years in solfege with Professor Tawfiq Sukkar.
Rahbani Brothers School
The Rahbani brothers adopted Ronza at the beginning of her artistic career as a main performer in their artistic works, and she was accompanied by the teacher of oriental singing, Muhammad Ghazi. The fruit of the cooperation was three musical plays: “The Conspiracy Continues,” which was shown at the Casino du Liban, “The Person,” which was shown in Jordan, and “The Seventh Spring,” which It was shown in Lebanon, Qatar, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. She also participated in television programs that were shown in Lebanon, the Arab countries, and Africa, namely, “An Hour and a Song,” and “From Day to Day.” Ronza participated in several works with Mansour Rahbani’s sons, Marwan and Ghadi, including “The End of Summer,” “Hello Beirut,” “Santa Claus’ Journey,” “The Coup,” and “The Passage to Asia.”
Assi Rahbani
When Ronza was a member of the Rahbani Brothers band, Assi would look at her and think, and she would wonder: “Why is he looking at me? What is he thinking?” She did not realize at the time that things might later translate into the works that brought them together. Sometimes she would pass by him, and he would ask her: “Do you like dancing? Do you like theatre?” Assi noticed that she loved attending rehearsals, even those where it was not necessary for her to be present.
Comparison with Fayrouz
After the artistic separation between the Rahbani brothers and Mrs. Fairouz, the Rahbani brothers re-presented the play “The Person”, which starred Fairouz and was a great success, starring Ronza. The matter sparked criticism from the press and people, who asked: “Why are the Rahbani brothers repeating a work starring Fairouz, and not presenting a work?” New with Ronza? Ronza says: “With the passage of time, no one thought about this issue anymore. I do not think that repeating the play with me was intentional. Rather, I think that the Rahbani brothers were asked to do a theatrical work, and they did not have time at the time to compose a new work, so they chose a work that was ready for them, and asked It is for me to perform it.”
Singing and dancing technique
Ronza studied singing technique, and musical and vocal technique is considered best by “playback”. She trained in dance under the supervision of Felix Hartounian and appeared in the play “The Conspiracy Continues” as a creative dancer.
Keep her away from the stage
Regarding the reason for staying away from the stage, Ronza revealed that her immersion in the academic world as she teaches at the National Music Conservatory kept her away from the stage, in addition to the circumstances and conditions in Lebanon that imposed that. As for musical theater productions, they declined due to the pandemic and the Beirut Port explosion.
Her weak point
Ronza’s weakness is the theater, as she grew up loving it. She believes that musical theater requires many requirements, which are no longer available in this difficult time, and for people to go to the stage to watch a specific artistic work, they must be well-off.
“Tri Orient”
Ronza, along with her sisters Amal and Fadia, founded “Tri Orient” and performed several concerts and religious hymns in Jordan, Abu Dhabi, Canada, France, Belgium, Egypt, Lebanon, Bahrain, and the Sultanate of Oman. She also released three albums, respectively: “Miladiyat”, “Birth in the City”, and “Abou Dhabi concert”. She participated with her sister Fadia Tanb Al-Hajj in several concerts with the German band Sarband in Austria, London, France, and Belgium. She participated as a member of the jury in the “Studio El Fan” program, Star Club, Murex d’Or, and in a Francophone competition.
Murex Dor
Ronza received an honorary award at the “Murex d’Or” ceremony, and the audience gave her a long applause. She revealed that she was surprised when the brothers Zahi and Fadi Al-Helou called her to inform her of their intention to honor her. She said that she agreed after she had previously rejected the matter and was excited, especially since the El Helou brothers, organizers of the concert, chose the same medley songs that she performed at the concert. Ronza sang a group of her works that fit the conditions in Lebanon. She performed “Dawi, Maria,” “Go, God is with you,” “Minna Sawa,” “Mishwar, We Are Going to Mishwar,” and others. It brought back nostalgia for a beautiful artistic era in which Lebanon was experiencing a golden period.
Her academic work
Ronza’s preoccupations are divided between her academic work and her family artistic activities. As for the nature of her academic work, she gives lessons in Western operatic singing. She taught Western singing, solfege, voice focus, and musical education for a period, and she gives voice focus lessons to students of Eastern singing. Her greatest concern is for her students, whom she calls upon to continue in their specialization, especially since a limited number of students complete their specialization and obtain a diploma. Some of them choose to sing at concerts for the hope of direct experience, and others discover that there are many educational materials in music, so they stop continuing their lessons. Any music diploma requires between 6 or 7 consecutive years of study, something that only a few students persevere in.
Ronza on stage
Ronza was distinguished by her sober stance on stage with the Rahbani brothers, knowing that Assi told her that he wanted her to move more. However, during her cooperation with Marwan and Ghadi Rahbani, her movement on stage was greater, and her roles with them included singing, acting, movement and dancing, and she was training in dancing with the Caracalla troupe. On the dance steps required by some of her theatrical roles.
Ronza’s advice
Ronza advises everyone who loves singing, even professional artists, not to stop doing vocal exercises. It strengthens the voice muscles and maintains its capabilities. It is similar to exercise that will maintain a healthy body and health. The greatest opera singers in the world persevere in practicing these lessons, as the voice weakens and loses its strength without exercise.
Concerts
Ronza performed concerts outside Lebanon, including a concert on the occasion of the birthday of King Hussein of Jordan, in the presence of the King and King Juan Carlos of Spain.
She also participated with the Notre Dame University Choir in Lebanon and Italy in several concerts in Rome and St. Peter’s Square in the presence of His Holiness the Pope, and in the United States in Los Angeles, Detroit, Boston, and New York.
Ronza was a guest of honor at a concert held by composer George Tanb in Amman with the National Symphony Orchestra under the patronage of Queen Noor Al Hussein at the Palace of Culture in 2015.
Ronza also participated with the Rahbani family in several concerts honoring the Rahbani brothers with the Kiev Symphony Orchestra, led by Ukrainian maestro Vladimir Serenko, in Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, and Jordan. Ronza commemorated the inauguration ceremony of Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai and the centenary of poet Saeed Akl.
