Fairuz

Superb epic live album from 1972, by the Lebanese legend Fairuz. "The King of Sira Ghayboun (Antoine Kerbage) is known for being good, fair and caring for his devoted people.  In reality, his people are living under threat of jailing or slavery should they refuse to pay the multiple taxes that are set by their King.  The latest tax called « The King’s Share » grants to the latter half of all of his subject’s possessions.  Zad El Kheir (Fairuz), a young girl from the Kingdom, has no money to pay the new tax. She tries to negotiate with the King’s guards a compromise. Finding herself in the impossibility to solve the problem, she asks to meet the King. The guards decide to arrest her for her disobedience.  Other subjects suffered when not paying the taxes, by either being beaten to death, jailed or enslaved.  The desperate people decided to leave everything behind and emigrate.  Zad El Kheir refusing to leave, sees her fellow citizens giving her the keys to their homes and wealth naming her “The Guardian of the Keys”  To fill this emptiness, the King decides to liberate all prisoners who, after gaining their freedom, run away to distant regions, fearing the King’s fury or to fall again in his disgrace.  The King discovers the fragility of his power and the weakness of his throne, reigning upon a ghost Kingdom where only Zad El Kheir remains.  Then started the negotiations between the King and Zad El Kheir to bring the King closer to his people and to bring the community and life back to the Kingdom."