Actor Rafik Sbei Honored

The Arab Writers’ Union offered the actor Rafik Sbei a memorial shield and a certificate of appreciation where the honored artist offered the Union a statuette embodying ‘Abu Sayah’ character.

“I Congratulate the Syrian people  for the this stage where the Artist and actor receive their rights in being honored by their generous country.  This indicates that in Syria we hit a high level of  art and culture that  qualify us to be paralleled by civilized countries.”

“This day is my red letter day and  one of the happiest days of my life to be honored by the Arab Writers Union.  I am overwhelmingly elated  for the coming generations that they will be handsomely  honored also for their catching art”.

 On Monday, the Prominent actor Rafik Sbei spoke  at the Arab Culture Center in Abu Rumaneh where Arab Writers Union Honored him with the participation of artists, intellectuals, writers  who in their turn delivered speeches in the lauding  this talented  actor.

In speech delivered at the Arab writers Union,  Nizar Bani  Marja said:” it is not strange to honor  a dramatic character which has been  acting since the fifties of the last century.  

” He gave a brief explanation about the performance of the artist saying that the actor Rafik is a talented one  , he is able to play all roles . In the national theater he played complicated roles using the formal Arabic Language before he  became  director of the national theatre.

Actress Huda Sharawi highlighted the experience of Rafik Sbei in Arabic cinema, especially the Lebanese and Egyptian cinema where he played the protagonist roles in films along with famous singers and actors such as Fairuz and Samira Tawfik .

Director Hasan Henawi talked about the artist skills in Radio since 60 years. Beside acting, he worked as a director at the Syrian Radio after coming back from Cairo where he studied direction there .Henawi also concentrated on the singing capability of the famous actor saying that the actor sang more than 400 songs.

 The actor vividly lived all the crises in Syria especially the ongoing one since two years. He presented patriotic songs , in which he called for dialogue ,  laying down arms , and coming  back home.

‘Rafik Sbei is a versatile actor, monologist ,  poet , singer , director, and brilliant. His experience in Egypt enriched his talent. He is famous in the Arab world as  the popular character ” Abu Sayah” “. Actor Ahmad Khalifa in his  presentation said.

Sbei was born in 1930 in al-Bzoriyeh neighborhood in old Damascus and is considered as one of the well-renowned actors in Syria and the Arab world.

By: N.H.Khider