Fairouz in the morning

Our local grocery store has started to play the music of Fairouz over the speakers in the morning. Playing Fairouz in the morning (and Omm Kulthum at night) is an Arab tradition I learned in Syria. Sometimes in the mornings in Damascus, you could hear Fairouz emanating faintly from your neighbors' apartments, a kind of ethereal thread of melody that followed you, fading in and out as you went about your morning chores.

I was so pleased to hear "Adesh Kan Fi Nas" the other morning as I picked out produce. I could not help but hum along. The guy weighing the fruits and vegetables noticed and, with a smile, he repeated the commonly held belief that if you listen to Fairouz in the morning, your whole day will be calm. I have decided to believe this, and will therefore be doing my grocery shopping in the morning when at all possible.

Go ahead and have a listen. I think Fairouz is an acquired taste, but once it's acquired...watch out. You, too, will be humming along, out loud, as you skip through the produce department picking out apples.