Once upon a peacetime Syria, listening to Fairouz was an indispensable ritual on sleepy weekday mornings. Emotional songs extolling an idealized country life, love and patriotism flowed from radios, offering temporary mental respite from the problems of day. The Lebanese diva from an Orthodox Christian background united Syrians regardless of age or religion. However, with the unfolding sectarian-flavored civil war, the idylliic Syria of Fairouz seems to be gone. In war-torn Syria, music has become a tool for hostile fractions to fuel and mobilize their supporters, and the new hits are dividing the country along political and sectarian lines.

At the beginning of the uprising, an unknown young man called Hamwee Ibrahim Qashoosh appeared at a demonstration in the city of Homs singing his song “Yalla irhal ya Bashar” ("Get Out Bashar"). The catchy tune, blending traditional dabke music with anti-regime verses, became an instant hit in early anti-regime protests. The sarcastic lyrics mocking President Bashar al-Assad and accusing his brother Maher of being a coward and collaborating with the Americans, broke down the walls of fear and silence.

The regime could not let Qashoosh get away with the offence. In July 2011, the security services arrested him and cut his throat in a brutal retaliation. The death of the composer gave an iconic importance to the hit, inspiring a number of anti-Assad performers to produce their own similar songs. The song even moved beyond Syria's borders after Omar Offendum, a Syrian-American rapper, released a powerful tribute song featuring Qashoosh’s famous verse.

The Syrian government also harnessed the power of music from the beginning of the uprising. The state TV channels had been filling all possible slots with videos of dynamic battle songs. Even some of Fairouz’ songs were employed as soundtracks for video clips praising the Syrian army. The regime also counted on well-known loyalist performers to win Syrian hearts. A case in point is Ali al-Deek, an Alawite singer from the same sect as Assad. At the start of the demonstrations in 2011, al-Deek rushed to release a joyful anthem, “Good Morning Syria,” celebrating the beauty and peace of his homeland. As the fighting escalated, he came up with a more direct statement, “My Eyes, God Syria … Syria al-Assad,” in support of Assad, the “pride of the Arab nation,” showing a video clip of people waving flags and cheering for the president. In private, al-Deek seems to be even more explicit. Surrounded by a pro-regime crowd at a concert given in Cleveland, Ohio, in January 2013, al-Deek mocked the “enemies of Syria,” US President Barack Obama among them.