Arab or not Arab, that is the question!
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L'Orient-Le Jour
5 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Arab or not Arab, that is the question!
The Avignon Festival, which ended on Saturday, July 26, showcased the Arabic language, following English and Spanish in previous years. This was a deliberate choice in a French society divided since the start of the war in Gaza. The Palestinian cause ran through the entire festival, with debates, demonstrations and speeches during or before the performances. But while the festival championed an Arab freedom of expression that has been under attack in Europe, there was criticism of the programming's focus on dance over theater, giving little room for the Arabic language itself."We fell in love with dance," said Tiago Rodrigues, the festival's director. This edition opened with a stage adaptation of "One Thousand and One Nights" by Cape Verdean artist Marlene Monteiro Freitas, featuring dance and music. Lebanese...
L'Orient-Le Jour
a day ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Ziad Rahbani in 10 iconic songs
BEIRUT — Ziad Rahbani is gone. Composer, playwright, pianist, provocateur, his voice was a mirror held to Lebanon's contradictions, heartbreaks and absurdities. For decades, his songs spoke where others stayed silent, lacing wit with melancholy, jazz with politics, East with West. Today, as the country mourns, we revisit 10 of his most iconic tracks, songs that captured the pulse of Beirut, the disillusionment of the post-war years, and the impossible hope of something better. While it is hard to narrow down such a prolific body of work, these 10 songs (in no particular order) offer a glimpse into the legacy he leaves behind. Abu Ali Released in 1979, 'Abu Ali' is a 13-minute instrumental track that fuses classical Arabic arrangements with disco influences, recorded at Columbia Studio II in Athens. Bala Wala Shi " Bala Wala Shi" (Without Anything at All) was released in 1985 as part of the album " Houdou' Nisbi" (Relative Calm), which blended jazz, funk and boogie elements. Ya Zaman El Ta'efiyeh " Ya Zaman el Ta'efiyeh" (Time of Sectarianism) was released in 1980 as part of the album " Film Amriki Tawil" (A Long American Film). The song features Joseph Sakr's vocals and is a satirical commentary on Lebanon's sectarian divisions. Ana Moush Kafer " Ana Moush Kafer" was composed by Ziad Rahbani for his 1985 theatrical production of the same name. The play translates to "I am not an infidel." Bema Enno " Bema Enno" (Since) is a track from the 1995 album of the same name, a collaboration between Lebanese artists Joseph Sakr and Ziad Rahbani. Aayesh Wahdah Balak " Aayesh Wahda Balak" (She's Living Alone without You) is from the play " Bennesbeh Labokra... Shou?" (What About Tomorrow?), written by Ziad Rahbani and first staged in 1978. Wallaat ktir " Wallaat Ktir" (You Lit Alot) is a track from Ziad Rahbani's 2001 album " Mono-dose," performed by Salma Mousfi. El Hali Taabani " El Hali Taabani," (The Situation Is Difficult), is a track from Ziad Rahbani's 1974 album"Sahriye" (Evening Gathering) Part 2. Sa'alouni El Nas One of the most famous Arabic songs by Fairouz, it was written by the Rahbani Brothers and composed by Ziad. Prelude theme from "Mais al-Rim" 'Prelude (Theme from Mais al-Rim)' was released in 1979 as part of the Abu Ali EP and was composed by Ziad Rahbani as the opening theme for the 1975 musical play Mais al-Rim featuring Fairuz.
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 days ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Summer in color in Lebanon, Abu Dhabi and Egypt: Where to be this weekend in the Middle East
When every weekend blurs into a never-ending scroll of flyers, exhibitions and underground gigs, having too many options can feel a lot like having none. This is why every Thursday, L'Orient Today, in partnership with The MYM Agenda, is going to guide you through the cultural happenings across the Middle East that are actually worth your time, whether it's a Beirut book launch, a rooftop concert in Amman or an experimental film screening in Tunisia. Consider this your weekly shortcut to what matters in the region's buzzing cultural scene. If you walk around the streets of Beirut, it's not hard to find a couple of shiny art galleries, displaying the next big artists. Here's our pick of two you can't miss this week: If you're around Clemenceau, make sure to visit the Salah Barakat Gallery and take a trip inside Azza Abo Rabieh's vibrant and multidimensional world. Abo Rabieh, a Syrian artist living in Beirut, is known for blending tulle and painting on her canvas, creating an almost illusionary effect that makes you never want to leave the inside of her brain. It is often so seamless and light that you find yourself perceiving everyday objects, such as strawberries and buildings, as infinitely delicate. For more information, click here. Water runs our lives, or at least that's the narrative that Joumana Jamhouri invokes in her latest photography exhibit at Mar Mkhayel's Galerie Tanit. Water demarcates our cities, reflects the sky, shapes the horizon and keeps us and our plants healthy and happy. It's a force much bigger than any of us, and Jamhouri's pictures of vast landscapes and close-ups of fish will feel like taking a swim on a hot summer day. What does summer mean to you? Artbooth Gallery, in Al Rawdah, Abu Dhabi, asked that question to 10 multi-disciplinary artists. The answers are what summer feels like — bold, hot, bright, vague and melancholic. The artist's individualism shines through, yet it still comes together to build a cohesive experience and a universalized vision. Summered is showcasing artworks by Soraya Abu Naba'a, Gilbert Halaby, Asaad Arabi, James Mathews, Habuba Farah, Noor Bahjat, Bruno Sfeir, Oussama Diab, Layal Khawly and Elias Naman until September. Ever noticed the men on the streets in Lebanon who collect bottles from garbage cans to sell later? Artist Béchir Boussandel couldn't help but become obsessed with them as he visited his homeland in Tunisia, and began a journey into a new medium — blown glass. His exhibition at Tabari Artspace in DFIC, Dubai, "Tempted By Other Suns," tackles his long-time muses: migration, urban transformation and survival. Boussandel, raised in France, blends paint, blown glass, metal and other organic materials to tell his story and that of the men he met on the streets of Tunisia. As French philosopher Claire Marin said, 'Like migratory birds, we are always tempted by other suns.' This Saturday, head to Dar al-Anda Art Gallery in Amman, Jordan, to catch the opening of painter Hiba Sweis' latest exhibition, "Let There Be Color and the World Shall Breathe." In a world where light was created on the first day, Sweis explores the reality of this theory. If light were present, then color would be the first word it spoke. In our lives, we cannot experience any of our senses without color or hues. Even our touch, our hearing, our feelings are bright, loud, dull or overwhelming. Sweis tries to translate her saturated world on canvases, taking you on a trippy yet reflective experience. For more information, click here. Safar Khan Gallery in Zamalek, Cairo, is hosting another Anthology exhibition, this time (and fittingly, given today's theme) focusing on each artist's interpretation of the Egyptian summer. Running until mid-September, the show will feature multiple revisits and changes by the curators, allowing you to visit periodically and compare and contrast the additions you love or dislike, making the exhibition an ever-evolving experience. Head over to visit your favorite established artists' latest works, or meet new and emerging voices in the scene, working in sculpture, photography, fabric appliqué, mosaics and various forms of painting. For more information, click here. This month, Stal Gallery in Muscat, Oman, is showcasing emerging artists in Omani contemporary art, particularly those who are not afraid to use bold colors to tell their stories. "Narratives of Colors" is a joint exhibition by H.H. Sayyidah Afra al-Said, Anwar Sonya, Hassan Meer, Moosa Omar, Idris al-Hooti and Hussain Obaid, which explores identity, memory and storytelling in screaming colors.
