16 April 2005

BEIRUT: National Unity Day is over but Beirut's 2005 spring concerts are not. Tonight will see an important gig coming off at Beirut's legendary BO18. The talent - five progressive groups from Beirut's "underground scene" - will perform over four hours to celebrate the energy and momentum that is overwhelming the country.

"Overground Lebneneh," as the concert is billed, features the internationally known duo Soap Kills, pop-rockers The New Government, post-rock improvisers Scrambled Eggs and, those nemeses of Lebanese Hip Hop, Rayess Bek and Kitaayoun.

The man behind the gig is Soap Kills front man Zeid Hamdan, who has been pushing Beirut's musical boundaries for close to 10 years now.

"The concept is simply this," he says over a beer. "We want to play - for ourselves and for the Lebanese audience - so we organized this gig."

It seems obvious. But Hamdan, an otherwise positive personality, seems ambivalent.

"We were supposed to be playing - all of us - earlier this week for peace in Downtown," he explains.

"But it was cancelled.

"Apparently we were too 'underground' and posed a security threat, which is ridiculous. They don't understand rap, for example.

"But it's sad because it was the perfect time for all these bands to perform. We're young, energetic and new. Where is Lebanon's 'new spring' if popular, innovative bands like us are told we can't play because we might pose a security threat?"

Hamdan may be right. While none of the bands playing tonight are considered "mainstream," they do represent incredible creative innovation at a time when Lebanese youth are waking up hungry for freedom. It could be argued that Soap Kills are as well known as Zad Moultaka and Guy Manoukian who played Martyrs' Square last Sunday and Monday respectively.

The Soap - Zeid and the sultry Yasmine Hamdan - have played gigs in Lebanon and Paris, released two critically recognized albums in the last five years and had a pair of songs featured on the soundtrack to Palestinian director Elia Suleiman's internationally acclaimed film "Divine Intervention." In the summer of 2004 they, along with Kitaayoun and Scrambled Eggs, played to thousands at the open-air Byblos Off Festival.

Hamdan is careful not to cast blame, however.

"The Unity celebrations were positive and musicians like Magida al-Roumi are untouchable. She holds something very emotional and strong for us as Lebanese people. But it's not new," he says.

"Where is the 'spring,' the 'new dawn'?"

The gig name is itself a dig at using the term "underground" to describe the bands playing.

"I called it 'Overground Lebneneh' as a bit of joke. Really we're not this scary underground thing. We're light and airy, effectively without gravity."

What is without question is that all the bands tonight deserve to reach a wide audience.

With three albums to their name, Scrambled Eggs are pure, energetic, improvised guitar rock. All edges and noise, it's a sound influenced by Godspeed and Sonic Youth. Tonight they are without their lead singer Charbel Haber but joined by the exceptional talent of vocalist Maya-Lynn Haj - who will add an interesting feminine touch to an aggressively male band.

"I'll be singing but with complete improvisation, a mix of sounds and lyrics," says Haj. "It'll be Scrambled Eggs with some extra, but what we'll do will really depend on the night and how we are feeling."

For those who follow the Beirut street music scene, another important thing about "Overground Lebneneh," is that Kitaayoun and Rayess Bek will be sharing the same stage.

Rayess Bek - otherwise known as Wael Kodeih, half the hip hop duo Aks'ser - is a solo artist who raps in Arabic and French. His music is at times hard, often clever, and lyrically intellectual. He's performed a lot in Lebanon, most prominently at the French Cultural Mission's 2004 concert series "Generation Musique," where he rapped alongside international French-Lebanese hip hop star Clotaire K.

Kitaayoun, a bunch of local boys from the street, have made their name with provocative, aggressive rhymes about how difficult it is to live in Lebanon when you have nothing. Their beats are heavier, harder and darker than Rayess Bek's and are, arguably, a little more difficult for the masses to access. They've also spent a lot of wind dissing Rayess Bek.

"Overground Lebneneh" will feature both Kitaayoun and Rayess Bek - if not actually together on stage, at least on the same bill. This is no small thing.

This concert is where the real sound of Beirut will be heard, different genres of music with one common trait - originality.

"This isn't a political gig," says Hamdan. "We just want to have a big audience get a taste of the new Arabic and Lebanese music, original and creative music [from] people that take the artistic initiative forward.

"Lebanon is opening up. People are opening up. The feel is there. And we are only as underground as people make us. Stop. Look. Listen. Think. And have a good time."

If you're wavering, head down to Karantina tonight and find out what the real sound of Beirut, the sound of the so-called "underground," is all about.

"Overground Lebneneh" is at BO18 in Karantina tonight. Entrance is LL10,000. The gig starts at 10 p.m.