19 June 2009

Preview

BEIRUT: Like the summer solstice that it marks, Fete de la Musique, the night-long musical celebration of the year's briefest night, returns to Beirut streets this Sunday for its ninth round of Franco-Arab vibrations. In the tradition of cultural unity, the event promises to stage a wide range of music, from Arabic hip-hop to alternative rock and electronic music.

For many, the highlight of Beirut's version of the fete will be Beirut indie music heroes The New Government, who will be performing a set at the Roman Baths. Headed by Beirut underground impresario Zeid Hamdan and named after the 2005 Lebanese government crisis into which it was born, The New Government grafts a new wave sensibility to a '60s-era Brit Pop root structure. Some have opined the band sounds like Interpol and Of Montreal.

The band's Fete gig falls in the midst of their summer tour to promote their self-titled new album, which had its online release on June 7, the same day as Lebanon's Parliamentary elections. It is still available for free download at www.thenewgovernment.net. Their summer tour kicked off in Paris on Wednesday and continues in Saida (Friday) and Tripoli (Saturday) before rolling into Beirut for the Fete. It will continue at Beirut's Goldrush Super Night Club on June 22 before coming to a triumphant conclusion in Zahle on American Independence Day.

The New Government is by no means the only act that'll be gracing Beirut streets on solstice night. Six quarters of Beirut will stage live music for the Fete: Hamra Street, next to Fransabank; The Roman Baths, just beneath the Grand Serail; The City Center Cinema ruin (aka "The Dome"); Martyrs Square; the Samir Kassir Garden, near the Al-Nahar Building; the Mar Niqula Steps, on Rue Gouraud, Gemmayzeh.

The musical styles range from hip-hop, rock, pop, electronica and folk, to oriental music. For the techno junkies, "The Dome" is the place to be. Martyrs Square and Hamra Street will showcase Arabic hip-hop and alternative rock.

Several Lebanese and Palestinian hip-hop artists will be giving voice to their political and social concerns. Arabic hip-hop has been experiencing a growing popularity in the region and abroad. Its unique trait lies in the deep passions of the rappers who sing about issues that matter to their countries and their people. It's hoped in certain circles that this form of political activism will provide a successful alternative to violent militancy.

Lebanese rapper L'Fahrass, a veteran of the Hip-Hop for Peace project, is slated to perform in Hamra. Known for their controversial lyrics, the Lebanese hip-hop twins Ashekman will be rapping in Martyrs Square. They will follow the act of Khat Ahmar, another Lebanese rap crew who created a compilation album with Ashekman entitled "Peace Beats." More political verses can be heard from I-Voice, two Palestinian rappers to perform just after Ashekman.

To break from a seemingly male-dominated rap industry, the internationally renowned girl rapper Malikah will be showcasing her rhymes downtown. Half-Lebanese, half-Algerian, she was born in France and raised in Beirut and has gained much success around the world, as when MTV Arabia hailed her one of 2007's two best MCs in Lebanon.

An eccentric sound will be heard in Gemmayzeh with Arnab, a project fusing Western acoustic, electronic, and Arabic musical elements with live drum-and-bass. One member of Arnab is a professional drummer. The other an electronic music composer. Together, and with a bit of improvisation, the duo are bringing a new performance style to the Lebanese music scene.

Cities in more than 120 countries stage their own version of the Fete de la Musique, with the aim of devoting the shortest night of the year to celebrating musical expression of all kinds, professional and amateur, local and foreign, traditional and contemporary.

Organized by downtown real estate developer Solidere, the cultural mission of the French Embassy and Lebanon's Ministry of Culture, Beirut's Fete de la Musique was created to promote cultural fraternity, solidarity, and to celebrate the arts. It's assumed people of every political, religious, and national background are unified by music, whether that mean a guitar riff from one corner of Beirut or a techno beat from another.

"Music is a dialogue, a universal dialogue," said Denis Gaillard, director of the French Cultural Mission, stressing the importance of music in society today. Fete de la Musique manifests, he suggests, is a communicator of cultures.

With all its enthusiasm , it seems the Fete de la Musique tradition is more than just a series of concerts. It brings together voices of a new generation, one that is passionate, artistic, opinionated, and a part of a global community. - The Daily Star

Copyright The Daily Star 2009.