21 August 2010
BEIRUT: A Ramadan music festival, designed to promote tourism and development in Lebanon’s three main cities, kicked off on Thursday, promising to attract tens of thousands of spectators over the next two weeks.
The “Urban Development Festival: Ramadan Nights,” now in its second year, will feature nightly events in Beirut, Sidon and Tripoli. The Hariri Foundation-organized festival, will bring together musical talent from Lebanon, the Arab world and Europe in a reported drive to stress the need for more coordinated national development.
“The festival is designed to showcase the uniqueness of major Lebanese cities and highlight the role of cultural events in fostering an environment conducive to national unity, social cohesion and partnership,” said event spokesperson Tariq Hakawati. “[Through this] we hope to render the festival a vehicle for economic growth and social change.”
The opening night, which was packed with spectators in all three cities, featured performances by Syrian singer Imad Rami, who played in Tripoli, and classical singer Tania Kassis, best known for her series of Islamo-Christian songs, who performed at the Beirut Souqs.
A special tribute to veteran musician Omar Zeeni was also performed by Lebanese musician Ahmad Kabbour at a specially constructed venue next to the 17th century ruins of the Khan al-Franj sea fortress.
Some upcoming acts are expected to appear in more than one city a night in a supposed show of national unity.
“The music has been chosen to attract all age groups and we have some performances which cater for the older generation while some are almost exclusively for children,” said Hakawati. “The festival is still young … but we hope this year will teach us about what more can be done and how to better engage people.” – The Daily Star
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