- Title: LEBANON-MACHROU' LEILA Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila perform on home ground
- Date: 9th August 2015
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (French) CONCERT ATTENDEE, FRENCH MOVING TO LEBANON YVAN, SAYING: "I adored it, I adored the vibes, the band and I loved the singer, he has a charisma on stage. I am French, this is my first concert in Lebanon and I adored it. It is a great experience."
- Embargoed: 24th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Lebanon
- Country: Lebanon
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAANX8U84HNEWC5CIEIS5T25FJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Lebanese independent folk rock band Mashrou' Leila delighted their fans on Thursday (August 6) in their hometown of Beirut performing at Biel Beirut waterfront as part of the annual summer festival, 'Beirut Holidays 2015'.
The 'Beirut Holidays' festival is a series of concerts and shows that take place in the capital for music lovers in the region.
The five-member band was formed in 2008, whilst they were all studying at the American University of Beirut. Since then, they have developed a loyal fan base with three albums under their belts. Lead singer Hamed Sinno said music is now their full time occupations and the heart and soul that shows in their indie rock music is from the dedication they have towards their work.
"The only thing that keeps us working is that we love what we do. We all studied something else and used to work in other things, but we are are in love with what we do, we have no life outside work and we don't even get to see our friends," Sinno said ahead of the concert in Beirut.
Mashrou' Leila have performed in various Arab and European countries including Italy, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, France, Finland, Switzerland and Belgium. Their last performance in Lebanon was in April this year and they say they have been excited to return to their hometown four months later.
"I think the biggest difference about performing in Beirut is that we are much more relaxed, we feel like performing at home. I think the audience can see that we are comfortable and react to this energy," added Sinno.
The band members - Sinno on vocals, Ibrahim Badr on base guitar, Carl Gerges on drums, Haig Papazian on violin and Firas Abou Fakher on guitar - amazed thousands of locals and foreigners in the audience with the variety of their work for over an hour and a half.
"It was literally the best concert I have ever attended in my life and I have attended many concerts, alright. I don't know, there was so much feelings and a lot of patriotic things, it was something like Ziad El-Rahbani mixed with new generation. 'Wow', really amazing," said one elated concert attendee, Lebanese citizen, Michel.
Mashrou' Leila showcased some of their hit tracks from their first two albums, but focused mainly on songs from their latest album 'Raasuk', released in 2013. Interestingly, a crowdfunding campaign helped this to happen, covering the production and distribution expenses of the album. Sinno said their next performance in Lebanon will include every more new material from a yet to be released album.
There was an overwhelmingly positive response by the attendees of the concert, and many Lebanese expressed their pride of having Mashrou' Leila making a mark on the global music scene.
"Amazing! The guys are furious, we are proud to have people like them in Lebanon representing us in all countries. The event was awesome, you can feel how dynamic the people were inside, dancing and happy," said Lebanese event manager, Josiane.
Mashrou' Leila original name meant 'Overnight Project' but now is a play on the female name Leila. Its songs - considered upbeat and catchy, cover several themes including love, sex, tolerance and rebellion - attracting Arab and non-Arab fans alike.
"I adored it, I adored the vibes, the band and I loved the singer, he has a charisma on stage. I am French, this is my first concert in Lebanon and I adored it. It is a great experience," said one French concert attendee, Yvan, who has recently moved to Lebanon.
Mashrou' Leila performed the final act at the 'Beirut Holidays' festival. Their next scheduled concerts are in Jordan on August 14 and in Egypt on August 21. The Lebanese band will also be on their first ever tour of the United States later this year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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