Mariam Saleh to participate in Beirut &Beyond Music Festival

CAIRO – 25 November 2018: Famed Egyptian singer Maryam Saleh along with her partners, Palestinian musician Tamer Abu Ghazaleh and Egyptian musician Maurice Louca will participate in Beirut &Beyond International Music Festival.

The trio will perform a concert on December 7.

One of the most prominent music partnerships included the cooperative efforts of Egyptian singer Saleh and Palestinian music composer Abu Ghazaleh. Both musicians incorporated their different music cultures and backgrounds to express one artistic rebellious production.

Abu Ghazaleh is a Palestinian composer and singer who passionately express his patriotic feelings through his rebellious music. He was inspired by iconic Palestinian musicians such as Khaled Gubran, a pioneering Palestinian musician who contributed to authentic Palestinian music. He also taught Abu Ghazaleh how to play Oud.

Saleh started as a modernized version of Sheikh Emam who is an Arab rebellious icon known for his satirical songs that focused on tackling societal issues related to working classes.

Her rebellious identity, vision and acting skills are depicted in her songs. Saleh and Abu Ghazaleh teamed up, pursuing an artistic partnership and exploring joy, struggles and human emotions.

Saleh recomposed various songs for Imam such as “Nixon Baba” (Father Nixon) and “WahYa Abdel Wadoud” (Oh AbdAlwadoud), among others, adding a modern music taste to them through speckled instruments.

Her Album, “MshBaghany” (I Am Not singing), which was released in 2012 under the supervision of Abu Ghazaleh, was the first cooperation between Abu Ghazalehand Saleh, while “Lekhfa” was their latest cooperation.

Their latest controversial album “Lekhfa” aimed to explore the culture of “Shaabi” (Popular music) that enabled Saleh, Abu Ghazaleh and Egyptian alternative musician Maurice Loucato introduce an active picture for the current state of crowded Egyptian streets through different contradicting lyrics tackling complex inner human conflicts.

Saleh, Abu Ghazaleh and Louca are established solo artists in the alternative Arabic music scene. Together, they draw on Egyptian shaabi, pop and psychedelia to produce an off-kilter sound.

Their eponymous album "Lekhfa" uses the edgy dystopian poetry of Mido Zoheir to remarkable effect.

"The name 'Lekhfa' literally means 'to make something invisible'," Abu Ghazaleh, the band's vocalist and composer, told RFI.

"It was more of a joke at first and then it turned into something that each of us saw as relevant to the music in a different way."

The band's blend of genres: working class political music from Cairo known as shaabi, to psychedelia and pop, and use of instruments like slide guitars,oud and buzuq result in an exciting, dissonant sound.