MAJOR MUSIC ARTISTS - LEBANON
DESCRIPTION: Mashrou3 Leila (which translates to 'An Overnight Projectʼ' in Arabic) are a Lebanese music group who are challenging traditional stereotypes in Lebanon and Arabic language cultures concerning womens rights, sexuality and human rights overall.
ACTIVITY STATUS: Active
ACTIVITY PERIOD: 2008 – present
MUSIC GENRE: Contemporary Pop, Indie Rock
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: LEBANON
RECORD COMPANIES / LABELS (Current & Past): B-Root
OFFICIAL WEB SITE: http://mashrou3leila.com/
ABOUT THEM:
The band was formed in February 2008 at the American University of Beirut, when violinist Haig Papazian, guitarist Andre Chedid and pianist Omaya Malaeb posted an open invitation to musicians looking to jam to vent the stress caused by college and the unstable political situation. Out of a dozen of people who answered the call, seven would remain to form Mashrou' Leila. Band members were encouraged by friends to perform in front of a live crowd; they put on a show as the opening act for a concert on the AUB campus . During the event Mashrou' Leila proved to be the only band who were writing and playing their original music. What started as a workshop evolved into a hit band after playing in small venues, and gaining ground on the underground music circuit.
Mashrou' Leila emerged onto Lebanon’s music scene during the Lebanese 2008 "Fête de la Musique" event (the yearly Music festival held by the Beirut municipality) sparking controversy for its unabashed and critical lyrics on Lebanese society, failed love, sexuality and politics. In 2009, at the same festival, Mashrou’ Leila played in front of a large following where fans moshed to their music in downtown Beirut. The band's breakthrough single "Raksit Leila" (Leila's dance) was awarded both the jury and popular awards at the Radio Liban's 'Modern Music Contest' held at Basement (club) in March 2009. The first prize was a record deal. Mashrou' Leila’s self-titled debut album produced by B-root Productions was released in December 2009 at a steel factory in Bourj Hammoud (a suburb of Beirut) where 1200 fans crowded the factory yard. The gig turned out to be Beirut's biggest non-mainstream event in recent years and has been a big hit among Indie and Rock fans in Lebanon. The band's concert at the Byblos International Festival on July 9, 2010 was one of the most anticipated events of the summer. It was attended by scores of fans as well as the Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri.
Source: Wikipedia
VIDEOS:
LINKS:
- Wikipedia Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mashrou'_Leila
- CNN story on Lebanon (with coverage of Mashrou3 Leila) - http://insidethemiddleeast.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/07/inside-the-middle-east-goes-snowboarding-in-lebanon/
- Jerusalem Post story - https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Lebanese-police-to-investigate-rock-band-for-insulting-religion-596735
Parent Category Page Links: | Music Artists / Outfits - Lebanon |
Please contribute any writings or images to this page if you have more information or history to share with the Music Industrapedia Community on MASHROU3 LEILA. Please visit our Contributions page for details. Also, please feel free to discuss the development of this page by clicking on the "DISCUSS" link at the bottom right hand side of this page.