Somaya Baalbaki opens Baalbek festivals with authentic music

The opening, this Friday evening, with the artist Somaya Baalbaki and the original Tarab, accompanied by an orchestra of more than 35 musicians led by Maestro Lebanon Baalbaki and the participation of the choir of Our Lady of Louaize… The evening includes a group of Lebanese heritage and traditional songs, and a special song for “Baalbek”, the words of the poet Talal Haidar. It was composed by Lebanon Baalbaki, and a poem by the late poet Nizar Qabbani, composed by Maestro Ihsan Al-Mundhir, entitled “An Oriental Woman.” Somaya Baalbaki published on her social media pages, a set of photos of the recent exercises she performed on the festival scene, and she had previously performed exercises in the studio.

It is worth noting that since her first singing debut in 1993 at the American University of Beirut, Somaya has chosen authentic Tarab and Arab lyrical heritage. The eldest daughter of the late plastic artist, Abdel Hamid Baalbaki, born in 1970, she joined the Conservatoire in late 1987 to obtain a diploma in music. In 1993, she presented her first solo performance with a band directed by artist Nabih Al-Khatib.

The second appearance came months later at the Concorde Theater, where three concerts were held, and the singer sang, accompanied by a band of 35 musicians. These concerts opened the way for Somaya to the “Carthage Festival”, in which she won the Golden Microphone Award in 1994 for the song “I don’t want an apology” (words by Anwar Salman and composed by Ihsan Al-Mundhir). In 2008, Forward Music, under the direction of artist Ghazi Abdel Baki, chose her as one of a group of artists who specialize in original art. She recorded an Arabtango disc for her, which included songs under the banner of Arab tango, from “Atlb Eni”, “I love you” and “No, I am not the one who is crying”, to “I entered once in a garden”. In the past few years, she was rebellious, and her participation now in the Baalbek festivals is considered an event in her life, especially since the party will be led by her brother, Maestro Lebanon Baalbaki…

The concert will be broadcast live on the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation screen. The head of festivals, Nayla de Freij, confirmed in a statement that holding the event, which includes four concerts and runs from July 8 to July 17, “in these times when Lebanon is witnessing successive crises”, represents “a challenge and a form of cultural resistance.” The Lebanese Society for Studies lit up the perimeter of the Baalbek Citadel, starting from the car park to the entrance, using solar energy and special generators.

The second concert on July 10 with the Adonis band, which has been present for 11 years and represents an important aspect of the youth’s passion and expresses their desires. Its members: Anthony Khoury, Joey Abou Jaoude – guitar, Nicolas Hakim – tabla, and Gio Ficani – bass.

The third concert on July 11, in cooperation with the Spanish Embassy in Beirut, and a Cartico Trio show, with guitarist and flamenco musician Jose Quevedo: Polita.

The fourth and final concert, on July 17, will be triangular: the French-Lebanese pianist Simone Grichi, the Sufi dancer Rana Gharghani, and the composer Jacopo Papone Chilingi, with an atmosphere that “embodies a mixture of oriental and Latin music, international and folk melodies, classical traditions and new techniques, and this is exactly as pictured.” Baalbek, the eternal fortress, despite all the challenges.

It is noteworthy that the Baalbek Festival Department published the prices of the first party tickets between 300,000 and 900,000 pounds, while the Beiteddine Festivals announced that their concerts would be free.