My experience at the Red Bull Music Academy – Bass Camp Beirut 2012

When I got invited to the Red Bull Music Academy – Bass Camp Beirut, I knew it was going to be something big but I did not know what exactly to expect. My relationship with music goes back to when I was very young. I used to sing in a chorus, write songs and dance. I used to collect more than a thousand lyrics from magazines (Oh, dear). Today, I get the warmest feelings when I remember these activities that I stopped doing for some reason, a long time ago. So I went to the Red Bull Music Academy with an open mind.

Day 1: Friday, 23 March 2012

I got to DRM at around 10:15 AM, a group of people were having breakfast. I recognized a couple of familiar faces amongst the crowd and started to meet people for all over the Middle East. After breakfast it was time for a previous Red Bull Academy participant, Zeid Hamdan to share his experience.

After that, the first lecture started.

Ben Zinc shared his experience with the 40 participants chronologically. He has been a DJ for 25 years now. It was interesting to see how things went for him as he went from vinyl to digital, worked 4 jobs before he made a living from what he loved to do the most and difference before and after the internet. He also played some tracks and explained the process he followed to get to the final desired result he was seeking.

After the lecture, participants were given a few seconds to get on stage and introduce themselves in order to know who’s who.

The second lecture kicked off after a yummy lunch served by the Deli in DRM.

Fadi Tabbal’s story was interesting. He is multi-talented and a bit reserved. His contribution to music and musicians is massive; he guided many in their musical endeavors. He pointed how important it was to understand all the limitations artists may be faced with in order to come up with something realistic. Fadi has to keep up with all kind of music and all kind of musicians which is quite a challenge.

Soon after that, it was studio time! The participants had to put their names on board to indicate the studio they were interested in as well as the time slot.

That’s when the magic started. Artists were jamming and getting to know one another; see what works and what doesn’t. This was a pretty unique experience for me as I witnessed how people from diverse genres and countries speak the united language of music and can still some up with something in a matter of few hours!

After dinner, it was time to party! 4 different venues, Bodo, Mojo, Dany’s and Pasteur were booked at the same time and some artists would rotate from one venue to another and start jamming. That was pretty cool!

Day 2: Saturday, 24 March 2012

The day started after breakfast, of course, with a lecture I am not ready to forget.

It was Young Guru’s first visit to Lebanon. He literally blew everyone away. Like all the lecturers, he shared his experience and a lot of technical details. I loved the “Keep It Real Wednesday” part: This was the day when the crew made of 20 people would drop all the “niceness” and be honest about their opinions, no matter what. According to Young Guru, this helped solve all dormant problems: “The way problems are dealt with are more important than the problems themselves.” Communication is essential if one seeks to have a coherent crew to work with.

He also spoke about how people tend to try to copy a successful sound thinking they could copy its success as well. Young Guru thought that was “corny”. Then, he went technical explaining rhyme levels and how the text says a lot about where people come from; actually sound is also influenced by the environment. He believes that if rappers wanted their music to be heard and make people gravitate around it, they have to understand what the feeling is when partying in a club. Rapper should not over saturate tracks with message (rap); people wouldn’t get it. He also went on about how to work with sound samples and stay original.

“Hip-Hop is about who is the best tonight” said Young Guru and “It’s about the feel much more than the EQ of the sample, feel is the most important thing”. Artists should acknowledge what happened before them and try to envision the future. Young Guru goes on and says: “As a music maker, you have to understand what the audience only cares about what’s coming out of speakers in club, in the car on in their home; how does that make them feel. That’s the most important thing! Equipment matters but it doesn’t matter at the end of the day.”

Young Guru also spoke about music maturity. For him Hip-hop is about keeping it real. A man in his forties shouldn’t be talking about family, kids, work life etc… The text should mature with the rapper. He also spoke about the importance of helping the neighborhood and educating youth to keep them away from gangs.

I could go on about Young Guru all day In the end, he kept answering participants’ questions for an hour!

After that, participants had more studio time after lunch.

That’s when things changed for me on every single level.

I mean, it’s really hard to spend so many hours surrounded with music and not hum. I was jumping from studio to studio like a mouse to see what was going on here and there. Some participants got interested and started to ask me all kind of questions. I was in a chorus a veeerrryyy long time ago and I used to collect lyrics and write a lot of poetry in French and English. But again this was a looooonng time ago. And just like that, Belime asked me to sing something. I tried but was obviously shy. A minute later, I went to another studio where I found Ragheed on the keyboard and Rakan S singing. As soon as they started jamming, Rakan pushed me to sing on a mic in the studio (1st time) – I will never forget this!; soon, Sandra Arslanian - I love her voice – joins and we make some noise

Then somehow things calmed down, I went back to make some photos and hanged around until Bass guitarist Bashar Farran - forever thank you -came and asked me what exactly I was doing in the camp and what I thought I’d get from it. 5 minutes later, he played a base line and asked me to write lyrics. My brain started boiling… I wrote down a few lines that Hamdan Al-Abri - awesome voice – used during the live jamming session – my heart skipped a beat – with Ibrahim Maalouf in DRM.

There were so many people that night that no one could move from his/her place! It was epic!

Day 3: Saturday, 25 March 2012

After partying so hard, it was hard to wake up Breakfast time at DRM. I sat with Nour Nimri, Dany Baladi and Marc Ernest. I had the paper with me and was trying to write more verse. Nour read the paper and said: “I want to sing this” – my heart skipped another beat – What? But he was very serious. He took the paper and went down to studio. Sandra joined and the most surreal thing happens. My lyrics get a tune as well as Sandra’s and Nour’s voice – I’m forever grateful for this. For a moment, I needed someone to pinch me, I felt like it was an awaken dream. A bit later, Avo Demerdjian came in with his electric violin, Saeed Salameh and Tareq Abu Kwaik showed up and they started jamming on my lyrics. The way I felt at that moment, what this amazing group of artists did is something I cannot describe. I was in a trance – thank you tears for doing the rest of the talking. They revived a passion that was in a coma for several years; I will never be able to thank anyone enough.

It was clear that no one wanted these 3 days to end. We had farewell BBQ at Zico House. I did not sleep that night. I was too busy writing lyrics…

You will be hearing my words coming from different artists soon!

In short, it was a life changing experience, and I ended making friends for life!

You can check more photographs of the Red Bull Music Academy – Bass Camp Beirut 2012 album on my Facebook Page.

NB: There were 40 artists and only 3 days, so I didn’t get the chance to meet all of them. Besides the already mentioned artists here are the people I actually had the chance to talk to:

Aziza – A powerful oriental vocalist.
Babak Safarnezhad - A super duper harmonica player
Big H – A very nice and well informed man.
Ceasar K – A super sweet man and a dj/producer/ ill “turntablist”
Dan Sin – A talented man who uses his voice as an instrument to make the eeriest sounds.
DJ Lethal Skillz – A DJ who will keep you dancing the night away.
Hadi Oueini - A drummer with style
Imad Jawad – Bass guitar player. He makes it look like it’s easy to play.
Jad Mroué – All he needs is a software!
Kay Nassef – Singer. Electronic style.
Malikah – Arabic rapper and a very nice person.
May Alqasim – R&B singer.
Nicola Hakim – The best young drummers I know.
Zeinedin – The calmest person who can rap! A beast on stage!

To stay updated with more exciting events:

Follow Red Bull MEA on Twitter
Visit the Red Bull MEA Website
Check DRM’s Facebook Page
Follow DRM on Twitter

HAIL! All Star Metal Band, in Lebanon!

End the month of March in style! \m/
And guess what… Nemr Abou Nassar will be hosting the event

For more information you can:

Visit the Website
Check the Facebook Page

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Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp Beirut – Let the music do the talking

For it’s 2nd consecutive year RBMA Bass Camp will be held in Beirut, inviting a group of the most prominent instrumentalists, vocalists, DJs & producers from across the middle east for 3 days filled with lectures, studio sessions & music at DRM in Hamra.

Lectures

A select number of inspirational lecturers are invited to share their experience in music:

Ben Zinc

Ben Zinc is able to clear whole BPMs in a single leap. Blending the roots of jungle, ragga, 2 step, and UK funky seamlessly for close to two decades, boom tunes like “Super Sharp Shooter”, “138 Trek”, or more recently, “Wile Out” with Ms Dynamite, stand as sure-fire anthems in the breakbeat arena. These days you can catch Zinc in the studio with Katy B, a rising London vocalist he’s help discover and propel to respectable chart success, both as a producer and fatherly mentor alongside the Rinse lot. He’s also an in-demand remixer for the likes of La Roux, Skream and Skepta, and continues to act as an ambassador for what he calls “crack house”, with his Bingo Beats label, worldwide DJ sets, and regular mixes on Rinse FM.

Young Guru

Artists need their people. Gimel “Young Guru” Keaton is Jay-Z’s people. When the rap-conquering emcee and world-conquering mogul steps into the booth (as he continues to do, despite frequent retirement threats), Young Guru is outside, at the board, making sure Hova sounds good. Since 1999 — a staggering twelve years — this has been how it’s done. Along the way, Guru has recorded pretty much every other A-list rapper. Some say he has the Midas touch.

Ibrahim Maalouf

Fondly flitting between countries and genres with sophisticated ease, Ibrahim Maalouf is an established trumpeter with a repertoire that traverses the sonic spectrum. Born in Beirut and raised in Paris, his father, trumpeter Nassim Maalouf, famously added an extra valve to the instrument to allow him to play the quarter-tones necessary for Arabic makams (modes). All too often categorised as pure “jazz”, Maalouf’s albums Diasporas (2007) and Diachronism (2009) showcased instead a seductive collage of contemporary and classical influences; trip hop beats meet unmistakable Arabic rhythms, with an electro undercurrent and samples from Arabic radio and the Paris Metro. Maalouf’s diversity has led him to play alongside the likes of Marcel Khalifé, Matthieu Chedid, Amadou & Mariam and Sting.

Fadi Tabbal

Fadi Tabbal is a man with his finger in numerous musical pies. A sound design and sound conception specialist, his work as an engineer at Tunefork recording studios has secured its reputation as one of the most prominent studios in Beirut. Most of Beirut’s alternative acts have passed through Tunefork’s doors, and as well as producing local artists, Tabbal’s sound installations (The Feel Collective) and film soundtracks display his constant innovation. Tabbal’s diary is clearly full; outside the studio he’s a full-time member of several bands: psychedelic folk-rock band The Incompetents, experimental rock quartet XEFM and drone unit Under The Carpet, not to mention frequent collaborations with folk singer Youmna Saba and experimental punk band Scrambled Eggs. A teacher at ALBA University, he also co-produces the live sessions on Ziad Nawfal’s Ruptures radio program.

Studio Sessions

Four fully equipped studios will be provided to help mash up the different musicians in their different genres, formulating a collective audible expression unified by sound.

Music on 23.03.2012

Mojo flyer Red Bull Music Academy Bass Camp Beirut Let the music do the talking

Music on 24.03.2012

On 24th, it’s happening at DRM! Check the Facebook Event Page.

So where will YOU be?

For more information you can:

Follow Red Bull MEA on Twitter
Visit the Red Bull MEA website
Check the Facebook Page

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Red Bull MEA

Michel Elefteriades in conference at AUB

HIH Michel Elefteriades spoke about Nowheristan to AUB students on 9 March 2012. It was an opportunity for students to raise questions and discuss his ideas.

Welfare Wheat Race – Run for a good cause

Welfare Wheat Race is a yearly race organized by Al Amal NGO for the Disabled and the Needy. The funds raised in this race go to the Sweater & Wheat program, which gives persons with special needs the role of contributing in the support of the other needy.

The race is set to take place on the 29th of April, 2012. It will start from the Broummana Municipality Playground at 8 AM sharp and the participants will be first briefed for details and information at 7:30 AM.

The track is a course closed to traffic with a maximum time limit of 120 minutes for all races. The participation minimum age is 11 years and above.
Toilet Facilities will be present on the premises of the event. A Water station is available at the finish line along with a distance marker every 1Km into the race.

Free memorabilia will be given away to participants (this includes T-shirts, pins, etc.) Breakfast is not included in the participation fee. Any food you might want can be purchased from the event area.

The different races are as follows:

School Races – Males:
1000 Meters (Born in 2000-01)
1500 Meters (Born in 98-99)
2000 Meters (Born in 97-96)
3000 Meters (Born in 95-94)

School Races – Females:
800 Meters (Born in 2000-01)
1200 Meters (Born in 98-99)
1500 Meters (Born in 97-96)
2000 Meters (Born in 95-94)

5K Race: Open to professionals of 19 years of age and above.

1K Welfare March & Parade: Open to all public with no restrictions.

The Internal Forces Classical Orchestra led by the Maestro CL. Ziad Murad along with music bands from Metn schools will hold various performances alongside the race to live up the mood.

Registration Information:
You can register by e-mail on welfarewheatrace@gmail.com or by telephone on 04 963 330. Please send us via any of these both mediums the following information: name, gender, date of birth, nationality, club or name of group leader (if applicable) and a clear photocopy or scan of your ID.

Registration opens on Thursday 15th of March 2012 and the deadline for registration is on the 14th of April 2012.

Registration fees are as follows:

Race registration:
LBP 5,000 for participants up till the age of 18 years.
LBP 20,000 for participants of 19 years of age and above.

Welfare March & Parade registration:
LBP 20,000 donation fee to help support the NGO and its activities.

About Al Amal NGO:

Inspired by her own son Selim, who suffered from mental disabilities, Mounira El-Solh worked on providing a better life and on promoting the cause for persons with special needs.
In 1959, she founded Al-Amal Institute, a center providing care, residence, and rehabilitation for these persons.

Al Amal Institute for the Disabled is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that supports the cause of people with special needs. Our residential center for the mentally disabled is located in Broummana – Metn, but our programs aim to improve the integration and autonomy of these people with special needs on a nationwide level. As our programs work on integration and welfare, we try to involve the community with our cause and as well host activities that promote sports and culture.

In 1992, the Winter Sweater (كنزة الشتاء) program was started, through which residents with special needs of Al-Amal institute started participating in the production of wool sweaters in a workshop established at the center.

As of 2002, the Welfare Wheat (سنبلة الخير) program was also started, promoting and supporting the economic productivity and independence of farmers with special needs in various regions of Lebanon. This program also involves the residents of Al-Amal in packaging and production. Part of the program, the Welfare Wheat Festival takes place every July in the village of Arnoun, South of Lebanon, bringing together volunteers, farmers, residents, various schools in harvesting and packaging crops, as well as various other cultural and social events and activities.

The Sweater & Wheat (كنزة وسنبلة) program is a combined program, through which individual donations go towards sponsoring a sweater and a 15 kg of crops (estimated yearly individual consumption) containing chickpeas, lentils, bulgur, beans, wheat, are sent “from a person with special needs to a needy person” – to a list of 69 non-profit NGOs in various regions of Lebanon.

Today, the programs focus on:

promoting the productivity of persons with special needs
integrating them through participation in productive, social and cultural activities
supporting the cause of persons with special needs and raising awareness