Beirut: Music is Life
- A photo essay by Tanya Traboulsi
- Photo: Tanya Traboulsi. Scrambled Eggs perform in Beirut, Lebanon.
A striking compilation of photos presented by Tadamon! from photographer Tanya Traboulsi which document the underground music scene in Beirut, Lebanon, a center for groundbreaking culture in the Middle East today and for decades. Admits the political chaos of Lebanon these photographs present a glimpse into the thriving world of alternative musical culture in Beirut which has attracted international attention for it’s mix of Middle Eastern musical traditions and modern musical expression from hip-hop, to free Jazz, to electronic music.
“I started to photograph my musician friends about two years ago … just hanging out, rehearsing and then I also started to shoot them during concerts,” explains Tanya Traboulsi.
“After a year of doing this just for fun, I decided to turn it into a project, the aim to spotlight the Lebanese alternative music scene,” continues Traboulsi, “[Beirut’s music scene] has all genres of music to offer, and all are of high quality, [created] in the situation of the region [which] makes artists create more.”
- Photo: Tanya Traboulsi. Malikah (961 Underground) performs in Beirut.
Photo: Tanya Traboulsi. La Gale (961 Underground) hip-hop artist from Beirut.
- Photo: Tanya Traboulsi. Omar Offendum and Ragtop in Beirut, Lebanon.
Photo: Tanya Traboulsi. Palestinian hip-hop group Katibe 5 in Beirut, Lebanon.
Photo: Tanya Traboulsi. Experimental music group XEFM in Beirut, Lebanon.
Photo: Tanya Traboulsi. ShiftZ & Hiba el Mansoury perform in Beirut, Lebanon.
for more information on all the bands, performers and musicians from Beirut featured in this photo essay please visit the “Lebanese Underground” website on-line at: www.lebaneseunderground.com
* Austrian-Lebanese Tanya Traboulsi studied Fashion Design in Vienna before deciding to make her passion for photography her full time career. Fluent in German, French and English, Tanya divided her youth between Austria and Lebanon, but is now based in Beirut where she is brushing up her Arabic and making a name for herself photographing the country’s vibrant cultural life.
Published in books and magazines across the region, Tanya exhibited her self-portrait work at Lebanon’s recent Be-sides exhibition (curated by the Goethe Institute Beirut) and is currently producing a documentary photography project on Lebanon’s underground music scene. www.tanyatraboulsi.com
…with these pics i’d just like to hear it too. hope you get the links going and pass by wherever i may be. hope to see you soon…
Comment by stephan m. — February 21st, 2009 @ 2:01 PMgreets s
I have been following the activities and attending the performance of these artists regularly in the underground scene of music in Beirut, and I think those pictures are great! Thank you Tanya for keeping up this important work for all of us, for the sake of art…
Comment by Gemma Daou — February 21st, 2009 @ 7:44 PMGemma
tres chic!!:***
Comment by Maria — February 22nd, 2009 @ 11:20 AMFantastic Pics Tanya….
Comment by maurizio — June 18th, 2009 @ 4:32 AMawesome
Comment by Chance Mandate — August 6th, 2009 @ 1:11 PMAttention to details, plus a great variety of light-infused colours. Your photographs carry a human element: they are so painful.
Comment by Hytham Hammer — March 3rd, 2010 @ 9:30 PMGreat work.
H.H.
—;
i love soap kills and shift z
Comment by alomeh — March 10th, 2010 @ 10:10 PM