Lebanese band rocks Western audience
beirut — Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila’s blend of indie rock and lyrics about social and political injustice has won a passionate following among fans seeking an alternative to Arab pop with its romantic themes.
But securing a firm footing in the Middle East has been difficult for the band. Jordanian authorities cancelled its concert in June, for the second year in a row. Lebanese radio stations steer clear of its music.
“They don’t know where to place us,” said Hamed Sinno, 29, the vocalist of the five-member band formed in 2008 that has stirred controversy in the region with songs tackling oppression, classism, sectarianism and homophobia. And things don’t seem to be changing in the region, Sinno said, so the band has been playing more abroad.
Mashrou’ Leila has played concerts in cities including Paris, London, New York and San Francisco since its 2015 album Ibn El Leil reached number 13 on the Billboard world album chart.
The band’s music has broken away from the norm in a region whose pop stars steer clear of social issues, singing mostly of romances. Arabic music doesn’t really have a tradition of “teenagers rebelling or expressing a lot of anger”, Sinno said.
“Are we the rebellious teenagers of the Middle East? No, I think wer’e just a band that’s writing about our lives and about the stuff that affects us,” he said. “And because of the way we are as individuals and people, a lot of what does inspire us is political, because that’s the stuff that we freak out about on a daily basis.”
The band’s most recent song, Roman, focuses on overcoming betrayal. The video was directed by a woman, Jessy Moussallem, and is dominated by women, as Sinno sings among them.
“I think it’s literally speaking about what I would like to see and what I think men should do, especially in the Middle East,” Sinno said in an interview ahead of a concert in the Lebanese town of Ehden. —