The seven-member Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila takes pride in the mystery surrounding its name.  In English, it’s known as either “Project of the Night” or “Leila’s Project.”  But Ibrahim Badr, the band’s bassist, wears a t-shirt reading “I want to be Leila.”  So what, or who, is Leila? That’s a question that the band is happy to leave ambiguous – for now.

Ever since Mashrou’ Leila emerged onto Lebanon’s music scene during the 2008 Fete de la Musique, it has sparked controversy for its unabashed lyrics on love, sexuality and politics.  This year, at the same festival, Mashrou’ Leila played before a vast audience, with fans moshing to their music beside the ancient Roman Baths in downtown Beirut.
 
The band has come a long way in the two years since several AUB students first advertised for interested people to come to informal jamming workshops.

The seven-piece band evolved out of the subsequent sessions, where it developed its own distinct musical style and lyrical emphasis.
 
Their biggest breakthrough came when they were awarded both the jury and popular awards at the Radio Liban Modern Music Contest held at Basement in March.  The first prize was a record deal with Incognito.
 
“It happened really quickly and we didn’t expect we would get this far,” said guitarist Andre Chedid.
 
“We are all different people; we have different influences in life and music, and everyone brings in what they have - and so something new is going to come out of it,” added violinist Haig Papazian.
 
The unusual prominence given to a violin in popular music, as well as the use of a megaphone to alter vocalist Hamed Sinno’s voice, represent just part of the “something new” Haig refers to.

In addition, the band is vocal about the problems associated with life in Beirut, which are not addressed by mainstream Arabic music – and they are liberal when it comes to swearing in their songs.
 
“Maybe because we were architecture students, we have this thing, this different perception of relations with the city. Beirut gives you a lot of inspiration,” Haig explained.
 
“Inspiration… and frustration,” Andre added quickly.
 
“When we started, the music that was more accessible, more mainstream in Arabic, was not really dealing with things that we were dealing with. It is always about love and it is always done in such a superficial manner. It is highly impersonal,” Hamed said.
 
With lyrics that ask young people if they would rather talk “about politics or f**king,” Mashrou’ Leila’s music has an emotional immediacy that crosses boundaries still not openly discussed in Lebanese public life.

“I like that it is controversial,” Ibrahim admitted.

Hamed agreed, “You need to be open minded to listen to our music.”

Yet, given the popular support for their music, it is clear they are saying something people want to hear.

“We are in our 20s at this point, and we have been watching the transformation of Lebanese society for 20 years, and it just doesn’t seem to be getting anywhere,” Hamed said.

“No one seems to be doing anything in terms of personal rights or sexual rights, things that are so obvious,” he added.
 
The song “al-Hajz” or “The Checkpoint,” which talks about encounters with security personal at checkpoints near politicians’ houses, is an expression of frustration about the way the country’s political and security situation affects everyday life.

Mashrou’ Leila is not the first band to discuss Lebanese politics in its lyrics; musicians have been consciously discussing politics in Lebanon for a long time. A key difference is that earlier politically-inspired musicians, including Fairuz’s son Ziad Rahbani, were primarily concerned with the formation of Lebanese identity.

Hamed said his generation is more concerned with critiquing the flaws that still exist, because they have grown up “without having a hand in creating the mess we have to deal with.”

“We also just happen to be a bit angrier about it,” he said.

There is a debate among band members, however, over the degree to which they feel their music is subconsciously political, or if they are simply trying to reflect society. “We want to talk about things because we thought they were issues, not because we wanted to change them,” Andre said.

Hamed said that, as musicians, he and his band mates can do no more than “get people to start talking about stuff.”

“I know that music has the ability to get the people who are concerned with these things to start talking, or at least to reflect a genuine disenchantment with a situation,” he said.

“You are not going to blow up a road block by pressing play, but you press play enough times and you being to gather some collectivity around something,” he added.

Ibrahim said that, despite the controversial subject matter, at the end of the day the band is “not trying to do anything other than play music that sounds cool.”

The band played its first gig outside of Beirut over the weekend, as part of the Tyre street festival, Zalghoutet el Corniche.

They joked about how well their music and controversial lyrics would be received outside of Beirut’s liberal music scene - particularly as the free open air concert was expected to draw a diverse Tyre crowd.

Despite the uncertainly, the group was adamant: “We are not going to change anything.”

Mashrou’ Leila consists of violinist Haig Papazian, guitarist Andre Chedid, vocalist Hamed Sinno, guitarist Firas Abou Fakher, bass player Ibrahim Badr, Omaya Malaeb on the keyboard and Carl Gerges on drums.

The band is expecting to release its first CD in October.

Mashrou’ Leila’s upcoming concerts:
 
June 3, 2009 | Parc Joseph Skaff - Zahle
August 8, 2009 | Estivales - Deir El Qamar
September 19, 2009 | Kfifan Festival

For more information on Mashrou’ Leila, click here.