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Inside the Middle East
April 16, 2009
Posted: 1020 GMT

From Rym Momtaz
CNN

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Imagine Louis Armstrong jamming with Pink Floyd on a small red-lit stage and you get the performance of the Franco-American group “NEXT TO YOU” (Click here to watch an extract of the performance) at “Irtijal”, a five-day international festival for experimental music in Beirut, Lebanon.

 Joe McPhee, pocket trumpet. NEXT TO YOU
Joe McPhee, pocket trumpet. NEXT TO YOU

“Irtijal” means “Improvisation” in Arabic, and in keeping with the title, all the performances from April 3rd to 10th were unscripted musical conversations between band members on stage. Some, like the musicians from “NEXT TO YOU” make it seem effortless, suddenly turning what initially sounds like a dismembered collection of Noise into actual Music. That’s when experimental music transcends all tastes. The packed theater of more than 100 music enthusiasts was on fire – applauding for a good few minutes.

After playing with his pocket trumpet full of water, Joe McPhee unloads the liquid before his next set.
After playing with his pocket trumpet full of water, Joe McPhee unloads the liquid before his next set.
Sabu is not only one of the foremost Japanese free jazz drummers, he gives a dramatic performance on the Kokyo, a traditional Japanese 3-string instrument played with a bow
Sabu is not only one of the foremost Japanese free jazz drummers, he gives a dramatic performance on the Kokyo, a traditional Japanese 3-string instrument played with a bow

The crowd was an eclectic mix of Lebanese underground artists, artsy students and professionals all under the age of 35, with a few exceptions. Some were festival regulars who have attended every edition since 2000 eagerly returning to discover the lineup concocted by Mazen Kerbaj and Sharif Sehnaoui, the thirty-something co-founders of the festival and themselves experimental musicians. Others were curious first-timers. All were equally enthusiastic, even after the more puzzling sets. Ingar Zach, a Norwegian percussionist, and Alessandra Rombola, an Italian flutist from the band “MUTA” both told me how pleasantly surprised they were by the warm reception they had received mainly because “the Lebanese audience is more open to new things and less judgmental”.

On the three nights I attended, artists played to a quasi-packed theater. Unique in the Middle East, the festival is quickly becoming a staple of the international experimental music scene attracting an increasingly international lineup and ever-larger crowds.

Yet not every set at this year’s festival was as enthralling as “NEXT TO YOU”’s. As I sat through 20 minutes of nondescript screeching noise only mitigated twice by some “notes” that sounded like bubbles in a hooka, I scratched my head and wondered what it was that Stephane Rives, a French soprano saxophonist (click here to get a taste) wanted to convey and more importantly wished his screeching had reached “dog whistle” frequency and spared my ears.

The festival, nevertheless, successfully showcased the incredible musical encounters that can occur when experimental musicians meet on stage. On closing night the different members of “NEXT TO YOU” got to jam with a few artists they had been impressed with but had just met. The result was nothing short of riveting.

With its diverse lineup, Irtijal’s main strength remains making such music accessible and offering it in a laid back setting. Artists hung out with the crowd between shows, some even showed a few strings to aspiring young musicians; Mr. Sehnaoui’s mom was on hand every night clapping enthusiastically at the end of each set while Mr. Kerbaj’s eight year old son helped out at the concessions stand one night.

As this edition wrapped up, the organizers promised to put on an especially good show next year when "Irtijal" celebrates its tenth anniversary; there is definitely room for improvement so it will be interesting to see just how successful they will be!

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GLeigh   April 16th, 2009 2:10 pm ET

I was born in 59 so too young to attend Woodstock, but this seems a little like a mini one to me. Artists really can make an impact. Perhaps the ME needs a big one. It will never change the world, but it does present history and show that people care in some way beyond borders and all. And, it sounded like fun. I've listened to all of it. Productive rather than destructive like bombs. Shame on the bomb people.

mohammed gharbawi   April 20th, 2009 1:45 pm ET

This will be done if you ,israelis, leave the region in peace.

mohammed gharbawi   April 20th, 2009 1:45 pm ET

The world bank

Israel steals palestinian water.

USA, Germany, Italy, Australia, Holland refuse to participate in the UN conference because of "potential antisemite remarks".
This is the free world they try to convince the world with. This behaviour will only maximize terrorism, hatred for the west, and the perception of the west double standards.

The Israeli lobby is really tremendous. This is shocking.

The question is: where is Obama in this conspiracy?
Natenyaho puts acknowledging Israel as a jewish state as a condition to begin the so called negociations.

A jewish state is a racist statement in the first place.
The Islamic world is laughing at the west as we speak. I keep repeating myself but Israel causes irreparable damages to the west.

Itai   April 21st, 2009 3:40 am ET

GLeigh
April 16th, 2009 1410 GMT

I was born in 59 so too young to attend Woodstock, but this seems a little like a mini one to me. Artists really can make an impact. Perhaps the ME needs a big one. It will never change the world, but it does present history and show that people care in some way beyond borders and all. And, it sounded like fun. I’ve listened to all of it. Productive rather than destructive like bombs. Shame on the bomb people.
----------–
thats a rare comment on which i agree with you
art can represent history
maybe it also can change the world ... but thats also rare :(

GLeigh   April 21st, 2009 1:30 pm ET

Itai – Thanks. The world does need to change. We agree at least on that point. I hope it changes for the better. That might not happen (no pressure on the world leaders), but it could go either way. We'll see.

GLeigh   April 21st, 2009 2:46 pm ET

Mo – Antiseminite remarks are racists. All people should be against it. The Islamic world might laugh, but racists are bad.

Itai   April 22nd, 2009 3:14 am ET

Antiarab remarks are racists
Antiislam remarks are fascists
the israeli world maybe laugh, but rascism and fascism is bad!

and by the way all the blind pro-israeli poster here are telling us that semite is not a race since the last some blogs entries

so let us use some logic...
semites are not a race ... there are black semites white smites and brown semites
rascism i about a race that why its called rascism
so it seems now that antisemites are not rascists
or that antisemites are rascists and semites are a race

maybe its time for some people to decide now if semites are a race or not? and to reevaluate who is rascist or not

it dont work if people say that semites are not a race and all who not agree with semites are rascist... just because there is a bug in the logic of that

let me also add
i dont care who is a semite or not i also dont care who is arab or not
totalarian ideas as hitler did use or as bush did use are allways wrong the world is not totaly bad or totaly good ... also the world is not splited in only good and only bad!

there are good israelians as i told many times in this ME blog there are also many good semites ... for example my neighbour which allways cry when i take a shower in the night :)) he is a good neighbour and a good friend also if he shout when i take a shower in the night ;)
there are also many good muslims as also christians
i know good people from around the world and from around very different religions

but some i dont like
for example i dont like christians who abuse children
i dont like mulims who spray acid on women face
i dont like jews who ignore international law

to be somehow fair, all these 3 examples are about people which call them self religious and act against any religion and against any law

and if people disagree with such bad evil people it have nothing to do with rascism or fascism id dont matter who the bad people are it dont mater if such people are semites muslims or christians... bad is bad

Professor   April 22nd, 2009 3:21 pm ET

GLeigh,

Islam forbade racism more than 1400 years ago. So, yes the Muslim world will look at the so called civilized people of the world today and laugh at them as they are fighting their own racism against eachother. Instead of looking inward at the cause of their problems they point the finger at the muslim world to find a scape-goat to blame.

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