Lebanon Sounds, July 2006

mazen kerbaj
Mazen Kerbaj is an improvisational trumpet player, a visual artist and cartoonist, and according to some reports "a very sweet guy." He was supposed to be touring the US right now but has not been able to leave Beirut. Meanwhile he is becoming fairly well known for his piece, "Starry Night," created earlier this month on his balcony in Beirut while bombs were falling. Many people after listening to the piece and reading his blog have asked him for interviews, wanted him to be a political speech maker of some kind. He has pointedly responded: "if your interested in what i am doing, please write yourself a story about it."

He does thank those who have written him non-political comments and and those who have been "spreading the message...with a little bit of luck it will end up on condoleeza rice's desktop. i know it won't stop the war, but i am sure at least that she'll ask me to do her portrait."

To hear an excerpt of "Starry Night" or to read the blog

STARRY NIGHT (excerpt) 6.31 min

a minimalistic improvisation by:
mazen kerbaj / trumpet
the israeli air force / bombs

recorded by mazen kerbaj on the balcony of his flat in beirut,
on the night of 15th to 16th of july 2006.


Clotaire K and Maya talk about bombs in Beruit

ODEO's FM Breakdown features: Lebanese Rapper Clotaire K Speaks About the Bombs in Beirut, while another Lebanese artist, Layla, writes about returning home to Beirut from Jordan as the bombs fell:

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