Last night, I kicked off my birthday eve by seeing Tanjaret Daghet, a Syrian rock ‘n roll band, perform in Beirut. Due to the situation in Syria, many visual artists and musicians have been flooding Beirut, adding a new dimension to the arts scene here in Lebanon. One young Syrian man with whom I spoke said that he was making his way to France, having just fled Syria in his last semester of college.
“Where in France?” I asked.
“Nice,” he said, “because it’s nice.”
Behind me, during the concert, sat an ethnomusicologist, who has been busy making high quality recordings of all the alternative and underground bands performing here in Beirut…
After the concert, it was on to Mezyan, one of my favorite cafes in the city for some midnight snacks–like feta and green peppers–and best of all–fatteh–a vegetarian dish filled with chickpeas, yogurt, nuts, toasted pita, and hummus…
Photo by Emily O'Dell
And that was just the birthday eve–come back tomorrow to read about my latest (bday) road-trip in Lebanon…you won’t believe your eyes…
