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LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN !
Paving the Way to Stardom – Joseph Sassine
Born in 15 September, 1974, an actor, director, University Professor, and father of Alexandre and Ivan, Joseph Sassine had humble beginnings. Raised in a small town called Aabrine, in the north, Dr. Joseph Sassine had no prior knowledge of theatre, ‘I did not know what theatre was and had not watched theatre before attending college’. Fleeing from the war that had started, people from Beirut had relocated from the south all the way to small towns in the north. This is where a gentleman, a director, decided to create a play in Aabrine. However, the young Joseph would not be involved as he missed his first acting opportunity by applying late.
The turning point was when Joseph was sixteen years old, where an organization, trying to organize a play, was looking for auditioning men. Due to the other play, men were scarce, which gave Dr. Sassine the opportunity to challenge himself by having his first acting gig and play a drunk. He acted as a drunk but by bringing his own spin to it and not the traditional way of acting as a drunk, receiving the admiration of the watchers, but receiving a neutral reaction from his parents. This act led to awakening the acting spirit inside of Joseph after actually being attracted to science.
After this discovery, Dr. Sassine pursued acting as a side gig whilst also keeping up with his studies as an agriculture engineering; also joining a Dabke Group. After that, opportunities starting flowing. However, to satisfy the actor inside him, Sassine would attend acting classes without being enrolled, as a ‘free attendant’; however, his love for acting drove him to participate and engage as an enrolled student in these acting classes.
After some time, his cousin informed him about a casting call for the play Hannibal. Arriving at the auditions, he was surprised at the amount of people auditioning and the amount being rejected. Needing fifty people, Joseph was rejected initially. Upon discovering they needed more people, and seeing him waiting for his cousin to pick him, he was called back to the play. When asked about how he felt performing on stage for the first time, “the veteran”, Sassine stated that ‘the feeling I felt then, is the same that I still feel today, something that can’t be put into words’. Ending with the fact that know he is more afraid as he is taking on more responsibility. Joseph assumed that an actor should be real, not faking as an ‘actor should be the most honest person in the world’.
At the academic level, Dr. Sassine completed his bachelors in the Lebanese university, his masters at USEK, and his doctorate back at the Lebanese University which awarded him “Dr.” title. Doctorate was a satisfaction for his mother as Joseph the “actor” didn’t please her until he became “Dr. Sassine”, that’s how she loves to call him. This was also simultaneous whilst also doing play after play on the side of his studies.
Moreover, his cinematic debut was in the movie ‘the perfect day’, belonging to Joanna and Khalil Greige. Soon, we will be seeing Dr. Sassine in the movie ‘بعرض البحر’, which is nominated to the Cannes Film Festival, alongside many other cinematic endeavors including ‘Ghadi’ by George Khabbaz, ‘تنورة Maxi’ by Joe Bou Eid, ‘سراج الوادي’, and ‘House of Saddam’ by BBC, ‘دخان بلا نار’ by Samir Habchi, ‘أحبيني by Marouane Najjar, and many more.
From all his acting endeavors, Joseph assumed that each acting gig added something sincere into his life. Moreover, when asked to choose between acting and theatre, “Dr.” Sassine chose theatre with the reason being, that even though Cinema is the ultimate dream of every actor, that theatre is his first love, the thing that introduced him to everything and paved the way ultimately for his career. On theatre, “Dr.” Sassine feels free. Free to act and free to express himself and how he feels.
Recently, his eldest, Alexandre, started his acting career, playing a younger Joseph Sassine in a movie called ‘حياة الأخ اسطفان نعمه’. Most notably, if his son Alexandre wanted to pursue the same career, the experienced Joseph would offer nothing but support, encouragement, and support to avoid the mistakes and bumps he went through. Moreover, when asked if he would have achieved greater success outside of Lebanon, Dr. Sassine said no, stating that the opportunities he received in this country might not have been available outside. He noted that Lebanon had no shortage of opportunities for him to grab. He continued to say that, if restarted, he would restart his career and do it again the same apart from one detail, directing himself more into cinema.
For Dr. Sassine, luck is essential in your individual career alongside a great work-ethic. You have to fight and seek great length in order to fulfill your potential. Obstacles create experience and endurance. Obstacles make you, especially in a career in acting where “Dr.” Sassine had to make his own success, forging and earning everything individually. These same obstacles that are to be avoided by his son with his advice.
Alas, Dr. Sassine alluded that he has no regrets choosing acting over another career. Stating that he awaits the days of work, thinking of acting as a love relationship between him and acting. Regarding his theatrical career, Dr. Sassine considers the theatre fulfilling a large chunk of your life, living the theatre, and feeling emptiness when a play finishes. Theatre becomes your second home, the crew becomes your second family. In his theatre career, the play that left a print and became a teacher to him on Dr. Sassine was ‘مهاجر بريسبن’ by Latifa and Antoine Moltaka, the founders of theatre in Lebanon. Dr. Sassine stated that it was a pleasure and honor to be working with such legends, stating also that in theatre, it is a constant challenge to outperform yourself. A challenge he took upon himself by taking inspiration from every hard working person around him, including Yaacoub Chedrawi, Latifa and Antoine Moltaka, and Jalal Khoury.
However, Joseph stated that he is never satisfied, always striding for better things from himself. Shedding a light on his work, “Dr.” Sassine has performed in 25 plays, directed another 10, and performed in the mentioned movies and more, in a span of a non-stop 25 years of constant work. Even a critical event doesn’t prevent him from performing, dedicated to his art, even the death of his sister – few minutes before play – didn’t prevent him from pursuing his passion, but driven him to the best performance he had ever done, as the audience and his mates told him after the play ended.
Seeing that theatre is where you find yourself, express, and feel like your own, it is where the endowed Joseph Sassine would draw life, derives energy, and generates passion from the crowd. This is why he considers theatre one of the greatest and toughest professions. Taking a look forward, when asked when he might stop acting, “Dr.” Sassine assumed that only a substantial event, such as a weak memory, would stop him from acting, basically stating he would die on the woods of the stage, a home where he was free, a home which he belongs to.
In conclusion, Joseph Sassine is distinct for his rich personality, and his loving nature. While peering at the journey of the actor who lived through several epochs, you cannot get enough of talking about his distinguished professional career and the obstacles which he overshot on his ‘way to stardom’. Sassine once said: “التمثيل أصدق كذبة بيعيشها الممثل ، وإذا ما بيقدر يوصل لهالنتيجة،يكون هوي الكذبة”
A Feast with “Salt Bae”
Who doesn’t know or hasn’t heard of the icon ‘Salt Bae’, a persona that has made waves throughout social media through its extravagant cooking videos, always ending with the signature over the top salt spray. ‘Salt Bae’ made an international name for himself, using social media as a launching platform, to build and manage his rising reputation that even led celebrities to frequent to his restaurants.
Nusret, the man behind the ‘Salt Bae’ persona, owns multiple restaurant franchises. One of them is the acclaimed Steak House Etiler, Istanbul; with the restaurant located on a busy street. Staying true to its name, that restaurant is where I enjoyed the best steak in my entire life. When the moment presented itself to meet such an icon when we were on a trip to Turkey, we went to his steak house in a taxi that made us life the full Turkish experience by even playing us the song ‘Nankor Kedi’ by the legendary Ibrahim Tatlises.
From the moment of our arrival, of our reception, and the glass doors opening up, all we could see in our vicinity was professional chefs, downing an angelic look in the form of the white cooking uniform, doing tricks and flips with their utensils whilst cooking the steaks and meats. The flames looked as if it was touching the ceiling, making you imagine that the steaks are being cooked by angels in hell. In the restaurant, the ambiance was created by soft Turkish music blasted throughout.
Whilst walking and being directed to our table by the specialized receptionist, my eyes locked in on Nusret, all in black, wearing his sunglasses, and his gold necklace, and the only image that popped in my mind is his signature salt spraying move. Then and there, the only thing I could imagine is him spraying salt on the steaks. I could not let this opportunity slip away from my fingers, so I headed towards and respectfully asked for a picture. After hearing him accept and uttering the word ‘Hoşgeldiniz’, which means welcome in Turkish, and every time I look at the picture, I get transported back to that special moment, even remembering how to say welcome in Turkish.
After we took our place on our assigned wooden table, fitting like a piece of puzzle with the simple and cozy décor of the restaurant, alongside the lit spots on the ceiling and dangling light bulbs, we ended up ordering the tomahawk steak, medium rare of course. In between our order and its arrival, we were discussing how happy we were being there, smelling the beautiful cooking aromas spread like a ghost that was filling up the place, and eagerly awaiting on our order to complete our inner satisfaction with this entire experience.
I saw the tomahawks that we ordered headed towards us, and my stomach was almost more excited than me. When the steak arrived, it was unveiled in the highest standards, details, and fashion I’ve seen in my life. Presented on a wooden plate, it was served to us by a waiter dressed in a black costume, wearing black gloves, and a black hair net, prompting me to liken him, jokingly, to a ninja steak waiter. Taking our experience to a whole new level, making us feel and want time to stop, as we did not want this experience to end.
The waiters all served us with big smiles on their face. It also goes to mention that almost every waiter was bearing a mustache, which is a traditional Turkish custom that Nusret honored in his restaurants.
Upon seeing that juicy and tender steak, my mouth started to salivate as I could no longer contain my urge to delve into this delicious looking steak. However, before we could begin eating, the mentioned waiter pulled out a machete-like knife alongside a fork specifically designed for those who specialize in the art of cutting steaks.
The waiter then humbly asked if I wanted my steak cut. I approved, and the waiter duly began fashionably and artistically cutting the steak in mere seconds, ending it with the signature salt spray made famous by ‘Salt Bae’. It felt like the waiter was letting his inner ninja warrior spirit emerge, much to our amazement, making the process of steak cutting as magical as it can get, like we were attending a theatrical show.
Immediately after finishing our steaks, discussing on what to order for desert, a waiter passed by holding a big tray of Turkish Baklava, prepared, served, and delivered to every bit of Turkish standards, adding on it was their signature topping, stuffed with ice cream. This tray was passed through the entire restaurant for anyone to grab a piece and eat. At first, we each took one. However, seeing how delicious it was, we all inexplicably went for seconds. It was a once in a lifetime experience. From the moment of our arrival, to the staff welcoming us, to us enjoying the best steak I have ever tasted, to the overall experience and ambiance of the restaurant, it was an amazing and exasperating adventure that I would enjoy once more if the opportunity arises. Keeping in mind with the fact that it is worth traveling to Turkey solely to go and relish the steak with the crystals falling on top of them, closing off with the special desert making the experience whole and complex.
A Moment For Life
Heartbeats are increasing, palms are sweaty, adrenaline hitting its peak, foots touching the wood stage, people in the hundreds gathered to watch, and I was burnt with fire and the desire to give the awaited first performance on stage after months and months of nonstop rehearsals.
‘Rafaat Afandi’, the character I was playing, the Ottoman Spy that inhibited a piece of my personality, a role that had me undergo daily linguistic training to fully grasp the accent that the character accentuated; reaching the point of undertaking daily conversations with the people around me utilizing the fake accent.
It was 2013 and the fourteen year old me was selected to perform in the school play ‘أيام فخر الدين’, which was performed on the UNESCO stage. To me, this was a dream come true as I had a burning passion and love for acting ever since I was a small child. Now a dream is a rousing image of things to come that stimulates your brain, will and feelings, enabling you to do all that you can to accomplish it. Alas, the moment that the selection process was made, and my name was called to undertake that role, it felt like time froze. It felt like the world paused and I was exhumed with emotion and overtaken with happiness as one my dreams was coming to fruition. I still get Goosebumps to this day thinking about that moment of pure bliss.
It was a self-imposing challenge bringing the character to life and acting the role of an ottoman spy who spoke in a broken Arabic dialect. When I remember the challenge that I was faced with at the time, a quote comes to mind, stating that to ‘Challenge yourself; it’s the only path which leads to growth’ – Morgan Freeman. I still remember my acting teacher telling me that she was betting on me to deliver, expecting me to give that role a special ‘flavor’ of my own. The rehearsals became a routine ingrained in our lives. We trained until the fateful day of the play had come. Training until the very last drop of sweat that we had.
On that auspicious day of the play, early in the morning, we arrived at our school to have them do our makeup and dress to our roles. I could never forget that black beard that was drawn on my face, and the eyeliner that was used to accentuate my eyes and hide the stress and panic that had a strong grip on my heart. All ready and set, we marched to our destiny.
When we arrived at the UNESCO, every step I was taking forward to that stage felt like I was walking on the red carpet, and the role of ‘Rafaat Afandi’ had taken possession of me, with the lines I was tasked to deliver playing in my mind over and over like a broken record. Walking in with the black beard, and the burgundy costume covered with a golden robe, I forgot my true identity and image. In that moment, I became ‘Rafaat Afandi’.
Behind the scenes, backstage, we were hearing noise, like a beehive, dissipating from the actors that were all going over their lines, preparing, and being given out last minute instructions for their performances. I felt a sudden surge of panic and time felt like it was going a hundred miles per second. It was time for the opening scene, and the applauses of those who came to watch rose above the voices in my head and placed me back in the reality of that of the performance that I must still deliver.
When I stepped on to that stage, I no longer had nervousness and anxiety. The weapon that I forged against the formed stress was the confidence that I deduced from the hours upon hours of tireless rehearsals, alongside the confidence I had developed for the people around me included in the play. In that moment, I felt like I was living the role and not acting it. Feeling blinded, like I wasn’t able to see the crowd, I still felt the connection with them while hearing my heartbeats. Wishing that this moment would never end, it felt as if I was in total euphoria delivering such a performance. As I was uttering my final words, I was touched by the love and support of the crowd. Alas, sitting in that crowd, I could clearly identify both of my parents there to support me with their heart beating for their son whom they were proud of.
Heading back to the backstage area, I heard Ms. Maya’s voice, my acting teacher, and I could never forget her telling me that I had exceeded her expectations, ending what she said with a ‘يؤبرني ربك’. Ending the salutations from Ms. Maya, the only thing I wanted was the love, compassion, congratulations, and proud smiles that I received from my parents, whom I ran to after finishing my performance. I think I’m proudest of making my parents proud. This, to me, meant more than anything in the world.
After finishing and congratulating each other upon finishing our play, the time came to crown the winning performance. Upon hearing the presenter utter the words ‘and in 1st place of the UNESCO theatrical festival: College Notre Dame du Balamand’, all of our hard work had paid off. The time, sweat, devotion, and exertion, all pay off in the end. We headed back home with our heads held high and a never fading smile on our faces. That unforgettable moment has been ingrained in my memory forever, alongside sharing a bond with my secondary family that continued through subsequent performances given the success that play had accumulated. We do not remember days, we remember moments captured by our minds living in our hearts.
Lebanese Elections: Make or Break?
In the midst of a non-before seen political and social crisis that Lebanon is experiencing, the Lebanese citizen remain clouded, lost, and wandering as to where and how the situation and future will unfold. Despite all of this, for some – those who have yet to lose faith in their country – a bit of hope is presented in the form of the 2022 Lebanese Elections. March 27th, 2022 is the ever awaited date of the elections. However, will these elections enact change in the political map of Lebanon? And will the upcoming political candidates have a strategy to fix Lebanon or end up letting down their people even more?
This will be the first held elections after the revolution of October 17, 2019. Several catastrophes have hit the Lebanese population, which are literally confounded in the wake of confronting enormous cash debasement that has left around 75% of families under the poverty line, an explosion brought about by government carelessness that burst through the capital city last August, and a popular revolution subdued by police brutality and a pandemic.
These elections might be presented as an opportunity to actually achieve change and political reform. For a better understanding of the situation, some political figures were interviewed and the information gathered will be detailed.
To begin with, Fadi Karam, the treasurer of the conglomerate ‘الجمهورية القوية’ assumed that it is wrong for Lebanese citizens to generalize every candidate as corrupt and that there are propositions by the new candidates that should be developed further for sustainability upon implementation. Moreover, that the people who participated in the revolution in refusal of the current political party in charge have, no doubt, an impact and a role to exercise change across the span of the country. Karam followed by stating that ‘no doubt, the people and us should change the situation that we are living in through proposals that take us to a betterment, and not those that derail the country, as not every new proposal is an efficient one’.
Karam went on to describe the political party he belongs to, the Lebanese Forces, as the one that has been putting forward proposals for advancement for years now. He also expects a positive result in the up and coming 2022 elections for the Lebanese Forces. Karam assumes that we, as Lebanese citizens, are living in the worst conditions because of past choices that the majority described as ‘non-successful’. He also addressed the people to be careful about their decision making in regards to which majority they elect, as he considers the elections a turning point in the situation at hand as it is the only elections that can be the savior of Lebanon.
In addition, when asked about the role of the International Community in regards to the situation in Lebanon, Karam elaborated that it is possible for them ‘to open doors, but it is up to us to enact change, whether through violence and chaos, or through elections’. He continued by maintaining that the non-occurrence of elections can be a catastrophe that leads the country to an eventual explosion. Karam concluded ‘we feel a strong relationship of confidence and comfort between us and the people, something that fortifies our position’.
Now moving on, the second interviewee, whom was George Atallah, one of the representatives of the parliament of ‘لبنان القوي’. He elaborated that the 17 October, 2019 protest has a lot of ambiguities surrounding in terms of claims to it being a real protest. However, George continued that there is no doubt that there are people who have zero tolerance towards the situation and corruption transpiring in Lebanon, and these people will express their feelings in the upcoming and elections, something ‘التيار الوطني الحر’ agrees with. Furthermore, something similar to what Karam mentioned, George stated that the protest of ‘كلن يعني كلن’ is incorrect and unfitting.
These elections are the last opportunities for Lebanon to progress out of its present rotted circumstance to a reform path is to ensure that the 2022 general political race allows a minimum amount of reform-minded list of figures who are not exposed to the intimidation or restrictions of the biggest political groups to be elected to the parliament. Moreover, George Atallah also said that with regards to the elections, there is a big chunk of citizens that will have a completely unlike direction than their previous election experiences; with them, as a political party, inviting people to cooperate with them to reach a positive end result, similar to the calls for reforms that were made in 2005 and 2009. For George Atallah, in regards to the International Society, everything that is controlled by outside parties is to serve certain purposes, with the funding that was present in the previous election as evidence. With George Atallah concluding that if ‘foreign countries can help us track and unveil the money transfers that occurred to the outside of Lebanon’, then they would welcome such help, being with holding elections to launch a new political era where people can freely express how they feel.
Finally, our final interviewee, the opinion that was controversial and contradicting to what the previous interviews stated. The final interview was conducted with Salim Saade, a prominent member of the Syrian Social Nationalists Party in Lebanon, a Lebanese Politician, and an Economical Expert. Before we start dissecting the interview, it is imperative to state that Salim Saade previously warned the people about the economic situation that Lebanon is facing, the deteriorating and depreciating conditions that we are living in, and the crisis before it happened. In regards to Salim Saade’s personal opinion towards the upcoming elections, he thinks that change will not be enacted, as he even thinks that there are no new strategies for the betterment of the country, as corruption will be a mainstay in Lebanon. He also stated that the elections will indeed happen, however, without enacting any radical changes to the Lebanese Government.
This is seen as there aren’t any real slogans/campaigns from his perspective. Campaigns such as ‘سوى من غير’ hold no real weight. In regards to whether or not election will be held in 2022, Salim Saade stated that there will be elections, but that does not guarantee change. He even went on to say: ‘the kings of the political parties need the elections to reinstate their reputations after it their image was damaged. Lebanon is ran as we all rule or nobody rules, and the real ruler of the country is in fact Riad Salameh’. Salim Saade continued by saying that the International Community (المجتمع الدولي) are not dumb, and as long as the Lebanese system is built on Sectarianism, change will not be seen. He also stated that if the Lebanese citizens are not willing to help themselves, no one will.
What Salim also continued to highlight was the fact that changes for the betterment have never been present, as he said ‘of what reforms are we going to talk about?’ This is seen as there has been no 24/7 electricity for the past 45 years. What he also highlighted was that ‘how are reforms to happen when the governmental body does not meet, and if they do, no decisions are made. And if there are decisions, they are usually the wrong ones’. Salim Saade also said that, after the Taiif agreement, the country now needs two presidents to lead the country, something that is not seen in any other country.
Finally, in terms of the economic situation, Salim assumed that there no reforms as ‘the country has been broke for over 2 years’, and the biggest proof to that is that as we are to continue living as a broke country, there are no real discussions for betterment, not even with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Salim continued that the problem in the country ‘is that no one decides, no one can decide, and no one has the guts to take a decision’. Even with the 30 to 40% budget deficit and the wide gap in the trade balance that is contributing in lessening the amount of $ currency in circulation and depreciating the Lebanese Lira, he added that we ‘have not yet reached the bottom’. Salim Saade also highlighted that ‘I don’t lie to people, there is no solution, no one has a strategy, and no one has anything whatsoever’.
In conclusion, some have hopes in the elections and are planning for change as Fadi Karam and George Atallah mentioned as they requested from the people to take the right decisions and stand with the right parties, some don’t. However, Salim Saade described Lebanon as the corpse of an elephant that is decaying regarding its economy, and that Lebanon is turning into an elderly nursing home with the young leaving to procure a better life for themselves.
Faith: What it Means and its Derivatives
Popularized in the 17th century by Puritans, the word Faith is a derivative of the Latin word Fidere, meaning to Trust.
Faith presents itself as holding or possessing a strong and unwavering belief in the principles of a certain religion, belief that is based on spiritual convictions solely.
Faith is introduced to the population in the many subsequent religions. In the Bible, the word faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”.
In the Qur’an, Faith is stated to “grow with the remembrance of Allah”.
In Judaism, faith requires a believer to “honour God through a constant struggle with God’s instructions”.
However, Faith also differs from one believer to the other. The application of Faith and its constitutes can be seen to be applied by one believer, whilst another can have his own and separate interpretation of what it requires to be faithful. Believing that Faith is not only about religion, but also of one’s self belief and believing in what that person is doing.
However, being Religious and Spiritual can somewhat be different. Some people have faith in God without the strings attached to their religious connotations. Some choose to still practice the belief in God, in their own ways as Faith, at its core, is the deep-rooted expectation of better things to come and hope for.
Faith lives in one’s heart and spirit and can act as a guiding compass. One more way Faith can manifest itself, as mentioned, is one’s own belief. Believing in your abilities and yourself, the strong belief in pure hard work and not using others as a crutch and going down the easy path, and the belief of good and genuine intentions. “It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself” – Muhammad Ali.
Looking out the Window
Sitting on a cozy afternoon, I look outside my window to indulge and relax. As I stand and look outside on the vast horizons, I hear the wind playing like a classically trained musician, touching the leaves of the trees, making them dance to the beat and sound of its music. The wind made it seem like the trees were dying to get up, move, and walk up the mountains and its summits, reaching the endless green pastures and painting the nearby houses like an artistic masterpiece. Suddenly, my attention span is then grabbed by white smoke bursting through the blue skies from a nearby fire. The smoke was wiggling and passing through the trees that were dancing like a wife and husband on their first dance. I could feel the heat caressing my cheeks and the smell travelling into my nose. My attention was now fully pledged on that white smoke as I envisioned the red fire that matched the color of the house rooftops nearby. Then, the sudden realization of this either being a sight of divine beauty or a bad omen of things still yet to come.
Boğaziçi Champions
A day to remember. The Day the University of Balamand Futsal Team defied all the Odds. The University of Balamand Futsal team participated in an international futsal tournament, the Boğaziçi Futsal Tournament, with the final taking place on the 12th of May 2019. The much anticipated finals matchup was pitted between the Balamand University and Belgrade University, a well-prepared and organized team who have already won many tournaments. A tough game, accompanied by a low probability of winning on a windy and rainy day, the match was played on the fields of Boğaziçi. We were already drained and warned-out, as the qualifications took up the four days prior. Grabbing energy drinks to survive and energize for this last endeavor, we went to watch a rugby game near the green field to let off some steam before the game, then we proceed to the indoor court. Coming out, we witnessed the Belgrade team coming out in their all white uniforms, as it snowed on them profusely, together, united, with the same goal as us, but with more experience playing at such a level than us. We walked in wearing our blue jackets, hiding the fact that fear has taken over us. The match started, and we managed to score a minute before the end of the first half. The second half started, and we knew what we had to do, defend the 1-0 score as if our lives depended on it to bring back the gold trophy that says: 1st place University of Balamand. Ultimately, the whistle rang; we had won and came in first place, defeating the Belgrade team. It was like a dream, we celebrated like an army that had just won a war. We beat the odds, put the university and our names in the history books, and came home with our heads held high as we brought back the first place trophy to the University of Balamand.
A Rising Star
From a young age, this woman has had deep passion for music and relishes listening to music to the point where MTV Music would always be turned on in the background. She used to artistically incorporate dancing with the beat of the music. She was obsessed with ‘Notre Dame de Paris’, a movie first shown to her by her uncle years ago, remembering every detail, every moment, and every feeling she felt watching such a masterpiece to this day. At the age of six, she performed for the first time in front of a crowd, during her favouite cousin’s wedding, singing ‘ My heart Will Go On’ on stage; the song that her sister taught her.
At first, asking for the mic as a mere six year old, the DJ did not take her seriously. She proceed to explain to the bride that she had prepared a song for her, they agreed and handed her the mic and she performed. The young idol stated that that day: ‘she was very determined’. Alas, she performed the song, pronouncing its last words whilst the music ended; she looked up and saw nothing but applause and yells of admiration. She has spread nothing but fun and positive vibes that drew nothing but smiles across the faces of the guests of the wedding. This led to many gigs in the events that she was invited to.
However, this scene of jubilation did not recreate itself in school as she found herself as an outcast. This was because the music teacher at her school did not favour the tonality her voice possessed. Undeniably motivated, she started developing her talent in the conservatoire, where her parents enrolled her, to develop her voice, also picking up how to play the piano along the way.
Years go by, her talents developed, with the idol no longer being little anymore; she visited her sister at her office at the University of Balamand where she persuaded her studies. This is where she met with one of the members of the Band that she is now a part off. Upon their initial meeting, the band member told her that the band is very excited to hear her sing. During her audition, she sang with great passion and emotion, singing her favourite song: ‘Still Loving You – The Scorpions’. Nevertheless, she initially did not know whether she did enough to impress the band to accept her, as they never showed any emotion or reaction towards her audition; she did not know until they contacted her and told her she as now the newest member of the band. She started attending band meetings and practices, but had to pass on the opportunity to perform during her first concert as, unfortunately, her grandfather has passed away a few days before it.
The idol continued her journey with band, growing and developing to the points where they started writing their own original songs. This led to them releasing their first album in June 2019, granting them the opportunity to perform in the Metal World United International Concert, where their band, along with various bands, performed legendary songs.
Before the concert, she was asked the question of whether she is nervous about her first official performance, with her answer being a firm and confident: ‘ma b7ayeteh tlebbaket’. Throughout her musical journey, she always was asked if she would ever stop singing, and she would state that she would never stop, as music is now an integral part of her life, with music being the blood pump in her veins, bringing nothing but happiness into her life. As once said: ‘A person can drop dead even while singing. But that is no reason to stop singing’.
In regards towards her academic career, the mentioned idol has a wide array of interests, including psychology, mass com, and research. These interests and passions are indeed engulfed by music.
She states that if they were a foreign band, then they might have had more chances and been more appreciated for the talent that they possessed and brought to the table. She likens her career to that of her Idol, Bruce Dickinson, legendary lead singer of the legendary band ‘Iron Maiden’ who reached well into his sixties still performing on stage. Amazingly musically successful, Bruce Dickinson also not only has a published book, and possesses a PHD.
On a personal note, her career reminded me of the quote by Rabindranath Tagore, who famously said: ‘God respects me when I work, but loves me when I sing’.
Abraham Lincoln once said: “don’t believe everything you read on the internet just because there’s a picture and a quote next to it”. Here’s a VOX POP about social media.
© 2021, Raja Abboud. University of Balamand – Mass Media and Communication, Topics in Electronic Journalism.
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