Ehdeniyat International Festival 2011

Written by ehdeniyat team

Ehdeniyat International festival 2011, witnessed a unique artistic and one of its kind musical night, that gathered Oussama Rahbani, Hiba Tawaji and Wadih Abi Raed, in a night that was full of nice words and profound poets, as well as human, social and political beautiful messages. Rahbani started the event with presenting his gratitude to Ehden that is hosting this festival and to its management team heading its success and spreading out from a year to another one. In a strict language and usual trust, Rahbani said: “Neither fire, nor summer hot, nor wind nor coldness will stop Ehdeniyat festival”. And he stressed on the importance of fighting ignorance, extremist and aggression with art, openness and culture, thanking the Minister Sleiman Frangieh and his wife Mrs. Rima Frangieh who attended the concert for their continuous effort and big care to present the best for the area and Lebanon, also he thanked the big audience who filled up the stadium and interacted with him in a special Ehden night.
The spectators of this night had the chance to hear a bouquet of the beautiful old songs and parts of some theatre plays, and numbers of new songs as this night coincident with the release of the first new album of Hiba Tawaji, entitled: “No beginning and no Ending”, and Rahbani specialized Ehdeniyat festival with four new filmed clips that were screened for the first time on giant screens to Ehdeniyat audience. With the revolutionary famous song “I should change the system” the concert started, followed with series of songs from “Abu Tayeb Almoutanabi” theatre play, and from the theatre play of Gebrane and the Prophet, and a famous song from Summer 840 and a song from the theatre play of the Kings of Sectarians. Also the show has included a special salute to Che Givara, “in every tree, I see the face of Givara”, than “I loved you and I still”, “the Municipality of Beirut” that was the first Rap song in the Arabic world, “they blamed me too much” from Don Qui Chotte theatre play, in addition to the “dream” and “My country in my mind” and others. The night was characterized with lots of information and historical attitude that Rahbani was saying to the audience from time to time via quick stand ups between songs mentioning the historical transformations and life turnovers that was the source of inspiration of those songs. Also, Rahbani was very generous in the explanations and comments that harmonized with the content of the concert, with alternation in singing between HibaTawajji and Wadih Abi Raed and singing together many times accompanied with the Rahbani on the piano. It is worth to mention the presence of the important man the departed Mr. Mansour Rahbani in this night in every word said by Tawajji and Abi Raed, and in the spirit of philosophy and metaphysic that dominated the concert. The Rahbani father did not go away from the heart of Rahbani son, so it was a greeting of appreciation and respect from the audience of Ehdeniyat to the important passed away man for what he left us of art and culture and gave us a musician that we are lucky to know him.
With the end of concert, the theatre of Ehdeniyat is preparing itself to host another type of audience and other age ranking, as well as musical dancing shows full of life in the occasion of the kids’ week during Ehdeniyat International festival that will last on four consecutive days from August 18 to 21.