Mashrou' Leila: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

June 24, 2016 by ANASTASIA TSIOULCAS • When we invited the band Mashrou' Leila to come play at the Tiny Desk, we couldn't have foreseen the timing.

The group arrived at our office the morning after the horrific June 12 shootings in Orlando at the gay nightclub Pulse. We were all collectively reeling from the news, and for this rock band from Beirut, Lebanon, the attack hung very heavily.

Mashrou' Leila is fronted by singer and lyricist Hamed Sinno, along with violinist Haig Papazian, keyboardist and guitarist Firas Abou Fakher, Ibrahim Badr on bass and drummer Carl Gerges: five young Beirutis whose family backgrounds reflect Lebanon's religious diversity.

Sinno is openly gay, and Mashrou' Leila is well acquainted with the targeting of LGBT people. The band has faced condemnation, bans and threats in its home region, including some from both Christian and Muslim sources, for what it calls "our political and religious beliefs and endorsement of gender equality and sexual freedom." And yet, when Mashrou' Leila performs in the U.S., its members are often tasked with representing the Middle East as a whole, being still one of the few Arab rock bands to book a North American tour.

After the attack on Pulse, the members of Mashrou' Leila decided to open their Tiny Desk set with "Maghawir" (Commandos), a song Sinno wrote in response to two nightclub shootings in Beirut — a tragic parallel to what happened in Orlando. In the Beirut incidents, which took place within a week of each other, two of the young victims were out celebrating their respective birthdays. "Maghawir" is a checklist of sorts about how to spend a birthday clubbing in the band's home city, but also a running commentary about machismo and the idea that big guns make big men.

"All the boys become men / Soldiers in the capital of the night," Sinno sings. "Shoop, shoop, shot you down ... We were just all together, painting the town / Where'd you disappear?" It was a terrible, and terribly fitting, response to the Florida shootings.

In all of its songs, Mashrou' Leila creates densely knotted wordplay; even the band's name has layers of meaning and resonance. The most common translation of "Mashrou' Leila" is "The Night Project," which tips to the group's beginnings back in 2008 in sessions at the American University of Beirut. But Leila is also the name of the protagonist in one of Arabic literature's most famous tales, the tragic love story of Leila and Majnun, a couple somewhat akin to Romeo and Juliet. Considering Mashrou' Leila's hyper-literary bent, it's hard not to hear that evocation.

In the second song, "Kalaam" (S/He), Sinno dives deep into the relationships between language and gender, and how language shapes perception and identity: "They wrote the country's borders upon my body, upon your body / In flesh-ligatured word / My word upon your word, as my body upon your body / Flesh-conjugated words." (The band has posted its own full English translations of these songs online.)

The title of the third song in Mashrou' Leila's set, "Djin," is a perfect distillation of that linguistic playfulness. In pre-Islamic Arabia and later in Islamic theology and texts, a djin (or jinn) is a supernatural creature; but here, Sinno also means gin, as in the alcoholic drink. "Liver baptized in gin," Sinno sings, "I dance to ward off the djin."

But you don't have to speak a word of Arabic, or get Mashrou' Leila's cerebral references, to appreciate its songs: deeply layered, darkly textured and sonically innovative. And sometimes, as Sinno says, the band's songs "are just about getting really messed up at a bar."

Ibn El Leil (Son Of The Night) is available now:

Set List:
"Maghawir" (Commandos)
"Kalaam" (S/He)
"Djin"

Credits:
Producers: Anastasia Tsioulcas, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Claire Hannah Collins, Kara Frame; Production Assistant: Sophie Kemp; Photo: Ruby Wallau/NPR.

[parudise]

mashrou' leila are great. they are very brave. they sing about what are considered taboo subjects in the arab nation. and i totally adore them for that. they're a total revolution in the arabic music industry .

[hockeyrocker]

The singer's voice has so much power behind it. The emotion is captivating.

[bilalitani]

Bro these guys changed my taste in music. The most unique thing is how arabic is generally a language that flows and connects fluidly but he manages to sing in a chopped up style.

[whowouldvethought]

Is it just me, or is there just a certain, unique beauty within hearing songs sung in a language you don't speak.

[alperustuntas]

Mashrou' Leila + tiny desk concert = eargasm

[Flintchick]

Kalaam is everything. I've listened to it every morning this week, five times in a row this morning. Gorgeous vocals, but I also love the bass line, and I like to watch the keyboard player finesse the music. Kalaam is the main reason I want to learn arabic, so I can sing it. I know, shallow.
While I'm talking, this is by far my favorite version of Maghawir.

[fjordhellas]

The Lebanese people don’t cease to impress me. They are so resilient, welcoming, friendly, cultured and fun.

[brunasaraivamelo]

"Maghawir" (Commandos) - 00:40
"Kalaam" (S/He) - 04:30
"Djin" - 08:05

[obedecealaursa]

Why is everyone in this band so gorgeous?

[ray_iq]

اذا استغربت من تصرفات او حركات حامد سنو, هذه الوجيه التعبيريه تساعد الانسان ليطلع صوته بشكل افضل بكتير, و بقيه المغنيين م بيستعملو هالتعابير لان اصلا اغانيهم مسجله وليس من هم من يغنوها بالحفلات الموسيقيه, لكن مشروع ليلى اختلفت بان جميع عروضها الموسيقيه كانت غير معدله او كان الاغنيه شغاله من المسجل, لهيك بحب مشروع ليلى و خصوصا حامد سنو و هايغ, كل الحب و التقدير

[cateyeslives]

This band is the only thing that made me feel safe and not alone as an arab thank you so much 💜

[JoeAssi]

from lebanon, love seeing local talents on a worldwide platform! awesome

[halfrance]

i've been a fan of Mashrou Leila since 2019, this was my first introduction to them. I return to this video over and over again. the power and beauty in their music, there's nothing like it. their lyrics are so clever! And I don't even speak Arabic, just based on the translations there's so many layers and references, so it must be even more meaningful in the original language. I'll always love their music, and in particular the song Kalam (S/He) will always have a special place in my heart <3

[martinheu]

اجمل شي بحامد طريقة غنائه وهاذا الغموض والبحة بصوته عبقرية .

[marawanyoussef]

Can we all just forget about religion and all the differences for a minute, like please!!! WE ARE ALL MADE OF THE SAME THING. Whether you are fighting a fight that is tougher than mine or even less I just want you to know I still have one heart just like you. Blessing be upon music always uniting people.

[Plueschdoktor]

I just got to know the band now through the Berlin magazine for the LGBTI (and friends) community "Siegessaule". They will perform tomorrow evening here in Berlin. Unfortunately (or fortunately as I can't go to see them anyway) the concert is already sold out. If I hadn't fallen in love with them already listening to their album "Ibn El Leil", I definitely would have after watching this Tiny Desk Concert. Although Orlando seems kind of far away now, they really made my cry with their music and presentation! Guys, you are adorable!

[vnloya]

I cannot sleep now. Every song in this LIVE is even more captivating than official studio version... Beautiful.

[raghdanhassan]

Girls & boys, what you're witnessing today is magic being made.

[ntokozomkhize]

who's here revisiting this gem after the explosion in Beirut 💙

[layaa]

This version of Maghawir is way better than the original one. Darker, more mysterious, and spitting the pain to your face.