DanDana EP 19: Beirut And Beyond

SOAS Radio

There is before August 4th 2020 and after August 4th in the history of Lebanon. But there is also music and sound. What is the music scene like in Beirut? What artists and venues are there? And how has history been scored into the sound of a city exploded due to corruption and negligence? Beirut and Beyond’s director Amani Semaan joins DanDana’s Christina Hazboun in an intimate, deep and honest conversation about the music scene in Beirut and the latest Beirut 20/21 compilation. With an experience spanning a decade in the music scene in West Asia and North Africa, Amani Semaan recalls the events of the October Revolution, the exceptional, homegrown edition of Beirut and Beyond’s showcase festival in February 2020 and takes listeners through the last twelve months on the music scene in Lebanon. From an intersectional socio-political and mainly musical perspective, you will hear about Beirut’s indie scene and how a whole community of artists, festivals and cultural operators came together to release a sonic postcard of the time of Beirut 20/21. Take a seat and choose a quite corner to soak in events unfolding within the music of Lebanon. For the full compilation visit: https://beirutandbeyond.bandcamp.com/album/beirut-20-21