Milad tauk biography sample

Summary: The Roman Baths came to life Friday night for Milad Tauk's "Beirut, The Sea Lover," the closing show of the Samir Kassir Foundation's Beirut Spring Festival.

BEIRUT: The Roman Baths came to life Friday night for Milad Tauk's "Beirut, The Sea Lover," the closing show of the Samir Kassir Foundation's Beirut Spring Festival.

Combining music, archival footage, 3D mapping and a team of over 100 musicians and technicians, the performance paid tribute to Beirut's architecture, culture, history and the relationship that connects it to the sea.

Produced by the festival, which was created in honor of the assassinated Lebanese journalist and this year held its 11th edition, the show's title is taken from Kassir's book "The History of Beirut," in which he refers to the coastal capital as "Beirut, the sea lover."

The 60-minute spectacle gathered the voices of Nader Khoury, Diala Saab, Ingrid Naccour and rapper BeatLaLipos (Elie Nakhle), alongside a mixed-genre band and orchestra, conducted by Elie Barrak.

Performed on the baths' central staircase, the musicians appeared to float in the middle of the Mediterranean, as crashing waves were mapped onto the steps.

The four singers offered a blend of solos and duets, with a set list of famous songs that mention Beirut and its unique way of life.

Songs included Fairouz's "Ya Mina al-Habayeb," Sabah's "Allo Beirut," Ibrahim Maraachli's "Ya Tramway Beirut," Marcel Khalife's "Toot Toot Aa Beirut" and Pascale Sakr's "Ishtaknalik Ya Beirut."

Some of the classics had been rearranged into a more contemporary medley - such as "Allo Beirut" being interjected with an original rapped bridge by BeatLaLipos, who was enthusiastically applauded by spectators for his politically critical lyrics.

The usually somber tune of Fairouz's "Li Beirut" was transformed into a jazzier instrumental version that seemed to go over well with the audience.

The mapped scenery evolved during the show, featuring the beginnings of Lebanon in ancient Phoenician times and its urban renaissance, and moving through the "golden age," the city's destruction during the Civil War and the hopeful beginnings of modern reconstruction.

A screen at the top of the stairs saw archival footage, much of it provided by Tele Liban and filmmaker Bahij Hojeij, projected to accompany each song's theme - scenes of the Manara area, Beirut Port and the old railway, for example. Drone footage of modern-day Beirut was also used.

The set list was not only filled with old classics. Following a soothing rendition of Wadih al-Safi's "Aandak Bahriyah ya Rayes" by Khoury, Naccour did a lovely version of "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" from the opera "Carmen."

John Lennon's "Imagine" was also performed, used to comment on the country's long history of sectarian wars.

The 3D mapping and archival footage added a nostalgic charm to what could have been just a performance of classic songs.

Barrak's rearranging and careful song selection kept the show from becoming boring by doing something new with the older tunes and sprinkling in unexpected numbers from other countries and genres.

The concert concluded with the Lebanese national anthem, sung by all the performers as well as the audience. It seemed a fitting way to end a show dedicated to the successes and hardships that has made Beirut what it is today.

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