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Waiting for… Feyrouz

His fusion of pop, soul, electro, hip hop and French songs mixed with his oriental signature makes Ibrahim Maalouf a pioneering figure in the world of contemporary jazz. Before performing in Batroun Festival on August 11^th, the famous Lebanese-French trumpet virtuoso has given me an Exclusive Interview.

-Ibrahim Maalouf, how does it feel to be performing at the Batroun International Festival?

-I’m very happy! Each time I come to Lebanon, I’m touched by the warmth of the Lebanese welcome. Lebanese are also very generous, open-minded with a great capacity to adapt. They are attached to their roots, and at the same time they love travelling and exploring new horizons.

-Isn’t it the essence of your music too? Always exploring new horizons and cultures?

-Yes, exactly! For me, music is a message of cultural mixing, lots of empathy, psychology, understanding the others…Lebanon is at the center of the world map, many civilizations and cultures pass by Lebanon and we go everywhere. It’s as if Lebanon was the navel of the world! (he laughs)

-What can people expect from your coming concert?

-I’ll be performing a very special program in tribute to Oum Koulsoum. It is a rework of “1001 Nights: Alf layleh wa layleh” based on American European jazz.  Imagine that I’ve played it in 150 concerts throughout 28 countries! I’m so thrilled to be performing it in such a nice venue as Batroun in front of the Lebanese public. Last year in Baalbeck, I had a totally different program, so I wanted this performance for this year.

-Why Oum Koulsoum?

-Honestly, I first wanted to pay a tribute to Feyrouz, but you know how difficult it is to have the rights for her songs, so while waiting for Feyrouz -I think this would make a great title for the interview (he laughs)-I said why not Oum Koulsoum? Since I was a child, I listen to the songs of this great artist and I love them, specially “Alf layleh w layleh’” and “Ana fi intizarak”. So my idea is to translate this music -which has become the classical Arabic music- into jazz, the classical American music. Since I’m immersed in both cultures, I felt responsible for finding a dialogue between these two worlds that are so different! And… here we are! When Classical Arabic music meets Jazz as it is in this performance, it’s more than a proof, it’s a message for all politicians who are fighting that 4 of 5 musicians can find a way for an understanding.

-You have performed in Baalbeck on the 4th of August with famous French-Lebanese artist Mathieu Chedid, it was a blast! Was it a way of showing two great Lebanese talents performing together?

– Mainly two friends. Mathieu is an old friend. I respect his talent, his artistic and human integrity, his sincerity and capacity of spreading joy around him. It’s always a pleasure to be next to him.

-What’s your best collaboration ever?

-I’ve had many great collaborations, but it’s funny you ask me this question, because a couple of days ago I had a collaboration with Wynton Marsalis, the pope of Jazz, and it was definitely the best musical and human encounter of my life!

– If you could perform with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be and why?

-For me, the best encounters are the most unexpected ones. You can find very talented unknown young artists, and meet with famous artists with no talent! So I don’t care about the notoriety of the people, what means to me is a real human encounter. With Wynton Marsalis, it was great because such a famous jazzman has endeavored with me on stage. He really improvised for the sake of musical research!

-You come from a family of renowned artists. How did this affect your upbringing and how has it shaped you as a performer?

– Through poetry, literature, music… my family has certainly taught me the values of nice things. Knowing how to express emotions through arts is a strength. Our strength in family is our capacity of building dialogues between cultures. Playing with worlds, with notes… is our added value. For example, the themes developed by my uncle Amin Maalouf in his books are a source of inspiration for me. Music is not only rhythm, it’s a culture that we defend beneath.

-And what did you learn from your father Nassim Maalouf, the classical trumpet soloist particularly known for his adaptation of the trumpet to Arabic music with the introduction of the quarter tones on this instrument?

– I deeply admire my father. He taught me everything I know about trumpet, classical music, Arabic music, he made me love Feryouz, he made me sleep on Oum Koulsoum’s songs every night. I think my dad is not well recognized, but he’s a great artist whom I’d like to thank for everything.

-Your daughter is 8 years old, is she musically gifted?

-I can’t tell from now, but she plays the flute, the piano, she loves sports and cooking. She draws and reads a lot.  I let her discover all the horizons, I don’t push her to music, not necessarily.

-What would have been your second choice of career if you were not a musician?

-Architect or journalist.

-If you could play in any venue around the world, which would you choose and why?

-It’s not the venue which counts, it’s the public. You can perform in a magnificent place with uninterested people not interacting with you, and by coincidence, you can play spontaneously anywhere and draw the attention of one person who can be enchanted by your art making you feel in Carnegie Hall.

-Ibrahim Maalouf, you have a new album coming out in September. Tell us more about it.

-Its title is “Levantine Symphony, Number 1”. It is a kind of anthem common to all Levant region. The idea is not to stop to prejudices towards people we don’t really know, but try to understand each other no matter how different we might be. I believe that even beyond love there is something I call: melody. When you know the melody of the other, you understand him. Each couple has its melody that keeps the bonds even when love fades away. Each family has its own melody composed by its story, its heritage, its common experience… This melody inspires me.

-Did you find Lebanon’s melody?

-Of course, the melody of Lebanon is always here, in my heart.

-Where do you like to spend your time in Lebanon?

-In Ain el Abou, in Northern Metn, the region where my parents come from. There, I feel the closest to my heritage, my roots, my … melody.

-You live in Paris, but visit Lebanon frequently. What is the first thing you do when you come back to Beirut?

– I never leave Beirut. Even when I’m not here I still feel I’m in Lebanon. That’s why I have no real rituals here. I was born here, but left Lebanon very early. I’ve never lived here, but never left here neither! This is the chemistry of the place, I think! Even during the war, we used to spend 3 or 4 months in Lebanon every year.  And if the airport was closed, we used to come by boat from Larnaca. I can’t thank my parents enough for having done this so that I always felt related to my motherland.

-How do you describe Lebanon to those who are not familiar with it ?

It’s definitely the best country in the world!

Ibrahim Maalouf’s picks :

• Lebanese restaurant: “Ilili” in New York
• Lebanese dish: My mother’s tabbouleh
• Destination in Lebanon: Batroun and Ain el Abou
• Lebanese artist :… My father. He’s so talented. He taught me everything
• Place to chill out: I don’t go out frequently. For sunsets? … Maybe, Fakra, is a nice place
• Souvenir from Lebanon: It’s difficult to remember only one. When
  I was a child, we used to go, with my cousins, drink water from the source and frogs used to jump on our shoulders. Can you imagine that! (he laughs)
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