The Keinemusik collective at their concert in Giza, under the pyramids, with Amr Diab as a surprise guest. (Credit: Keinmusic YouTube channel)
"Yes, I'm coming to Lebanon!" wrote Francis Mercier two days ago on his Instagram account, determined not to let his fans down despite the tensions in the country. The Haitian DJ, a regular in the Beirut night scene, is expected like a messiah this Saturday, Aug. 17 at Faraya Mzaar in Kfar Debian.
Known for his astute mixes of house and Arabic melodies, like his German peers Keinemusik, he criss-crosses the world's stages, disseminating arrangements that make even the most immovable souls dance. It's a sauce that's catching on, and one that's being used by more local and foreign DJs.
When Umm Kulthum and Fairouz were singing in front of 100s of 1,000s of television viewers, the Arab world's icons could hardly have imagined that their refrains would be heard in the world's biggest nightclubs half a century later.
With Generation Z, Arabic music has become an unavoidable trend. Just a few years ago, the majority of this generation only listened to French, English or even Spanish "foreign" music. It was fashionable to be "Westernized," to be more interested in other cultures than one's own, many observers agree. It was fashionable to be "foreign" to one's own land, to boast of one's exoticism.
Today, the Arabization of the house music scene in Lebanon and worldwide is an unprecedented phenomenon, to the delight of party-goers of all ages.
Haitian DJ Francis Mercier at his concert in Beirut on July 8, 2023. (Credit: Francis Mercier's Instagram account)
Arabic house music
From the sound of house music at parties in Ibiza, Cannes and the Kfar Debian heights, to the trend-setting sound of house music on TikTok, Arabic music is now center-stage in the house scene.
While the trend is at its peak today, its earliest beginnings date back to the early 2000s, with pioneers like Said Mrad in his 2001 remix of Alf Laila wa Laila (composed by Baligh Hamdi), a sound that continues to electrify crowds, even if the version that has survived 20 years is a little different.
After Mrad, a series of DJs jumped on the bandwagon. Songs such as El-Tannoura by Fares Karam and the famous Shik Shak Shok by Hassan Abou al-Saoud have not escaped the trend: They have just been covered by two French brothers operating under the name Kimotion. "We like everything oriental," they told L'Orient-Le Jour, adding that it's mainly the sounds that they feel go well with afro house, melodically and rhythmically. "So we turned to it naturally, and people love it," said the French DJs.
The same is true of the renowned Lebanese DJ duo ED'N'RAY: "Just as Afro house gained popularity by mixing African rhythms with house beats, we're increasingly seeing the integration of Middle Eastern sounds, instruments and voices into house music. Artists like Francis Mercier, Mont Rouge & friends and Kimotion are creating oriental remixes that are hits." Seeing young people dancing at 4 a.m. to Abdel Kader by Faudel, Khaled and Rachid Taha or Allah Allah ya Baba by Saber al-Roubai has therefore become commonplace.
If foreign DJs like Arabic sounds, they also admit to a certain preference for the scenes in Egypt or Lebanon, and more generally in Arab countries. "It's in the latter that they say they have the best atmosphere and the best audience, and that they party the most, and also the best," said Dr. Nazir Bassit, a Lebanese dentist and DJ. Validating this answer, Lebanese DJ Nicolas Merheb added in an exchange with L'Orient-Le Jour: "Anyone who sets foot in the Middle East has simply loved the experience to the max." According to him, these parties today are getting better than those in Europe and the U.S.
Indeed, with the Lebanese diaspora scattered across the globe, many DJs pointed out that when they play Arabic music anywhere, the crowd interacts with them the most. Nostalgia? "It probably reminds them of their roots when they're miles away," said DJ Nazir, who has played in New York, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles and Paris.
It seems that all the DJs agree on this point; even ED'N'RAY said, "Wherever we are in the world, when we play an oriental song, the audience reacts superbly and loves it. Maybe it's because they're tired of hearing the same sounds for years and find it refreshing to hear something new." They're not wrong: Even in the antipodes, at parties and among the thousands of foreign heads, a cedar is always spotted. The Lebanese flag is the first to fly proudly among the crowds, a flag that often ends up being held by the DJ himself, whatever his nationality.
Francis Mercier, Haitian DJ and producer, in front of the Lebanese flag, in Toulouse (France), Feb. 4, 2024. (Credit: Francis Mercier's Instagram account)
Bassit went back to the beginnings of the trend: "It was Keinemusik [a German label and group of internationally renowned producers and DJs] who first introduced Amr Diab's Arabic track Nour el-Ein to the house industry a year ago, and it was huge. After that, everyone followed suit and the trend took off." The DJ continued, "Five years ago, most parties played commercial music, so those who wanted to listen to Arabic or English music had to go to specialized concerts. Nowadays, afro house and house music are conquering and dominating the market; nobody plays commercial music anymore. So people who used to listen to Arabic music now do so through house music."
'Everyone wants to be part of a trend'
Beirut is coming out of the speakers around the world, as even the songs of the iconic Fairouz are being remixed. "It's a trend, and naturally, everyone wants to be part of a trend," said ACNØR, a Lebanese DJ who remixed the famous Li Beirut, his very first opus that made the buzz on SoundCloud (a platform where artists can publish remixes without the legal agreement of the song's owner). He continued, "I did it for fun, I love the original song. After all, Fairouz is our queen. Since I did it at the very beginning of the movement, I didn't expect it to become so important for the Lebanese people, but also for a lot of great artists abroad who have covered it. I'm very grateful for that."
While Western DJs draw on Arab culture, young Lebanese expatriates are crazy about it.
Can we say that Generation Z is going through a wave of "de-Westernization"? "The phase of fantasizing about the West is over. Today, we fantasize about our culture being respected and inspiring people, rather than giving the impression that we want to be like Westerners,"said Lebanese music producer Zeid Hamdan.
Francis Mercier wrote in a caption below a publication he pinned on Instagram: "There are only three cities in the world where I feel at home when I'm not in New York or Port-au-Prince, and Beirut is certainly one of them! When I play here, it doesn't feel like a show, but more like a family reunion. Everyone is so welcoming, positive and happy! I can't wait to go back."
If all goes well, this return could take place on Saturday, Aug. 17. In the meantime, with Lebanese DJ ED'N'RAY, he's preparing a remix "to one of our favorite oriental sounds," he confided exclusively to L'Orient-Le Jour.
Remixes of Arabic songs or beats are in great demand in the Middle East, both at home and in the diaspora. But according to several DJs, this musical trend is already in decline. "DJs have overdone it a bit," remarked Bassit. "It's been great, but I don't think it's going to last, because all the sounds are the same."
"It's become a bit 'mainstream' and it's starting to lack originality," agreed ACNØR.
This article was originally published in L'Orient-Le Jour.
