The aftermath of the Beirut Port explosion. (Credit: Makram Bitar)
He is 90 years old, but his memory remains intact — unharmed, ageless. Untouched by the passage of time. His memory is a sanctuary, a hermetic Petri dish that holds nearly a century of Lebanon’s recollections. Born in Beirut in 1934, he often repeats to me that he has “seen everything, lived through everything.” And, above all, heard everything.For this great music lover and musician, memory is first and foremost auditory. It is a cavern where, among other recorded and preserved noises, are those that recount the nuances of violence that have swept constantly through Lebanon. These sounds, he still knows by heart.When he recalls an episode of war or another bloody event in the country's history, he remembers it first through sound. He hears it before he sees it. He describes the noises to me with obsessive precision. He mimics them...
He is 90 years old, but his memory remains intact — unharmed, ageless. Untouched by the passage of time. His memory is a sanctuary, a hermetic Petri dish that holds nearly a century of Lebanon’s recollections. Born in Beirut in 1934, he often repeats to me that he has “seen everything, lived through everything.” And, above all, heard everything.For this great music lover and musician, memory is first and foremost auditory. It is a cavern where, among other recorded and preserved noises, are those that recount the nuances of violence that have swept constantly through Lebanon. These sounds, he still knows by heart.When he recalls an episode of war or another bloody event in the country's history, he remembers it first through sound. He hears it before he sees it. He describes the noises to me with obsessive precision. He...
Humanitarian convoy reaches Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibil despite obstacles