The Palestinian pianist and composer Faraj Suleiman in a jazz mood in Beirut. Photo from the artist's Facebook page.
A trained pianist and, above all, a musician, it was singing that brought Faraj Suleiman wider recognition. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, he released "Ahla men Berlin" (More Beautiful than Berlin), written by Majd Kayal. The two had previously created children’s albums, but this first song for adults quickly went viral on social media and became a hit across the Arab world.The track pulls listeners into an intimate conversation with the artist: “I have questions in my head about you, about the neighborhood, about how time passed. About what you did in silence.” It struck a chord with Arab audiences torn between those who stayed and those who left after the Arab Spring. Missed this exhibition? In 'The Shade' of Sfeir-Semler’s two decades in Beirut Berlin, the archetypal city of exile that under Angela Merkel...
A trained pianist and, above all, a musician, it was singing that brought Faraj Suleiman wider recognition. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, he released "Ahla men Berlin" (More Beautiful than Berlin), written by Majd Kayal. The two had previously created children’s albums, but this first song for adults quickly went viral on social media and became a hit across the Arab world.The track pulls listeners into an intimate conversation with the artist: “I have questions in my head about you, about the neighborhood, about how time passed. About what you did in silence.” It struck a chord with Arab audiences torn between those who stayed and those who left after the Arab Spring. Missed this exhibition? In 'The Shade' of Sfeir-Semler’s two decades in Beirut Berlin, the archetypal city of exile that under Angela...