NOSTALGIA TINKLING AT THE IVORIES
By Muriel Kahwagi

Daily Star
d=10&categ_id=4&article_id=105122
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Lebanon

Manoukian performs in Beiteddine alongside members of Gypsy Kings

REVIEW

BEITEDDINE: "Why do I love life?" Guy Manoukian asked his eager
audience on Sunday evening, a bashful smile drawn across his face
as he sat behind his piano. "I love life because I am Lebanese,
because Lebanon is my inspiration." An ardent crowd cheered as the
wistful sound of the oud resonated around the auditorium, soon to
be accompanied by the swooping strings of the Armenian Philharmonic
Orchestra.

The video clips of pre-Civil War Lebanese life, projected on a large
screen upstage of Manoukian and his ensemble, were almost unbearably
poignant in hindsight. The Martyrs Square statue, the clock-tower
of the American University of Beirut, Byblos harbor and the Beirut
hippodrome all flashed by in sepia-tinted glory.

Together with these nostalgia-laden projections, Manoukian’s evocative,
if unnamed, composition melded to form a symphony of yearning.

"I want to live in Lebanon," Manoukian continued, much to the crowd’s
delight. "I want to raise my children in Lebanon and I want to die
in Lebanon."

Manoukian opened his two-hour long concert with a composition from his
new album "Assouman." The composer gleefully reminded his audience
that "Assouman" has been top of the Lebanese charts for the past
eight weeks, and cordially thanked all his fans for their part in
his success.

Manoukian’s magnetism lies not only within the compositions
themselves – which range from the utterly nostalgic and hypnotic to
the tremendously jolly and dynamic – but also within the eclectic
assortment of instruments used.

The electric guitar might sound an odd bedfellow for the derbake, for
example, and likewise the bouzouki with the saxophone. In Manoukian’s
genre-splicing arrangement, however, these instruments combine to
form new worlds of fusion.

Anyone assuming that Manoukian would be the star of the show was quite
mistaken. Between the hefty presence of the APO’s string section,
and a team of percussionists, pipers and bouzouki players, Manoukian’s
piano was very often overshadowed by his accompanists.

Modest Manoukian seemed to take some pride in the array of musicians
he’d amassed for the evening, often boasting that his percussionist
was the best in the world, for example, as was his string section.

The young musician also had a constant parade of guest musicians on
stage. Among them were Nicole Bidan and Boogie Breeze, who perform a
Broadway-esque love duet on Manoukian’s latest album, and Leyla Dash,
the vocalist on his hit single "Shooting Star."

Dash, who came all the way from Switzerland for the performance,
emerged in a glittering golden gown as if dressed for the Oscars. Given
her get-up, it seemed appropriate that the buxom blonde make a
gushing thank-you speech to all the fans who made "Shooting Star"
such a success in Lebanon. Without further ado, the singer disappeared
from the stage, leaving many in the audience confused as to why she
refrained from performing.

The spectators’ discontent did not last for long, however. Mario Reyes
of the Gypsy Kings appeared with two of his band-mates to perform
their international smash-hit "Bamboleo." Audience members began
staggering to their feet in order to shake to the band’s flamenco-
infused pop sound.

"I have a surprise for the Lebanese audience," said Manoukian, smiling
widely, as he and the Gypsy Kings broke into a stirring rendition of
"Mustapha ya Mustapha." This was swiftly followed by a bizarre medley
of danceable tunes, including disco-favorite "Macarena," patriotic
"Rajiaa Yitaammar Lubnan" ("Lebanon will be re-built"), and "Tallou
Hbabna Tallou" ("Here Come our Beloved ones").

A group of lusty lads in the aisles broke into an approximation of
the debkeh as many others swarmed to the front. By the time the Gypsy
Kings had retired, much of the audience had abandoned their seats
and gathered in front the stage, a mass of bodies all holding their
phone cameras aloft.

In what may have been a reference to Deep Purple’s barnstorming
performance at Baalbeck a few weeks ago, guitarist Richard Hayek –
at Manoukian’s signal – thrashed out the chords of Deep Purple’s
"Smoke on the Water."

After pulling all these tricks out of the box, an encore seemed
a little superfluous. Manoukian and friends vanished from the
stage. The audience, perhaps a little wearied after the interval-free
two-hour-long show, seemed perfectly happy to go home.