“Beiteddine” festivals lit their 40th candle with a concert by Egyptian-French artist Farah El-Debani, with a group of classical melodies and songs.
And between peace and war, the drawers of the “Beiteddine” festivals were opened every year from above the shells and bullets, and from there flourished with Lebanese and international arts for 40 years until the years of prosperity.
After nearly four years of Lebanon’s worst economic crisis, festival-goers are adapting to the dire conditions and jumping off the surface of the collapse to join the fun and culture, says Noura Jumblatt, head of Beiteddine Festivals.
Jumblad considered the 2023 season to be concrete evidence of life returning to Lebanon in light of the economic collapse.
According to official statistics distributed by the festival management, Petedin reached record numbers by organizing around 500 concerts and hosting more than 6,600 artists and musicians in the courtyards of the ancient historical palace with the participation of more than 700,000 visitors.
A special program was prepared for the opening ceremony, which included artworks by the best stars of the Arab world, such as Fairuz, Asmahan and Dalida. Amidst the cheers of the audience, the voice of the Egyptian diva rang out with the song “Beirut, from my heart, peace”. Festival programs are held at the Prince Bashir Palace, which is considered to be one of the oldest architectural works of about 200 years. With her mezzo-soprano voice, Farah Al-Tibani presented international opera pieces, including the opera Carmen and several excerpts from the opera Samson and Delilah, with maestro conducting the Lebanese Baalbaghi Orchestra.
Al-Tibani was the first Egyptian singer to join the Paris Opera Academy in 2016, and the French Embassy in Cairo awarded him the French Medal of Arts and Letters with a knighthood.
Today, July 22, Beited’s festivals witness a musical gathering that combines flamenco and oriental melodies. Second, the Lebanese artist, pianist J. Manoukian returns to the Beitedin Theater for the second year in a row.
