SHINE ON LEBANON
Our project consisted in filming 10 different young artists from the new Lebanese music scene in 10 different historical locations unfamiliar to the public.
This year, given the exceptional difficulties the country is going through, it was impossible to organize the festival the way we do every year, and we thought that supporting young artists has always been an important part of our mission, which we should devote ourselves to this time. So we proudly say #Shineonlebanon, shedding light on talented local young artists on a unique musical journey through the Roman temples of Bekaa. The initiative aimed to offer a platform and highlight the vibrant local music scene, encouraging Lebanese musicians, singers and composers to showcase their talent and creativity.
A series of 10 performances (about 8 minutes each) were filmed at several Roman archaeological sites across the Bekaa. #ShineOnLebanon was filmed at sunset in June 2021 by various talented Lebanese filmmakers, showcasing performers and the beauty of the Roman sites. These performances were later integrated into a one-of-a-kind free online broadcast (approximately 80 minutes) that was launched and streamed live from the steps of the Temple of Bacchus in Baalbek in presence of artists, directors and organizers on Friday, July 9, 2021, at 8:45 pm (Beirut time), on all local TV channels (LBCI, MTV, Al Jadeed, OTV, NBN, Tele Liban), reaching over 1,350,000 viewers. The concert was also broadcast on Pan-Arab channels, MBC4 and Shahid. The concert attracted 2,200,000 viewers on the digital platforms Facebook and YouTube.
Performers: Beirut Vocal Point, Blu Fiefer, Ghenwa Nemnom, Jana Semaan & Pierre Geagea, Makram Aboul Hosn Quintet, Postcards, Serge, Taxi 404, Vladimir Kurumilian & Ziad Moukarzel, Ziyad Sahhab and Zef. Directors: Bassem Christo, Chady Hanna, Elie Rizk, Emile Slailaty, Ingrid Bawab, Michel Saliba, Mirna Khayat, Roger Ghantous and Samer Dadanian. The main goal of the project was to give artists the opportunity to continue to create and perform on a professional platform with tremendous international visibility that the festival is able to provide in the most difficult moments the country is going through.
